If you’re on a budget but need some of the best guides available for starting and growing your business, these free introduction courses will be some of the best online resources you will come across. And they are all self-paced:
Side Hustle “From Zero to 100” by City, University of London: Udemy’s Side Hustle “From Zero to 100” is in partnership with the City, University of London’s entrepreneurial arm CityVentures. Side hustles are how some of the most successful entrepreneurs got their start, and this course is excellent preparatory material for growing a social media following, networking, and knowing when to go off on your own full time – beacuse it is taught by real-life business owners who have been successful. On completion, course graduates receive an official certificate from the institution.
Length: 13 lectures/1 hour and 58 minutes
Starting a Business by MOBI: My Own Business Institute (MOBI) is a partnership between entrepreneurs Phil and Peggy Holland and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, to offer free online education to aspiring business owners. Its course Starting a Business looks to provide all the basics of entrepreneurship—licenses and permits, financing, and expansion—and focuses especially on the importance of writing a business plan.
Length: 15 sessions/1–4 hours per session
The Elements of Entrepreneurial Success by Stanford: Provided by Alison, a free learning platform, The Elements of Entrepreneurial Success combines Stanford’s reputation with the fundamentals of starting a business. The course covers leadership and hiring, the five types of organisational culture, and managing risk and reward. It ends with a final assessment that cements the entire learning. You also get to hear advice and stories from experts such as Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki.
Length: 4–5 hours