What is a business model?

A business model is a format of work structure that helps companies define the characteristics of their business. In a business model, a company states what they do and what they create, who they sell to and who buys it, and how much money they make versus how much it costs to produce profits. In other words, a business model helps a company determine how it will create value. Business models tell investors and customers how a particular company plans to solve certain business problems, and in doing so, what the potential upside of the business model might hold. If a company cannot live up to its business model, then it may choose to cease operations.

What is it important to learn about business models?

It's important to learn that business models are the modern assessment vehicle for how businesses are viewed. Learning about business models can help you articulate your own vision down the road when you have great ideas for businesses and need to interest investors in your idea. When a business forms, it needs to develop and make a case for a business model to gather the basic assumptions about the company's business goal. A business model can also help you learn what path a company will take to chase any potential work opportunity.

What careers can I work in by learning business models?

When you learn about business models, the knowledge you gain can help you find career work in technology companies, advertising agencies, financial consultancies, banking, manufacturing, and other fields. This is because researching, developing, and creating a business model requires insightful thought and analysis about the business opportunity, the target market, and the potential for the business model. As you learn about business models, you start to acquire tips and techniques that help define what the business is and in what direction it's headed. That knowledge can help you grow your career faster within a corporation or a startup.

How can taking online courses help me learn about business models?

Taking online courses to learn about business models is a smart way to gain real-world insights into how certain companies have evolved to bring their products into the world. You will be exposed to both business innovators and opportunistic dreamers who figured out a way to sell a business model to investors, customers, and the world at large. When you gain this knowledge, you'll have the tools to go out and develop your own business model to create your own success.

What are the benefits of taking an online Business Model course?

Online Business Model courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your existing knowledge or learn new Business Model skills. With a wide range of Business Model classes, you can conveniently learn at your own pace to advance your Business Model career skills.

What Business Model courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Business Model, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Business Model Courses - Learn Business Model Online

Explore the Business Model Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
University of Maryland, College Park
Building the Business Model for Corporate Entrepreneurs
Skills you'll gain: Business Modeling, Customer Analysis, Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Customer Insights, Value Propositions, New Product Development, Target Market, Business Development, Customer Relationship Management, Innovation, Product Strategy, Market Dynamics, Interviewing Skills
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
81 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Universitat de Barcelona
The entrepreneur's guide for beginners
Skills you'll gain: Entrepreneurship, Market Opportunities, Business Planning, Lean Methodologies, Business Modeling, New Business Development, Business Development, Fundraising, Value Propositions, Target Audience
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
520 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Yale University
Financial Markets
Skills you'll gain: Investment Banking, Risk Management, Financial Market, Financial Regulation, Financial Services, Finance, Business Risk Management, Securities (Finance), Financial Policy, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Capital Markets, Behavioral Economics, Banking, Corporate Finance, Governance, Investments, Insurance, Underwriting, Derivatives, Market Dynamics
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
31K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Virginia
Digital Business Strategy
Skills you'll gain: Intellectual Property, Digital Transformation, Business Modeling, Business Strategy, Technology Strategies, Innovation, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Value Propositions, Market Dynamics, Competitive Analysis, Computing Platforms
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
103 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University of London
Managing the Company of the Future
Skills you'll gain: Organizational Change, Leadership and Management, Business Management, Innovation, Change Management, Organizational Structure, Leadership, Personal Development, Decision Making, Goal Setting, Collaboration
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3.6K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Landscape Restoration
Skills you'll gain: Stakeholder Management, Business Modeling, New Business Development, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Business Analysis, Corporate Sustainability, Environmental Resource Management, Financial Analysis, Systems Thinking, Innovation, Value Propositions
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
49 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Coursera Project Network
Design a Business Model Canvas with Miro
Skills you'll gain: Business Modeling, Presentations, Business Planning, Entrepreneurship, Value Propositions, New Business Development, Collaborative Software
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
Status: New AI skills
Google
Google Project Management:
Skills you'll gain: Quality Management, Project Management Life Cycle, Project Scoping, Project Closure, Project Management, Project Planning, Continuous Improvement Process, Agile Project Management, Project Controls, Professional Networking, Backlogs, Agile Software Development, Quality Assessment, Team Management, Project Documentation, Agile Methodology, Communication Planning, Change Management, Milestones (Project Management), Interviewing Skills
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
129K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Copenhagen Business School
Social Business Model and Planning for Social Innovation
Skills you'll gain: Team Oriented, Business Planning, Organizational Structure, Business Modeling, Entrepreneurship, Business Strategies, Strategic Planning, Fundraising, Value Propositions, Innovation, Organizational Effectiveness, Financial Planning, Investments, Presentations
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
121 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
Microsoft
Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Dashboard, Excel Formulas, Extract, Transform, Load, Power BI, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Copilot, Data Modeling, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Star Schema, Data Analysis, Data Presentation, Data Visualization Software, Spreadsheet Software, Data Validation, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Transformation, Data Cleansing, Data Storage
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
7.3K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: New AI skills
Google
Google Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Rmarkdown, Data Literacy, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Data Ethics, Interactive Data Visualization, Interviewing Skills, Data Cleansing, Data Validation, Ggplot2, Professional Networking, Tableau Software, Presentations, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Stakeholder Communications, Dashboard, Sampling (Statistics)
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
168K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google
Google Business Intelligence
Skills you'll gain: Business Intelligence, Data Modeling, Dashboard, Database Design, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Integration, Stakeholder Engagement, Professional Networking, Data Warehousing, Data Presentation, Performance Tuning, Data Pipelines, Data Visualization Software, Business Reporting, Data Integrity, Business Analytics, Interviewing Skills, Professional Development, LinkedIn, Relationship Building
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
2.9K reviews
Advanced · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months