What is a business plan?

A business plan is a document in which you write out the goals for your business, the steps you'll take to achieve those goals, and the timeframe in which you want to achieve them. You can use a business plan both as an aspirational document to motivate you to perform well in your business and as a tool to attract investors to your business venture. Your business plan may also include strategies for the marketing and promotion of your business. If you consult your business plan regularly, you'll be able to find incentives and encouragement to help you reach the goals you set.

Why is it important to learn to write a business plan?

When you write a business plan, it can serve as a blueprint for developing and growing your business. Your business plan serves as a means of accountability to yourself for the business you seek to start. The goals you set in your business plan, along with the steps and timeframe you map out for reaching those goals, will be your prime motivator for success. When you've written your business plan well, it can help you reach your goals more effectively and efficiently. You can also use your business plan as a way to attract investors. Lenders are more likely to fund your business if you're able to show them a workable plan.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn how to write a business plan?

Online courses on Coursera can help you write an effective business plan by showing you both the fundamentals and practical applications of business plan development. The suite of online courses on Coursera can show you the basics of entrepreneurship, or you can study deeper topics like social media for startups, business for entrepreneurs in creative fields, and how to seek international financing for your business. Think of online courses on Coursera as a source of knowledge that can help you achieve success as a business owner.

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

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

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

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Business Plan, 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 Plan Courses - Learn Business Plan Online

Explore the Business Plan Course Catalog

University of Colorado Boulder
Aprendizaje Activo STEM con Simulaciones Interactivas PhET
Skills you'll gain: Interactive Learning, Instructional Strategies, Pedagogy, Mathematics Education, Teaching, Simulation and Simulation Software, Student Engagement, Simulations, Instructional Design, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Experimentation, Design, Technology Strategies, Scientific Visualization, Physics
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
648 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Yonsei University
Emerging Technologies: From Smartphones to IoT to Big Data
Skills you'll gain: Apache Spark, Augmented Reality, Cloud Computing Architecture, Big Data, Wireless Networks, SPSS, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Cloud Computing, Internet Of Things, Live Streaming, Cloud Platforms, Analytics, Real Time Data, Apache Hadoop, Multimedia, Emerging Technologies, Apple iOS, Mobile Development Tools, Product Planning, Android (Operating System)
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
1.9K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of Colorado Boulder
Effective Communication Capstone Project
Skills you'll gain: Presentations, Peer Review, Business Writing, Project Design, Graphic Design, Microsoft PowerPoint, Branding, Communication, Public Speaking, Data Science
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
164 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Microsoft
Deploy and Maintain Power BI Assets and Capstone project
Skills you'll gain: Power BI, Dashboard, SQL, Microsoft SQL Servers, Business Intelligence, Data Security, Data Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Data Modeling, Data Management, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Data Access, Authorization (Computing)
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
236 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Google Cloud
Scaling with Google Cloud Operations
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Management, Google Cloud Platform, Cloud Computing, DevOps, Cloud Platforms, Operational Excellence, Cloud Infrastructure, Cost Management, Site Reliability Engineering, Operational Efficiency, Scalability, Corporate Sustainability, Client Support, Customer Support
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
731 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Tableau Learning Partner
Introduction to Tableau
Skills you'll gain: Tableau Software, Interactive Data Visualization, Data Visualization Software, Business Analytics, Data Integration, Data Analysis, Data Cleansing, Data Transformation, Data Processing
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
253 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Duke University
Rust Programming
Skills you'll gain: Rust (Programming Language), Containerization, Data Pipelines, CI/CD, Docker (Software), DevOps, Jenkins, Test Case, Restful API, Serverless Computing, Generative AI, Command-Line Interface, Amazon Web Services, Software Testing, Maintainability, Prometheus (Software), ChatGPT, System Monitoring, MLOps (Machine Learning Operations), Data Structures
4
Rating, 4 out of 5 stars
200 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free
University of London
Citizenship and the Rule of Law
Skills you'll gain: Law, Regulation, and Compliance, Business Ethics, Regulation and Legal Compliance, Social Justice, International Relations, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Political Sciences, Governance
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
512 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Análisis de Sistemas de Transporte
Skills you'll gain: Transportation Operations, Transportation Management, Network Analysis, Operations Research, Systems Analysis, Systems Thinking, Analysis, Demand Planning, Mathematical Modeling, Econometrics, Markov Model, Behavioral Economics, Economic Development, Cost Benefit Analysis, Market Dynamics, Statistical Modeling, Probability Distribution, Socioeconomics, Decision Making
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
772 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
Nanjing University
Data Processing Using Python
Skills you'll gain: Data Processing, Data Mining, Data Structures, Data Presentation, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Web Scraping, Data Capture, Data Analysis, Python Programming, Pandas (Python Package), NumPy, Data Visualization, Data Manipulation, Matplotlib, User Interface (UI) Design
4.1
Rating, 4.1 out of 5 stars
371 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of California, Davis
Google SEO Capstone Project
Skills you'll gain: Search Engine Optimization, Web Analytics and SEO, Competitive Analysis, Peer Review, Presentations, Content Strategy, Digital Marketing, Market Analysis, Proposal Development, Auditing, Target Audience, Performance Metric
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
473 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Amazon Web Services
Getting Started with Data Analytics on AWS
Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Analytics, Analytics, Data Analysis, Dashboard, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Data Visualization, Amazon Web Services, Big Data, Exploratory Data Analysis, Amazon S3, Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Cloud Security
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
887 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks