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

Status: Free Trial
Imperial College London
Statistical Analysis with R for Public Health
Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills, Correlation Analysis, Regression Analysis, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data Literacy, Data Analysis, R Programming, Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Software, Biostatistics, Exploratory Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Programming, Statistics, Statistical Methods, Public Health, Probability & Statistics, Epidemiology, Statistical Modeling
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
2K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of California, Irvine
The Art of Negotiation
Skills you'll gain: Negotiation, Emotional Intelligence, Relationship Building, Conflict Management, Communication, Interpersonal Communications, Leadership, Empowerment, Influencing, Assertiveness, Empathy, Trustworthiness, Active Listening, Adaptability
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
3K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
ESSEC Business School
Les Fondamentaux de la Négociation
Skills you'll gain: Negotiation, Communication, Conflict Management, Relationship Building, Interpersonal Communications, Value Propositions, Overcoming Objections, Active Listening, Stakeholder Management, Behavioral Economics
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
427 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
University of California, Davis
Web Development for Beginners
Skills you'll gain: Responsive Web Design, Color Theory, Version Control, Typography, HTML and CSS, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), GitHub, Git (Version Control System), Web Design, Web Design and Development, Web Development, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Front-End Web Development, Application Deployment, Web Applications, Design Elements And Principles, Animations, Web Content, Mobile Development
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.7K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Virginia
Strategic Planning and Execution
Skills you'll gain: Plan Execution, Organizational Strategy, Business Strategy, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Strategic Decision-Making, Strategic Thinking, Governance, Analysis, Corporate Strategy, Business Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Innovation
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
834 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Exploratory Data Analysis for Machine Learning
Skills you'll gain: Exploratory Data Analysis, Feature Engineering, Statistical Inference, Data Processing, Data Access, Anomaly Detection, Statistical Analysis, Data Analysis, Data Cleansing, Data Manipulation, Machine Learning, Probability & Statistics, Data Transformation, Workflow Management, Scalability
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
2.3K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Measure What Matters
OKR Certification: Leadership and Goal Setting
Skills you'll gain: Goal Setting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Organizational Effectiveness, Business Priorities, Organizational Strategy, Strategic Leadership, Performance Management, Employee Performance Management, Productivity, Prioritization, Performance Measurement, Strategic Communication
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
618 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
PwC
Data Visualization with Advanced Excel
Skills you'll gain: Data Presentation, Dashboard, Data Storytelling, Data Visualization Software, Microsoft Excel, Spreadsheet Software, Excel Formulas, Graphing, Pivot Tables And Charts, Data Modeling, Databases, Data Analysis, Simulation and Simulation Software
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Managing Talent
Skills you'll gain: Talent Management, Talent Pipelining, People Development, Employee Onboarding, Employee Coaching, Talent Recruitment, Performance Review, Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Leadership Development, Recruitment Strategies, Performance Measurement, Employee Engagement
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
2.5K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Google Cloud
Creating Business Value with Data and Looker
Skills you'll gain: Looker (Software), Dashboard, Data Governance, Digital Transformation, Real Time Data, Google Cloud Platform, Data Modeling, Data Management, Data Warehousing, Data Visualization Software, Data Analysis, Data Sharing, Big Data, Cloud Storage, Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Presentation, Data Processing, Database Design, Performance Tuning
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
1.3K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Coursera Project Network
Spreadsheets for Beginners using Google Sheets
Skills you'll gain: Spreadsheet Software, Data Entry, Data Validation
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
2.2K reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Functional Programming Principles in Scala
Skills you'll gain: Scala Programming, Programming Principles, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Functional Design, Computer Programming, Data Structures, Integrated Development Environments, Javascript, Algorithms
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
8.3K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months