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: New
Status: Free Trial
National Academy of Sports Medicine
Fitness Coaching Strategies for Weight Loss
Skills you'll gain: Coaching, Health Assessment, Creative Problem-Solving, Nutrition and Diet, Patient Education And Counseling, Injury Prevention, Safety Assurance
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Coursera Instructor Network
GenAI for Compensation: Smarter Pay Equity Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Compensation Management, Compensation Analysis, Compensation Strategy, People Analytics, Generative AI, Workforce Planning, ChatGPT, Job Evaluation, Business Ethics, Predictive Analytics, Prompt Engineering, Human Resources, Artificial Intelligence, Human Resource Strategy
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
IBM
IBM Systems Analyst
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Business Analysis, Systems Development Life Cycle, Test Planning, Business Process Modeling, Unified Modeling Language, Process Optimization, Requirements Management, Systems Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Process Analysis, Data Modeling, Agile Methodology, Stakeholder Engagement, Requirements Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Information Technology, Computer Hardware
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
4.4K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Google
Design Prompts for Everyday Work Tasks
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Brainstorming, Timelines, Taking Meeting Minutes, Concision, Generative AI, Productivity Software, Business Writing, Artificial Intelligence, Document Management, Project Schedules, Text Mining
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
80 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
National Academy of Sports Medicine
Self-Guided Wellness Coaching
Skills you'll gain: Goal Setting, Growth Mindedness, Overcoming Obstacles, Goal-Oriented, Personal Development, Persistence, Empowerment, Coaching, Self-Awareness, Self-Motivation, Action Oriented, Productivity, Positivity, Planning
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Coursera Instructor Network
Azure Data Engineering: Cosmos DB, SQL & Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, Azure Synapse Analytics, Microsoft Azure, Transact-SQL, Data Storage, Data Architecture, Performance Tuning, Query Languages, SQL, NoSQL, Cloud-Native Computing, Data Processing, Business Intelligence, Analytics, Cloud Computing Architecture, Data Integration, Data Modeling, Scalability
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado System
Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence
Skills you'll gain: Database Design, Data Warehousing, Relational Databases, Decision Support Systems, Business Intelligence, Data Modeling, Database Management Systems, Databases, Dashboard, Business Process Management, SQL, Star Schema, Data Governance, Data Integration, Oracle Databases, Performance Measurement, Extract, Transform, Load, Business Analytics, MicroStrategy, Data Visualization Software
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.1K reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: New
Packt
Microsoft Power BI - The Complete Masterclass [2023 EDITION]
Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Power BI, Data Transformation, Data Modeling, Data Visualization Software, Interactive Data Visualization, Statistical Visualization, Data Storytelling, Data Integration, Dashboard, Data Manipulation, Microsoft Excel, Data Import/Export, Pivot Tables And Charts, Business Intelligence, Data Cleansing, Data Security
Intermediate · Course · 3 - 6 Months
Status: New
Coursera Instructor Network
Microsoft Copilot for Power BI: AI-Powered Report Insights
Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Power BI, Dashboard, Data Modeling, Business Intelligence, Microsoft Excel, Data Visualization Software, Microsoft Copilot, Data Integration, Interactive Data Visualization, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Data Manipulation, Data Transformation, Data Cleansing, ChatGPT
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Deep Teaching Solutions
Aprendiendo a aprender: Poderosas herramientas mentales con las que podrás dominar temas difíciles (Learning How to Learn)
Skills you'll gain: Learning Strategies, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Learning Theory, Time Management, Prioritization, Cognitive flexibility, Productivity, Growth Mindedness, Stress Management, Planning, Self-Awareness, Persistence
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
11K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Coursera
Test, Learn, Evolve: Usability Testing in Figma
Skills you'll gain: Usability Testing, Usability, Figma (Design Software), User Experience Design, User Centered Design, UI/UX Research, User Research, Prototyping, Test Planning
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Google Cloud
BigQuery para analistas de dados
Skills you'll gain: Looker (Software), Big Data, SQL, Data Analysis, Dashboard, Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, Data Visualization Software, Data Manipulation, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Pipelines, Data Transformation, Data Cleansing, Data Processing, Data Import/Export, Data Storage Technologies
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months