A short round-up of ten online classes that will help you upgrade your business the right (and fun) way.
The Modern Marketing Workshop
Seth Godin, Entrepreneur and author
Marketing has changed more in the last 20 years than any other business discipline. Far more than accounting, manufacturing, or management. Why are we relying on the same-old traditional textbooks? Why are CMOs cornered into decisions that make no sense? Why do leaders still talk about marketing and advertising like they’re the same?
In this class, modern marketing guru Seth Godin teaches how to spot opportunities, avoid pitfalls, and grow relevant metrics into meaningful action. It’s a fast, powerful, and hands-on course that will transform you and your business.
Learn here via Skillshare
Context is Key: Social Media Strategy in a Noisy Online World
by Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia
Learn to develop a results-driven social media strategy perfectly adapted to each major social media platform—a strategy that guarantees your brand is telling the right story in the right context. Gary will break down the right story for every relevant platform—Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest—all in under 90 minutes. These are the same tactics Gary’s used to grow brands like GE, PepsiCo, and the NY Jets. Any opportunity to enter Gary’s brain is an exciting one, and this class is no exception. Don’t miss it.
Learn here via Skillshare
Build a Social Mission-Driven Brand
Neil Blumenthal, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Warby Parker
Learn what it takes to start a brand with a social mission. In this 45-minute class, Warby Parker Co-founder and Co-CEO Neil Blumenthal reveals how to identify a problem you want to solve, craft a brand’s architecture and story, and launch your vision for the greater good. Whether you’re curious how businesses begin, eager to build a brand of your own, or already in business, you’ll gain the clarity and insight to start making a difference.
Learn here via Skillshare
How to Write a Business Plan
One of the most common questions asked when starting a business is how to write a business plan. Business plans are used for many different purposes, from planning out your initial venture, to fundraising and conducting feasibility studies. In this course, you will learn what a business plan is, why you need it and the basic structure of a business plan.
Learn here via Treehouse
How to Market Your Business
Marketing your business requires an understanding of how to communicate the benefits of your business to satisfy the needs of your potential customers. In this set of videos, you’ll explore how to expand your reach and improve your messaging through various strategies such as social media, usability, SEO, video and email marketing.
Learn here via Treehouse
Bootstrapping to big bucks; Tips for funding your Startup
Only 7% of all investor money goes to women-led startups. Learn from the best by watching this all-star lineup of investors women who are disrupting the status quo and funding women-led startups. Susan Lyne, President of BBG Ventures (AOL’s new venture fund for women-led startups) and Kate Shillo, a VC and Director of Galvanize will energize you and make you want to start bootstrapping big bucks.
Learn here via General Assembly
Building a Brand-Centric Business Strategy
When working on a startup, many companies become fixated on producing a stellar product and a business/revenue model that attracts funding. Yet they forget that setting up a brand to convey these two primary focuses could determine the future roadmap of the company’s success. This live stream will teach students how brand considerations can be linked closely to a business strategy in order to provide a holistic foundation for their startup’s future.
Learn here via General Assembly
Money + Business for Creatives
with RAMIT SETHI
A little pricier than the classes above, this is a full-lenght course by well-known online business and money guru Ramit Sethi. After teaching over a million students how to better manage their finances he shares his proven techniques for transforming your financial outlook. Ramit will show you how to reach your personal financial goals by teaching you how to spend, save, and invest your money. Ramit will also show you how to turn your passions into extra income on the side. If you are one of the countless creative individuals who needs a little extra help developing a more strategic approach to work and finance, don’t miss this informative and inspiring class.
Learn here via CreativeLive
Launching an Online Business
with LEWIS HOWES, JAMES WEDMORE, DEREK HALPERN
Social media expert and entrepreneur Lewis Howes will walk you through the step-by-step process of launching a profitable online business. From idea to market research to lead generation and product creation, this class will give you the tools you need to fast track the launch of a successful online business. Lewis will share his proven strategies for building authority, gaining online press, writing viral articles, attracting industry influencers, and leveraging social media communities to increase brand awareness and generate more sales. A comprehensive guide to getting your online business off the ground.
Learn here via CreativeLive
FIZZLE
A selection of online courses with a focus on concrete, actionable steps by some of today’s most sought-after online business experts. Covering things like growing your email list, starting a podcast, increasing traffic, creating better content, creating videos and much more. Starting from 1 $ a month. No reason not to try it.
Learn here
Bonus
If you still have some time left head over of Khan Academy and watch two, well-worth video interviews with Richard Branson and Marc Ecko on how they built their business from the ground-up and the ups and downs of entrepreneurial life.
