Online MBA Guide ranks the best online MBA degrees and reviews top online mba programs in the USA. Find your online mba school now!
By L. Fabry
Starting a small business in today’s economy can be a tough challenge. Stay a step ahead of accounting, finance, marketing, and other topics by utilizing the courses, lectures, and tools below.
Organizations That Can Help
From government funded to privately owned, these websites are run by those who offer a vast amount of resources for those in small business.
1. Small Business Administration: With hundreds of resources to choose from, the SBA is a must visit for all business owners. Highlights include the option to look up tools and resources in your area, and free online training and courses.
2. Business Owner’s Toolkit: This site offers several resources for small business owner’s, including free webinars. Other benefits of joining include, business card exchange, special offers, and the opportunity to have questions answered.
3. NFIB: The National Federation of Independent Business is a non-profit representing small and independent businesses. They have links to various courses and seminars all across the country and even help decide on how to choose one.
4. Small Business Development Center: With over 30 years experience, the SBDC has been recognized as a leader in the small business improvement and expansion arenas. Free workshops offered include Starting Your Small Business, Developing Your Business Plan, Marketing for Small Businesses, and an Introduction to Government Contracting.
5. Training Department: This site has everything you’ve been waiting for in internet based training without the cost. Choose from a selection of courses including supervisor training, compliance, project management, and more.
6. California Board of Equalization: The CSBE offers a listing of numerous free business seminars on their website. Choose from small business, to licensing, and much more.
7. iLearn: With a special section for small business, this site offers several free courses. Topics covered include Achieving Work-Life Balance, Advanced Excel 2003, Start-Up Basics for the First-Time Entrepreneur, and How to Give a Great Presentation.
8. MicroStrategy: This site’s goal is to provide integrated reporting, analysis, and monitoring software that helps organizations make better business decisions every day. By offering a variety of free webcasts and podcasts, small business owners can learn a great deal from this helpful organization.
9. About U: This site contains a collection of free online courses sent to you via email on a daily or weekly basis. You can sign up for a variety of subjects including advertising, recruiting, interviewing, and more.
10. World Trade Centers Association: The mission of the WTCA is to establish and operate individual World Trade Centers as part of a worldwide alliance to enhance stability, peace, and leading to economic growth. They conduct seminars and events around the globe, some of which are free and open to the public.
11. Small Business and Technology Development Center: The SBTDC provides knowledge, education and other supportive resources for small and mid-sized businesses, emerging entrepreneurs and local/state leaders. By visiting this site, you can read reports, access reports, or attend a free seminar.
12. Hard To Find Seminars: Michael Senoff has compiled hours of audio interviews from business experts. Listen to interviews such as How To Buy a Business, Cold Calling Techniques, and many more free of charge.
13. KU School of Business: This university offers several free, public lectures each year, bringing national and international authorities to campus to share their perspectives. The general public is invited and the lecture series are made possible by the generous gifts of donors.
14. Cambridge Business Lecturers: These lectures pull world-class speakers from around the world and are free. View details on upcoming lectures or see videos of past speakers.
General Business Courses
These free courses cover all from how to choose and start a business, how to manage the day to day, and to how to expand it globally.
15. Strategic Planning And Execution: Taught by Small Biz U, this free online course will teach you how to plan your small business. From making everyday decisions to crafting internal and external strategies, be ready to lead on day one.
16. Go It Alone: Bruce Judson teaches you how to build a successful business on your own. Through this online course, you will learn principles for success, myths about start-ups, and when to quit your day job.
17. Principles of Modern Management: Part of Contemporary Management, this course is intended for business and management studies. Divided into six parts, you will learn about management environment, decision making, conflict resolution, and more.
18. Special Seminar in Management: You will learn the basics of preparing a business plan from the experts at MIT through this course. It also features a list of readings and other resources to help students learn.
19. My Own Business: This course is designed for the entrepreneur who wants to start a business and the individual who has an established small business and would like to see it grow. This free course teaches you what the failing mistakes are and how to avoid them.
20. How to Find Start-Up Funding: An expert in venture capital teaches students real world knowledge where you learn by doing. This free business course is full of tips to help you find start-up funding.
21. The Free Micro-eMBA: Want an MBA without all the hassle? This self based program will teach you the basics that graduate students learn.
22. Strategies to Succeed in Running a Business: This free course will help you in the day to day running of your business. Follow the outline from basics, to organization, to growing your own start-up.
23. Fundamentals of Business Analysis: This online course focuses on the skills needed to identify business requirements. Part of the University of California Irvine, it also helps students develop solution strategies.
Marketing
No business can succeed without proper promotion and reaching out to a large customer base. Learn how marketing can have you lining up clients as well as how branding is crucial.
24. Fundamentals of Modern Marketing: This online course is intended for those interested in successfully marketing their business. Learn how to understand consumers, target opportunities, and more.
25. Make Your Price Sell: On the internet, time waits for no business, and your competitors are a mere mouse click away. Learn how to utilize price using the four P’s of marketing.
26. Search Engine Optimization and Search Marketing Courses: Web CEO is offering this free course and certification. With a simple download, you can learn about SEM and SEO, as well as many other topics.
27. Building Your Brand: Available from the SBA, this online workshop is ideal for those looking to market a small business. You can view text, audio lessons, and download worksheets.
28. Introduction to Marketing: This course focuses on the theory and application of marketing. Topics covered include Customer needs, Company skills, Competition, Collaborators, and Context (the five C’s).
29. Principles of Marketing: Offered by Wikiversity, this course is an extension of their business school. Covering the basics, this course shows you how to utilize marketing.
30. Emarketing: For those who are fluent in Spanish, this course will show you how to utilize marketing and the internet to promote your business.
Accounting
Now that your small business has money coming in, learn how to utilize it, organize, and pay taxes like the professionals do.
31. Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting: Whether you are a new or an established business, this short course is for you. Here, you will learn how to set up your records and bank accounts, as well as prepare a loan request or financing plan.
32. Bean Counting 101: Divided into five parts, this free course is perfect for those who are not accountants, but need to learn about it. You can also browse lesson contents before you begin taking the course.
33. Introduction to Financial and Managerial Accounting: Offered as part of MIT, this free course studies basic concepts of financial and managerial reporting. With a full set of lecture notes and assignments, learn the way the students at this top institution do.
34. Small Business Tax Workshop: Offered by the IRS, this video shows small business owners how to fill out their taxes. Divided into nine lessons, students will learn how to set up taxes, file them, as well as tips for retirement.
35. Small Business Accounting Assistance: This online reference will teach you everything about the basics of accounting. Learn the lingo, how to set up a general ledger, and more with the help of this resource.
36. Financial Accounting Course for Small Business Owners: With a brief and free registration, course are free from this site. Choose from Writing and Presenting in Accounting, Payroll & Taxation, and more.
37. Wareseeker: This is a comprehensive list of free accounting lectures. Simply scroll down, view the details, and download any and all lectures for free.
Finance
A must for all business owners, use these resources to learn how to support your business, or get others interested in investing.
38. Financial Management Training Center: With many courses to choose from, this is ideal for those who want to learn finance. Courses include performance, forecasting, budgeting, and more.
39. Financial Markets: This open class strives to offer understanding of finance and its relation to institutions such as banks, insurance, securities, futures, and other derivatives markets. Taught by Robert Shiller, this course is offered by the International Center for Finance at the Yale School of Management.
40. Teach Me Finance: This free course covers a variety of finance topics. Choose from the value of money, budgeting, and finance terms.
41. Commodity Markets and Future Trading: For those learning about commodities or options trading, this is a valuable educational resource. From a description of commodities trading, to the inner workings of a modern commodity exchange, this twelve-part course provides a wealth of information.
42. Financial Management Made Easy: Accounting, financial data, and process management are essential parts of running a successful small business. This free course, provided by Dell, consists of three on-demand lessons, each of which is accompanied by downloadable coursework.
43. Investments: This course focuses on financial theory and making investment decisions. Learn how to invest, and how to get others to invest in your business with this course.
44. Finance Essentials Tutorials: From the University of Scranton, this is a short presentation and introduction to finance. Learn how to analyze your statements, forecast, and more with this course.
Video Lectures
The following contains expert advice from those who have succeeded in business and will show you how to do the same.
45. CPA on Starting a Small Business: Dan Lutchansky has inspired many to start their own small business. See how to start, manage, and maintain your business in this lecture.
46. Matt Cutts Gives Tips: Matt is the head of Spam Cuts at Google and is interviewed about what he does. He also gives tips for small business owners and answers questions.
47. Behaviors of Successful Business Owners: Ron Finklestein, a business coach, discusses how to create a business, whether large or small. Attitude, strategy, and discipline are discussed as tools for business building.
48. SBTV: The Small Business Television Network offers daily news briefs and videos to help business owners keep up. Top stories include telephone etiquette, start up guides, and dealing with lenders.
49. Roni Lynn Deutch: Roni is a tax attorney who discusses how to start and maintain a small business. Topics include tips, employee hiring, and of course: taxes.
50. AllBusiness Video Library: Rieva Lesonsky is a small business expert and has many videos to choose from. You can also email a question, or even call the hotline.
51. Waikato Management School: Ed Vos is a lecturer from New Zealand and has posted dozens of lectures on this site. With several small business lectures to choose from, make time for this site.
52. Harvard Business: This collection offers Harvard experts speaking on all things business related. With 36 videos to choose from, viewers can choose from leadership, innovation, and strategy.
53. Entrepreneur: This magazine conveniently lists all of their videos on business and small business here. You can sort by latest, insight, expert advice, and more.
54. Learn-gasm: These 50 different lectures are available for free on iTunes. In addition to business building topics, you can also learn about the economy, policy, and finance.
Podcasts
The following shows consistently contain shows relevant to the small business owner. Learn a great deal on a variety of topics by listening to the podcasts below.
55. The Great Big Small Business Show: This podcast features small business advice, articles, views, and news from across the small business community. Covering employees, structure, and unexpected marketing, the Great Big Small Business Show is choice for entertaining small business coverage
56. ManagerTools: Winner of podcast awards, this lecturer will show you how to become a more effective manager and leader. Topics include Bad Boss, Deciding Between Candidates, and Effective Meetings.
57. Small Business Netcast: This weekly show discusses the creation, development and management of small business. Fourteen different episodes feature lectures, discussions, and more.
58. Success Pro: This radio channel has all the lectures by Success Free Seminars. Choose from How to Attract New Clients, Knowing Your Customers, and more.
59. Small Business Advice Podcast: Hear from small business experts who have succeeded in their fields in these podcasts. Experts include self starters, business coaches, and an Obama campaign staffer.
60. Internet Business Mastery: Anyone who wants to start, or already has, an internet based business is highly advised to listen to these podcasts. Chock full of expert advise, you can also watch videos or send in a question.
61. Small Business Podcasts: Led by Inc.com, this collection of podcasts includes information on marketing, start-ups, and more. Current shows include how to get into the mind of a customer, picking a name, and entrepreneur of the year.
62. Mark Hendricks: An internet marketing expert, Mark shows you how to build a thriving internet based business. He features shows on the 12 Parts of Every Successful Business, How to Get Started, and even does Q and A sessions.
63. Meet the Experts: This weekly in-depth podcast covers the new media industry. They discuss how to promote, manage, and utilize the new media for start-ups as well as large corporations.
64. Small Business IT Radio: This radio show covers everything from technology to how to market your business. Learn from IT professionals on how to run and service a successful business.
65. The Engaging Brand: These podcasts are for leaders and managers who want a powerful brand. With Anna’s advice, you can build an employer brand to attract talent to your business.
Specialty Courses
These courses and lectures were designed with a specific topic or business owner in mind.
66. Free Business Spanish Course: For those looking to expand their customer base, this course is an ideal way to learn this language with a focus on business. By utilizing this online resource, you can learn basic vocabulary, business related topics, and more.
67. Developing Breakthrough Products and Services: This course covers modern tools and methods for design and development. If your business produces products, learn the most effective ways to do so by visiting here.
68. Video Survey of U.S. Economics: With 28 half hour videos to choose from, you can view a specialty topic or learn about economics in general. Choices include markets and pricing, booms and busts, as well as fiscal policy.
69. Game Theory: This course teaches students how various ideas such as dominance, Nash equilibrium, and others affect economics and more. Taught by Ben Pollack, this is class is offered by the Department of Economics and the School of Management at Yale University.
70. Microeconomic Analysis: Lectures for this online course cover the major topics of standard microeconomic theory. Not for entry level students, the analysis relies primarily on verbal, graphical, and algebraic explanations.
71. HP Learning Center: With dozens of online lectures to choose from, you can learn everything to run a small business and beyond. Subjects include learning the basics of office software, marketing writing tips, and more.
72. Introduction to Franchising: This course is designed to provide individuals with a comprehensive introduction to franchising. It describes how franchising works, the questions to ask, the laws and regulations, advantages and disadvantages of franchising, and much more.
73. Lousy Listeners: How To Avoid Being One: Taught by Jill Geisler from the Poynter Institute, this course will help you sidestep one of the biggest errors in business. Learn how to break bad listening habits and what makes a good listener even better.
74. Management Communication: This course is essential for developing the writing, speaking, teamwork, and interpersonal communication skills necessary for managers. Part of the Sloan School of Management at MIT, make time for this informative course.
75. How to Write a Business Plan: Offered as part of Trump University, this course is packed with insights and tips to help you write a professional, convincing business plan. Paul Wimer will teach you how to organize your ideas, anticipate problems, and think like an investor.
76. Law for the Entrepreneur and Manager: Learn a basic understanding of legal issues that businesses face during their existence through this course. You can also read lecture notes by students and an article on Tort law.
77. Patents, Copyrights, and the Law of Intellectual Property: This seminar examined key concepts of U.S. intellectual property law, with emphasis on patents and copyrights and a briefer look at trade secrets and trademarks. View the syllabus, readings, and download the course materials for this complex and informative course.
78. The Free Nonprofit Micro-eMBA Prgram: This free, self-paced program is intended for nonprofit entrepreneurs, leaders, and managers. For those looking to start a 501c3, this course will help you understand the role of CEO, develop a plan, help with fundraising, and more.
79. Ten Days: This course is an interactive study on business English. Learn specific terms, listen to audio, or watch videos on this informative site.
80. Communication for Managers: Students can polish communication strategies and methods through discussion of principles, examples, and cases through this course. You can also view oral assignments, lecture notes, and study materials.
81. White-Collar and Corporate Crime: This course examines criminal activity within businesses. Learn about theories discussing the etiology of these acts as well as perspectives laws regarding their control.
82. Webmaster Business: The demand for Web sites and Webmasters continues to grow, especially in the small business market. Learn how to build this business while maintaining your own website, attract clients, and more through this free course.
Other Resources
Visit the below to learn how to protect, promote, and maximize your small business.
83. PartnerUp: This networking site offers search technology that allows you to focus on opportunities that interest you by location, industry, your desired role, compensation, and more.
84. SCORE: This is a source for entrepreneurs to get free and confidential advice from business counselors. In addition, they also offer free guides on topics such as sales strategies, credit scores, and mentoring.
85. Idea Cafe: This fun approach to serious business offers a variety of help. There is information on how to get a grant, tips for starting and running a business, as well as free publications.
86. The Small Business Resource Guide: The SBRG is a CD-ROM that provides critical tax information to small businesses including forms, instructions, and publications. The CD also contains valuable business information from a variety of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions.
87. Help Center: All the articles and business information provided on this site are available absolutely free. Categories include startup, management, franchising, taxes, and technology.
88. National Association for the Self-Employed: The NASE is a leading resource for providing small businesses with the resources and tools they need. Members receive discounts to services such as tax seminars, and non-members can access articles and newsletter to help run their business.
89. U.S. Chamber of Commerce: With a special section for small business, owners can find a variety of resources. With summits, awards, and numerous guides, entrepreneurs will learn a great deal from this organization.
90. Intuit: This site helps you build your business with free software, advice, and more. With QuickBooks, Online Payroll, and Websites software, you’ll be able to promote, manage, and build a better website.
91. The Golden Rules for Buying a Business: Donald Trump offers this report that he and his staff use when determining whether to buy a business. It will show you how to choose, negotiate, and is free to download.
93. Harvard Business Publishing: This site is a vast array of tools for the business owner. You can read blogs, purchase guides, read free articles, listen to podcasts, and more on this well maintained site.
94. New York Enterprise Report: This magazine is a resource for all small business. It is full of free how-to guides for everything from start-up to franchising.
95. Free Forms: Running a successful business takes access to many forms. By visiting this site you can get free forms for authorizations, notices, offers, and much more.
96. Buzgate: This site offers free small business help for those looking to start or grow their small business. Choose your state and be connected with tons of information and resources.
97. Small Business Summit: As part of Microsoft, this summit contains vast amounts of information and advice for the small business owner. Watch videos of past summits, or learn more about the free upcoming one.
98. CanadaOne’s Free Small Business Toolkit: This site has a ton of tools for the small business owner. Get a financial ratio calculator, access to numerous business guides, and more.
99. Free Legal Information: This site has an array of free small business law information written by lawyers but in easy to understand legal terms. Search by topic, ask a question, or find an attorney in your area.
100.Inc.: This is a daily resource for the entrepreneur. Read magazine articles, get business advice, and blogs all related to starting and owning a small business.
Starting a small business is no easy task, but by visiting the above you can avoid mistakes, learn the basics, and be on your way to successful business ownership.