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

Google Cloud
Gemini for end-to-end SDLC - 한국어
Skills you'll gain: Software Development Life Cycle, Google Cloud Platform, Development Testing, Application Lifecycle Management, Web Applications, CI/CD, Application Development, Cloud Development, Software Development, Test Case, Generative AI, Query Languages, Debugging, Data Access
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Coursera Instructor Network
GenAI for Loan Officers: Revolutionizing Credit Scoring
Skills you'll gain: Loan Origination, Lending and Underwriting, Consumer Lending, Commercial Lending, Workflow Management, Generative AI, Regulatory Compliance, Customer Communications Management, Compliance Management, Loans, Customer experience improvement, Credit Risk, Document Management, Financial Services, Business Process Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Automation, Risk Management
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Certificado en Finanzas Corporativas
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Statements, Capital Markets, Digital Transformation, Accrual Accounting, Financial Analysis, Derivatives, Financial Market, Business Valuation, Financial Regulation, Financial Accounting, Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Accounting, Investments, Securities (Finance), Strategic Leadership, Capital Budgeting, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Finance
Credit offered
Mastertrack · 6 - 12 Months
Status: New
Google Cloud
Machine Learning in the Enterprise - Italiano
Skills you'll gain: MLOps (Machine Learning Operations), Data Governance, Data Management, Workflow Management, Business Workflow Analysis, Data Pipelines, Google Cloud Platform, Applied Machine Learning, Feature Engineering, Machine Learning, Continuous Monitoring
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Coursera Instructor Network
SD-WAN: Optimizing Network Performance & Security
Skills you'll gain: Software-Defined Networking, Network Architecture, Network Planning And Design, Wide Area Networks, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Network Security, Network Performance Management, Network Infrastructure, Firewall, Network Routing, Encryption, Real Time Data
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Google Cloud
Modernizing Data Lakes & Data Warehouses with GCP - 한국어
Skills you'll gain: Data Lakes, Data Warehousing, Data Infrastructure, Google Cloud Platform, Data Architecture, Cloud Storage, Extract, Transform, Load, Cloud Solutions, Data Pipelines, Business Operations, Data Processing, Database Design, SQL, Data Transformation, Scalability
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Magíster en Inversiones y Finanzas Aplicadas
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Descriptive Analytics, FinTech, Financial Statements, Business Analytics, Business Valuation, Derivatives, Corporate Finance, Portfolio Management, Customer Analysis, Credit Risk, Digital Transformation, Cloud Security, Risk Analysis, Assertiveness, Governance, Financial Analysis, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Investments, Data Collection
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Entrepreneurship and Strategic Innovation Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax, Global Marketing
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
Status: New
Coursera Instructor Network
Master Compliance with MS 365 Copilot: EU Law
Skills you'll gain: Compliance Management, Microsoft Copilot, Regulation and Legal Compliance, Legal Risk, Compliance Reporting, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Microsoft 365, Audit Working Papers, Process Design, Workflow Management, Business Workflow Analysis, Automation, Prompt Engineering
Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Master of Science in Accounting
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax, Global Marketing
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Certificado en Gestión de Inversiones
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Statements, Capital Markets, Portfolio Management, Accrual Accounting, Risk Management, Financial Analysis, Financial Market, Investments, Financial Regulation, Financial Accounting, Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Accounting, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Risk Analysis, Finance, Financial Modeling, Financial Data, Financial Trading
Credit offered
Mastertrack · 6 - 12 Months
Status: New
Coursera
YouTube Live: Streaming Engagement
Skills you'll gain: Live Streaming, Customer Engagement, Content Performance Analysis, Content Development and Management, Content Strategy, Customer Relationship Building, Discussion Facilitation, Community Development, Technical Support
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks