Small Business   

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

The Internet has changed the way people communicate and how businesses operate. It's also made it easier to fulfill your dreams of creating and building a business from the convenience of your own home. In the Starting Your Own Online Business course, you will learn how to develop a digital or traditional product or service and build a website to sell and deliver that product online. This course outlines a step-by-step approach that's easy to follow—from building a simplified strategy to branding your business. From start to finish, you will gain an understanding of what it takes to create, build, and maintain a profitable online business!

Build a Foundation for Your Online Business

In this lesson, we will build the foundation you need to start and grow a successful online business. You will understand what an online business is, the key components that make it work, and the steps for building your own. You will also learn about the three most popular online business models. Finally, you will be introduced to the concept of a Visual Business Strategy (VBS) diagram, which you will use to summarize your Internet business plan.

Create a Digital-Ready Business Brand

Learn how to build a business brand that's ready to be launched online. First, you will discover some secrets about developing an influential and recognizable name for your business. Next, you will learn how you can quickly and easily stake a claim to that business name throughout the Internet. After that, we'll examine ways to get a logo to support your business branding. Finally, you will gain an understanding of the importance of keywords and learn how to craft an effective keyword strategy for your business.

Build and Optimize a Product

See how to create products and services that you can sell as part of your online business. First, we'll explore the various types of products and services and how to build them. Next, you will consider what makes a "good" product and zero in on the right product for you. Finally, we'll look at how to tackle building your product, from creating your product development plan to leveraging your past efforts to develop your product more quickly and efficiently.

Develop and Launch an Engaging Website

Tackle the task of creating and launching a business website. You will understand what type of website you should build and learn how to align it with your business strategy. Then you will see how to develop an outline for your website, wireframe individual pages, and create or find the content you will need to make your web pages come alive. After that, we'll explore ways to build and launch your website without having to know anything about website design or coding. Finally, you will learn what it means to "host" your website.

Set up Your Online Selling Process

Gain an understanding of the basics of selling products on the Internet and learn how to design and document a sales process that aligns with your business strategy. Next, you will learn how to implement your newly created sales process by selecting the right mix of third-party tools and accounts that work with your website to conduct business transactions online. Finally, we'll examine how you can monitor, track, and measure the effectiveness of your sales process and use that information to increase your sales over time.

Install a Digital Communication Network

Learn what a digital communication network is and why you need to develop one for your business. Next, you will gain an understanding of the different types of digital communication methods and how you can use each to engage and develop relationships with your followers. Finally, we'll examine some advanced strategies that you can use to optimize and automate your communication with your prospects and customers consistently.

Your Email Management System

First, learn about the importance of utilizing an email management system to communicate with your prospects and customers. Next, we'll examine how you can set up your system, write engaging content, and deliver emails in a timely and automated manner. Finally, we'll explore some advanced email marketing strategies that you can use to help grow your email list and increase engagement.

Socialize Your Online Business

Build a foundation for using social media to grow your business. You will understand the definition of social media and explore critical principles to make sure that you're using social media in the right way. Next, you will learn about a process you can follow to consistently and effectively engage with prospects and customers. Finally, you will learn about different ways to generate and publish content quickly and easily.

Build Multiple Online Lead Streams

Examine the importance of generating leads to maintain a healthy and vibrant online business. First, we'll explore the concept of a lead generation process and review the types that exist. Next, we will work together to outline a lead generation strategy that is customized for your business. Finally, we'll outline the steps necessary to implement and systematize the lead generation processes you have selected to drive targeted prospects to your website.

Using Video to Grow Your Online Business

Why should you consider using video as one of your main lead generation processes to grow your online business? In this lesson, you will find out why, and we'll walk through the steps you can take to create compelling videos without being a video expert. Next, we'll take a peek at basic and advanced methods to create and distribute videos to gain exposure for your online business. Finally, you will learn how to host, record, and automate the delivery of videos through webinars.

Create an Online Partnership Program

Gain an understanding of how you can build a partnership program to introduce more people to your online business. First, you will learn what a partner program is and how it can help grow your business. Next, you will explore the critical aspects of any partnership program and how to integrate it into your website. Finally, we'll examine some crucial strategies for introducing your partnership program to prospects as well as new and future customers to generate an ongoing stream of fresh leads.

Implement an Online Support Center

See how to implement an online support center for your business. First, you will learn about what types of expectations online customers have for customer service and support and examine the essential pieces of any online support center. Next, we'll explore both basic and advanced ways that you can provide customer service support over the Internet and investigate various support solutions that you can use. Finally, we'll examine some key strategies for engaging with new and legacy customers to maximize customer satisfaction and minimize refunds.

What you will learn

• Build a business brand that is ready to be launched online
• Create products and services that you can sell as part of your online business
• Create and launch a business website
• Set up an email management system, write engaging content, and deliver emails in a timely manner
• Generate leads to keep your business growing
• Implement an online support center for your business

How you will benefit

• Discover the techniques, tools, and strategies necessary to create a successful online business
• Create a healthy and vibrant online business by generating leads to continually grow your business
• Be able to supply your online customers with online support to increase customer satisfaction and minimize refunds

Brad Semp

Brad Semp, Ph.D., is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at a global corporation, a life-long entrepreneur, and a former professor of Bachelors and Masters of Science courses in Internet Marketing. Dr. Brad is active on social media platforms to engage with prospects and customers, expand relationships, and to grow businesses. He routinely coaches other entrepreneurs and business owners and consults with Fortune 500 organizations on how to design and implement effective social media systems, strategies, and tactics.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Learn how to transform your passion and talent into a viable small business. This course will teach you about financing, marketing techniques, employee management, policy writing, and time management - everything you need to know to start your very own small business.

Starting Your Dream

If you've ever dreamed about starting a small business but didn't know where to start, then you have come to the right place. In this first lesson, you will learn why you should start a business, why now might be the perfect time to do it, and what separates successful business owners from those who remain dreamers.

Find Your Perfect Business Opportunity

In this lesson, you'll learn about the three different ways to start a business. You'll explore the advantages and disadvantages of buying a franchise, buying a business, and starting a business from scratch.

Creating a Truly Unique Business

No matter what business option you're leaning toward, you must find and exploit your unique selling proposition (USP). Your USP is the reason a customer would do business with you instead of someone else. In this lesson, you will develop your USP. Then you will discover the single most valuable asset in your business and how it can create all the wealth you will ever want.

Developing Your Business Plan

Alan Lakein, a leading expert on time management, says, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." In this lesson, you will learn all the advantages of having a written business plan. You will see how it helps you take advantage of more opportunities and keeps you focused on achieving your goals. If you need to find financing for your business, having a business plan becomes twice as important.

How to Legally Set Up Your Company

Once you have chosen the business opportunity you're going to pursue, you will need to legally set up your company. To do that, you will have to choose whether to be an S-corporation, a corporation, or a limited liability company. Each of these structures has advantages and disadvantages. In this lesson, you will find out how to decide which one would work best for you.

Power Marketing for Business Owners

Unless you have your own vault of money for marketing, you will need to know the best way to spend limited resources to create the most sales. As a future business owner, you need to understand the importance of direct-response marketing along with tracking and testing. You will learn about those things in this lesson as you discover how to expand marketing efforts that work and cut or improve those that are ineffective.

Advertising and Publicity to Skyrocket Your Business

This lesson continues the discussion on marketing and explores the pros and cons of two main forms of it: advertising and publicity. You learn about at free publicity, because it's one of the most cost-effective ways to market your business.

The Report Card for Your Business

No one can run a business effectively without proper accounting and financial statements. But few business owners take the time to understand the basics of bookkeeping. In this lesson, you will walk hand-in-hand with an actual business owner as she sets up her accounting records. By the end of this lesson, you will know the basics of accounting and be able to analyze and develop your own financial statements.

Finding Money for Your Business

Most new business owners need to find money to start their business. In this lesson, you will find out the most common, traditional ways to fund a business and a few nontraditional ways as well. Whichever method you choose, your desire to get your company going is what will make the difference. Many people give up too soon or don't use the feedback from a funding source to improve their plan. You don't have to be one of them.

Hiring, Motivating, and Parting With Employees

Employees can make or break a business. Just think about the businesses you wouldn't use again because of the poor service their employees provided. Bad employees can cost a company thousands of dollars, and you, as an owner, won't have the luxury of hiring and training employees on an ongoing basis. Hiring, training, motivating, and parting with employees are all complex processes. In this lesson, you will learn tips that make them easier.

Business Policies

Having effective business policies in place helps your business run efficiently. It also gives your employees a framework for knowing what's expected of them. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to develop your own business policies, including sexual harassment and ethics policies.

Managing You

To ensure success, business owners need to be able to use limited resources efficiently. In this final lesson, you will learn how best to manage your time, relationships, and personal financial position. You will leave this course knowing you have done all the preliminary groundwork to get your business off to a good start.

What you will learn

• Learn the best ways to choose the right business opportunity
• Develop proven marketing techniques that will help you build sales
• Gain an understanding of traditional and non-traditional financing options
• Learn effective employee-management procedures
• Discover time management techniques designed to help entrepreneurs succeed

How you will benefit

• Gain a complete understanding of what separates a successful business and how to avoid failure
• Discover the single most valuable asset in your business and how it can help you create wealth
• Develop the skills you need to effectively manage your time, relationships and personal financial position
• Pursue your dream of owning a successful business by starting on the right track with proper structures and policies in place

Kris Solie-Johnson

Kris Solie-Johnson, chancellor and president of the American Institute of Small Business, best-selling author, educator, speaker, and mother of three, is an energetic and passionate entrepreneur. Her books are in public libraries, high schools, colleges, and military bases both nationally and internationally. Solie-Johnson has an MBA in Venture Management from the University of St. Thomas and over 19 years of experience helping entrepreneurs reach their goals quickly through joint venture partnerships, creative marketing programs, and innovative financial options. She's dedicated to motivating and inspiring owners to achieve beyond their dreams.