Starting your small business is an online introductory course for anyone who has recently set up a small or micro-business (a business with fewer than ten employees), or for anyone who is considering setting up a small or micro-business, or is considering self-employment as a career option.

Starting your small business focuses primarily on very small business structures, where one to nine people are employed, but many of the ideas are applicable to larger businesses as well. This will develop your knowledge of the general points and principles of small business start-up and operations. You will have the opportunity to reflect on how these principles might be applied in practice.

The online course takes approximately 15 hours to complete. It consists of 4 sections;

Small Business Structures
looks at the different ways in which a small business could be set up and operated in the United Kingdom. The section will encourage you to consider a small business you are planning to set up or one that you are interested in. You will then select an appropriate structure for the business.

Marketing
looks at sales and marketing approaches for small businesses and how to nurture effective customer relationships. You will then take your small business idea and create a plan for the business to improve the relationships with customers.

Business Responsibilities
Covers legal requirements and financial aspects of small businesses. These include how to transfer money within a business and relationships with regulatory organisations. You will review your business idea and consider the most appropriate legal structure and the financial and legal responsibilities for your chosen business idea.

Succeeding in a small business
looks at the common features shared by successful small businesses and some of the potential pitfalls in running a small business. You will use this information to produce an action plan to improve the potential for success for your business idea.

Each section has download material and ends with a short quiz. If learners’ complete the course they are awarded with a digital badge that is easily displayable on Social Media sites e.g. LinkedIn. If all quizzes are passed, learners will also be awarded with a Statement of Participation which is a greater recognition of their learning achievement.

Click here to go to the course website

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