Being an entrepreneur is hard work so congratulations on taking risks most people wouldn't dare do. While I commend you for your bravery and I know first hand how hard it can be, I think learning and continuous improvement is important if you want to remain successful.  Information is so easy to get ahold of nowadays, thanks to the internet. Here are seven free online courses I think every new entrepreneur should take or consider taking.

How to Build a Startup

The main idea in this course is learning how to rapidly develop and test ideas by gathering massive amounts of customer and marketplace feedback. Many startups fail by not validating their ideas early on with real-life customers. In order to mitigate that, students will learn how to get out of the building and search for the real pain points and unmet needs of customers. Only with these can the entrepreneur find a proper solution and establish a suitable business model.

Characteristics of the Successful Entrepreneur

This course will be of great interest to business professionals who will learn much from the experience, knowledge and wisdom Jeff Hawkins has gained over his career. It will also be of interest to business students setting out on their careers, in particular those who would like to become technology entrepreneurs.

Critical Skills for Entrepreneurs

This course will show you how the timing of an idea is very important and why it is very difficult to call. Kaplan shares his advice on the types of risks that companies face when they start off and how the trick is to get the risk out as soon as possible. He discusses the best time to start a business, why he admires and respects business leaders such as Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos and how to establish culture and values in a company early on. He also talks about how roles change within a company when there is a transition away from R&D. 

This course will be of great interest to business professionals, entrepreneurs, business students and anyone with a general interest in gaining a better knowledge and understanding of the critical skills needed by entrepreneurs to create successful businesses.

Search Engine Optimization

This course is a part of the Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program.

Search engines are an essential part of the online experience. Learn how to use SEO to optimize your search engine presence through on-site and off-site activities, including how to develop your target keyword list, optimize your website UX and design, and execute a link building campaign.

Social Media Marketing: Social CRM

While social media provides you with a wealth of information about who your customers are and what they want, determining the most effective way to harness this information can be tricky. In this course, social media strategist Megan Adams explains how to incorporate customer relationship management (CRM) analytics into your social media marketing strategy to grow your online presence and your business.

Instagram for Business

Want to start marketing your business? Opportunity awaits on Instagram! With Instagram, you can use photos and videos to tell the story of your product or service in a highly visual and engaging way. Join Anson Alexander, as he helps you get started using Instagram to increase your sales, brand recognition, and online presence. He covers basics like brainstorming ideas, choosing the right photos, and creating a posting schedule that keeps followers wanting more. He shows how to use filters, hashtags, and location tags to add interest and aid discovery. He also shares advanced tricks, like embedding Instagram photos directly on your website. 

Personal Finance Tips and Tricks

No matter where you are in your financial life, personal finance experts Jane Barratt and Amanda Clayman can help you get a handle on your finances and lay the groundwork for your financial future.

Update:

After I made this post I stumbled on another free course that I thought I should add to this list. Hubspot has an Inbound Certification Course that I think you’ll find useful.

About the course: This certification course consists of lessons that cover the fundamentals of inbound and the inbound methodology. From attracting to engaging to delighting, this course covers the basics of what inbound is all about. The Inbound Certification features HubSpot executives and leadership teaching you how to run an inbound business, from marketing to sales to services.

Click here to check out Hubspot’s Inbound Certification Course.