10 Free Online Business Courses To Take In January 2015
Are you thinking about a business course to take this January (2015)? Think no more, I’ll show you. 
Free business courses to start this January (2015).
Entrepreneurship 101: Who is your customer?
Do you have an idea for a product but don’t know who will want to buy it? If your answer is yes, then this course is for you.
You will learn through the stories of successful MIT entrepreneurs.
Specifically, you will learn how to identify prospective customers, interview them, and finally, select the right customers for your business or product.
Note: 25,000 companies have been started by MIT alumni, and generate $2 trillion in revenue.
Prerequisites: None
Are certificates offered? Yes
Are certificates free? You can get an honor code certificate which is free or a verified certificate for a cheap price.
| School | MITx |
| Course Code | 15.390.1x |
| Classes Start | 9 Jan 2015 |
| Course Length | 12 weeks |
| Estimated effort | 4 hours per week |
| Provider | edX |
Prerequisites: None
Entrepreneurship 102: What can you do for your customer?
This course will teach you how to look at the world through the eyes of the customer. You will learn to provide products that solve the customer’s problem.
You will learn to stack up vis-Ã -vis the competition.
You wil be taken through in-depth case studies of entrepreneurs, to examine how they developed their product concepts, solved their customer’s problem, established a clear value proposition, refined their secret sauce, and understood their competition.
| School | MITx |
| Course Code | 15.390.2x |
| Classes Start | 9 Jan 2015 |
| Course Length | 12 weeks |
| Estimated effort | 4 hours per week |
| Provider | edX |
Prerequisites: None
Are certificates offered? Yes
Are certificates free? You can get an honor code certificate which is free or a verified certificate for a cheap price.
Innovation and Commercialization
This course will teach you the concept of innovation as a linear process, from research to development, to product in the market. You will be provided a simple model for understanding the concept of innovation and commercialization.
Prerequisites: None
Are certificates offered? Yes
Are certificates free? You can get an honor code certificate which is free or a verified certificate for a cheap price.
| School | MITx |
| Course Code | 3.086x |
| Classes Start | 13 Jan 2015 |
| Course Length | 13 weeks |
| Estimated effort | 12 hours/week |
| Provider | edX |
Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship
I am currently taking this course, and I should be done by 7th January 2015. I will be getting a verified certificate after I successfully complete this course with the needed requirement. I did not pay for a verified certificate, rather I applied for a financial aid, and got it.
The course has been excellent. It has impacted me in different ways, and it has made me a better entrepreneur.
This course will enhance your entrepreneurial mindset and develop your functional skill sets to see and act entrepreneurially. You will learn to develop great ideas into great companies.
| School | University of Washington |
| Class available | January 12, 2015 – February, 2015 |
| Course Length | Self-paced |
| Estimated effort | Self-paced |
| Provider | Coursera |
Is a certificate option available for this course? Yes.
Inclusive Leadership Training: Becoming a Successful Leader
This course teaches you leadership skills. You will learn the leadership concepts to apply in real-world situations and start your journey to the next level of leadership.
You’d learn what successful 21st-century leaders look like, and how you can adopt their leadership style using research and best practices.
You will learn to practice empowerment, accountability, courage, and humility.
| School: | CatalystX |
| Course Code | ILX1 |
| Classes Start | 18 Feb 2015 |
| Course Length | 4 weeks |
| Estimated effort | 1 hour each week for 4 weeks |
| Provider | edX |
Prerequisites: None
Are certificates offered? Yes
Are certificates free? No, but you can apply for a financial aid.
Innovation for Entrepreneurs: From Idea to Marketplace
This course teaches you how to navigate through the innovation process. You’d learn to spot innovation opportunities, and how to commercialize your idea.
You will learn to create business strategies that’d bring innovation to the market.
You will be equipped to develop an effective business model for your business or startup.
| School | University of Maryland |
| Class available | January 5, 2015 -February 15, 2015.February 9, 2015- March 22, 2015 |
| Course Length | 4 weeks |
| Estimated effort | 3-5 hours per week for 4 weeks |
| Provider | Coursera |
Certificate option: Yes
But you have to pay for a verified certificate or apply for a financial aid.
Critical Thinking in Global Challenges
| School | University of Edinburgh |
| Class available | January 19, 2015 to February 23, 2015 |
| Course Length | 5 weeks |
| Estimated effort | 1- 2 hours per week for 5 weeks |
| Provider | Coursera |
This course teaches you to develop and enhance you critical thinking ability. You’d learn to assess information and develop reasoned arguments in the context of the global challenges facing our society today.
Is a certificate option available for this course? Yes.
New Venture Finance: Startup Funding for Entrepreneurs
This course will teach you how to secure funding for your company, startup or business. It will breakdown the key financing concepts for you to grasp.
| School | University of Maryland |
| Class available | January 5, 2015- February 15, 2015 |
| Course Length | 4 weeks |
| Estimated effort | 3-5 hours per week for 4 weeks |
| Provider | Coursera |
Certificate option: Yes. But you have to pay for a verified certificate or apply for a financial aid.
Introduction to Public Speaking
Most successful entrepreneurs I know are good at public speaking. They have the ability to communicate their thoughts effectively. The ability to communicate effectively is essential when it comes to marketing and more.
This course will teach you to prepare speeches that are easier to deliver orally and aurally. You’d understand the key parts of an argument and how to draft clear and concise arguments.
| School | University of Washington |
| Class available | Anytime |
| Course Length | Self-paced |
| Estimated effort | Self-paced |
| Provider | Coursera |
Is a certificate option available for this course? No.
Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
Almost everyone negotiates on a daily basis–with friends, family, colleagues, sellers etc. Negotiation can even lead to your career advancement.
As a student of this course, you will be taken through practical, holistic introduction to the strategies and skills that can lead to successful negotiations in your personal life and in business transactions.
| School | University of Washington |
| Class available | Anytime |
| Course Length | Self-paced |
| Estimated effort | Self-paced |
| Provider | Coursera |
Is a certificate option available for this course? No.
