Online business courses

If you are in need of a quick, one-off training tool to learn a specific skill without investing in an entire course, consider enrolling in online business classes comprised of modules instead of an entire curriculum. For example, Google’s Online Marketing Challenge, one of Inc.com’s top five free online courses for digital marketers, contains modules covering topics like search engine marketing, display advertising and digital analytics so you pick and choose your modules to tailor your coursework. Study.com also provides mini online business classes comprised of brief video sessions along with self-assessment quizzes, so you can customize your coursework to fit your schedule and learning needs.

If you want a well-rounded and comprehensive business training program without a formal MBA, the options are virtually limitless. In fact, online small business classes are becoming so popular (due to their effectiveness) that many prestigious schools are getting in on the action. For example, Business Insider reports that schools like Yale, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia and Duke are offering formal online small business classes covering topics like financial markets, entrepreneurship, game theory, risk management, debate skills, behavioral economics, and marketing. Online business classes of this variety typically last anywhere from several weeks to a few months and are ideal for those who want professional training but aren’t in need of an advanced degree.

Want to be taught by the guru of sales marketing, Jay Abraham? His Ultimate Entrepreneur Program is perfect for business owners who want to stimulate more sales and generate more profit. With tons of videos and articles plus special preferred-access invitations to members-only events, taking Jay’s online business courses is like joining a secret society of ultra-successful entrepreneurs.

If you want to increase sales, Grant Cardone is your teacher via Cardone University, which has over 1,500 videos with unlimited access for members. Learn about everything from Selling 101 to closing strategies and how to handle objections. It’s not just about Grant, though. He also features resources from recognized names like Shark Tank’s Daymond John, Tony Alessandra of DISC profiling fame and social media master Jamie Shanks.

Though he passed in 2009, you can still learn from Jim Rohn, a true pioneer in success training. His Success Academy features programs like “90 Days to Financial Mastery,” “Excelling in the New Millennium” and the “Challenge to Succeed” Platinum Collection. Learn from Jim’s 40-plus years of experience teaching those around the world how to redefine what’s possible and build the lives they’ve always dreamed of.

Tony truly believes in the power of learning, which is why he advocates taking as many educational courses as possible and also why he offers plenty of his own options. One of his most popular is his in-person Business Mastery event – and when you combine it with the hundreds of resources from Tony’s website that will help you extend your business knowledge, you get the best of both worlds.

Immersion – even if it’s only for a short period of time – is the spark many businesspeople need to take their careers to the next level. The best short-term immersion programs combine elements of small business classes online with activities to help change your state, break through limiting beliefs and develop a winning mindset.