This course is part of the Introduction to International Business Management ExpertTrack
Business Planning to Grow Successful Companies
Explore the world of business, analyse business environments, and learn how to successfully expand into foreign markets.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
5 hours100% online
How it worksIncluded in an ExpertTrack
Course 1 of 3
Business Planning to Grow Successful Companies
Develop and launch a successful business from idea to expansion.
From initial idea and business strategy to funding and international expansion, this course will take you through all the steps to launching and developing a successful business.
Plan and strategise to build a successful business
On this course, you’ll look at the key elements of effective business planning and how to develop a business strategy. You’ll also be introduced to important financial concepts and the different ways that businesses are financed.
By evaluating case studies of successful businesses and entrepreneurs, you’ll be able to develop your own business ideas, create plans and strategies to support them, and start to think about your funding options.
Discover the tools to conduct effective industry analysis
An important step in assessing the feasibility of a business idea is understanding the business environment and competitors. There are many different tools that you can use to put together a market analysis.
On this course, you’ll explore the key elements of three important tools: SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, and Porter’s five forces analysis. You’ll then look at applying different models for situation audits to help build a picture of the business environment.
Evaluate the different methods for international expansion
There are a number of modes for expanding a business into foreign markets and each has its merits and drawbacks. Explore these different methods with a combination of case studies from real businesses and supplemental materials to help understand the different approaches to international expansion.
Once you’ve learned the different methods, you can then apply them to your own business idea and discuss the suitability of each one.
What topics will you cover?
- Business planning. What makes a good business idea and how can you develop the idea?
- Competitive audits. How can you better understand the environment of an organisation?
- Business financial planning. What type of business are you and how do you analyse and plan your finances?
- International expansion. What are the different strategies for entering foreign markets?
Prove you're job ready
Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.
- Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
- Complete each course and pass assessments.
- Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
- Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
- Make your career dreams a reality.
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Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Evaluate the characteristics of successful businesses
- Develop your own business ideas through building an understanding of different industries
- Compare sources of finance to assess their suitability for different situations
- Discuss the suitability of the different methods of international expansion for your own business idea
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone looking to understand effective business planning, specifically in relation to international growth strategies.
This may also be of extra interest to anyone studying business at degree level or business at level 3.
Who will you learn with?
I am a Tutor in Business Management at the University of Kent, and have been working within higher education for almost 20 years. I also work as a consultant and run my own consulting boutique.
Who developed the course?
The University of Kent
The University of Kent, the UK’s European university, is one of the country’s most dynamic universities. Established in 1965, it now has 19,850 students studying at its various campuses.
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Learning on FutureLearn
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- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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