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An image to illustrate Start your own business short course
Gain the knowledge and practical skills to turn your small business ambitions into reality. Created by experts from The Open University’s triple-accredited Business School, this CPD course will help you to develop your business idea into a commercial proposition that is supported by a viable business plan. You’ll discover ways to inject creativity and innovation into your business idea, learn to leverage your network opportunities and identify the financial implications of a new business idea.
Throughout this Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course, you’ll learn about the tools and techniques that will prepare you for business success and address the key challenges faced by entrepreneurs. Practical exercises will help you apply your new knowledge, and sharing your thoughts and opinions with co-learners will help you further reflect and deepen your understanding.
Delivered over four easy-to-digest sections, you will cover:
1: Your business idea
2: Marketing a new business
3: Creativity, innovation and research
4: Financial viability for a new venture
Please note: the content in this course also features in courses created by The Open University, which are available on FutureLearn.
By the end of this CPD course, you’ll have the skills to:
Starting a new business is very different from running an existing one because it’s likely that you’re bringing something new or unique to the market. You’ll need a wide set of skills in areas that would usually be carried out by several different people in an established workplace, including finance, marketing and networking.
This course has been designed to meet those needs by academics from the OU’s highly respected Business School, which has vast experience in the delivery of online business education. It is one of only 100 business schools in the world to hold triple-accredited status with EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA.
There is no tuition on this course, and all study is self-directed. Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to enhance and reflect on your understanding by sharing your thoughts and opinions with co-learners.
This online course includes a mix of video, audio and written materials. You can learn at your own pace with complete flexibility. Throughout the course, you will be asked to respond to questions, reflect on your experiences and learning, and carry out short exercises to help you develop your understanding.
At the end of each section, you will be asked to answer a set of multiple-choice questions to test your knowledge. You can attempt these as often as you need to. It is important to complete them because they count towards your final score.
To receive a Certificate of Completion, you will need to complete every section and achieve at least 70% in all tests.
This course will take around 40 hours to complete. As a guide, if you set aside four hours per week, it would take ten weeks to complete.
You can begin at any time during the life of the course and study at your own pace. The course will be open to you for a time period of between 6 and 18 months, depending on your course registration date, and you will be advised of the specific time limitations upon enrolment.
All learning materials, exercises and activities are delivered entirely online.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
This course is ideal for budding entrepreneurs who are looking to start their own small business or set up self-employment for the first time.
It is suitable for learners at all levels, whether you haven’t ventured into self-employment and entrepreneurship before or have previously run a business and wish to refresh your skills for the current landscape. You should have some background knowledge of the industry in which you hope to compete. This could be from industry specific education, work experience, or prior research. The content in this course has a UK focus, but the majority of content will be useful for learners around the world.
This replaces Start your own business (YG018), so you should not take this course if you have previously taken YG018.
If you'd like to discuss the suitability of the course, please contact us.
The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet, you can contact us about the support which can be given to meet your needs.
StartEngland fee
At anytime before 31/07/2026£200
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
You can start this course anytime.
You can start this course anytime.
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