Plan a Successful Freelancing Business (Coursera)

Plan a Successful Freelancing Business (Coursera)

The first course in the Building Your Freelancing Career specialization is focused on freelancers looking to define and solidify their philosophy, values and goals within their future business. Coursework will discuss the importance of understanding their competition and market position in a competitive business landscape, help them define what their unique value is, and how that relates to possible business approaches.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Course 1 of 5 in the Building Your Freelancing Career Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Course & Specialization Overview
This Specialization helps you improve your professional skills as a freelancer, solopreneur, or new business owner. Each course focuses on a new set of skills that build upon previous courses' learnings to strengthen your understanding of the fundamentals of designing and running a freelancing business. Course 1 is all about planning - we will explore your interests, skills, and talents in the context of market conditions and customer needs to design a valuable service offering.
Getting Started with Freelancing
Let's dive into the fundamentals of freelancing as career option, meet some successful entrepreneurs who started freelancing businesses, and examine whether or not freelancing is a fit for your goals.

WEEK 2
Designing Your Dream Business
Multi-talented people often want to "boil the ocean" or take on too much when they start freelancing. In this module, you'll consider different freelancing directions and decide which is the best fit for your goals. Let's create a motivating vision of your dream business!

WEEK 3
Develop Your Service in Four Steps
Now that you have taken a personal assessment of your interests, and have a vision for your freelancing business, it is time to design the details that will make your service offerings attractive to customers.

WEEK 4
What Goes Into a Solid Business Plan
Many businesses fail, partially because they fail to plan. In this module, you'll tackle the challenge of describing your business in a business plan and deepen your learning by critiquing your peers' business plans.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

¿Qué hacen los buenos directivos? Prioridades de la Alta Dirección (Coursera) Coursera
IESE Business School

¿Qué hacen los buenos directivos? Prioridades de la Alta Dirección (Coursera)

Este curso persigue adentrarse en la realidad del trabajo de un alto ejecutivo: lo qué hace y cómo lo hace. Es un hecho conocido que la mayoría de altos directivos dedican hasta el 90% de su tiempo al día a día y menos del 10% a las tareas asociadas al pensamiento estratégico en la organización. Por eso es importante ir más allá y entender las prioridades que configuran esta actuación diaria. Al final, la mejor estrategia es aquella que se practica; la mejor organización, aquella que funciona; y el quehacer cotidiano coherente con las prioridades establecidas, la base de la continuidad con éxito de las empresas.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Innovating with the Business Model Canvas (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Innovating with the Business Model Canvas (Coursera)

Have you ever gotten really excited about reading or writing a business plan? You might have started out excited, but I’m going to bet you didn’t stay that way. Let’s be honest- business plans are boring and mostly ignored. In this course, you’ll learn key tools from the worlds of design thinking and Lean Startup to approach the Canvas with thoughtfulness, focus, and above all a test-driven approach to business model innovation.

Nov 23rd 2026
2 Weeks
Impact from digital transformation: A Nano course (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Impact from digital transformation: A Nano course (Coursera)

You believe that a lot of industries will fundamentally change due to digital power the upcoming 5 to 10 years? You believe that what often today have been called "disruption" might happen to an industry of your specific interest? You believe in the value of becoming able to predict how that kind of change will evolve in order to do digital transformation and thereby avoid ending up with big problems in the future? Then this course is for you.

Nov 23rd 2026
4 Weeks
Global Public Procurement (Coursera) Coursera
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology - KAIST

Global Public Procurement (Coursera)

Students will learn the key principles of public procurement with public entities, including national international organizations. This course also illustrates practical examples and models on understanding the processes and procedurals of public procurement. Through the course, students will learn practical information such as registering as vendors and finding and bidding for opportunities.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Conflict Resolution Skills (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

Conflict Resolution Skills (Coursera)

Resolving conflict in a positive manner is a skill that can be developed and practiced. Being heard can be one of the most important goals of someone engaged in conflict. Knowing how to listen and deploy appropriate communication tactics is determinative of whether a conflict will have a positive or negative resolution. Examine listening skills, appropriate and strategic verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and how to assemble a conflict management plan likely to yield positive resolutions.

Nov 23rd 2026
3 Weeks
The entrepreneur's guide for beginners (Coursera) Coursera
University of Barcelona

The entrepreneur's guide for beginners (Coursera)

The Entrepreneur's Guide for beginners and is a course created in collaboration with all Catalan public universities and EIT Health and aims to be the starting point for all those who want to improve their knowledge and skills in the world entrepreneurship. In this course you will be able to identify a business opportunity, develop the business model (and the steps to validate it) and know the main mechanisms to find your business.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Business Model Canvas: A Tool for Entrepreneurs and Innovators (Project-Centered Course) (Coursera) Coursera
University System of Georgia

Business Model Canvas: A Tool for Entrepreneurs and Innovators (Project-Centered Course) (Coursera)

In this project-centered course*, you will use the Business Model Canvas innovation tool to approach either a personal or corporate challenge or opportunity. You’ll learn to identify and communicate the nine key elements of a business model: Customer Segments, Value Proposition, Channels, Customer Relationships, Key Resources, Key Activities, Key Partners, Revenue Streams, and Cost Structure. Your completed project will be a polished Business Model Canvas that outlines the business case for a new product or service to address your selected challenge or opportunity. You’ll present your case in both a one-page document and a 10-minute video presentation.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Gamification (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Gamification (Coursera)

Gamification is the application of game elements and digital game design techniques to non-game problems, such as business and social impact challenges. This course will teach you the mechanisms of gamification, why it has such tremendous potential, and how to use it effectively.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Giving Helpful Feedback (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

Giving Helpful Feedback (Coursera)

This course teaches you the simple principles expert managers use to improve and motivate employee performance. You’ll never have to avoid telling an employee “the truth” again, because the seven techniques we teach will not make employees defensive or afraid. As a manager, or someone who would like to be a manager, you’ll also learn specifically what feedback is, how negative feedback is weighed more heavily than positive, and how positive feedback can super-charge behaviors such as creativity and teamwork.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Advanced Valuation and Strategy - M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital (Coursera) Coursera
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Advanced Valuation and Strategy - M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital (Coursera)

Would you like to learn about the latest valuation methods that may help you to make better business decisions? Then 'Advanced Valuation and Strategy – M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital' by Erasmus University Rotterdam is the right course for you! This course is helpful for executives that need to value complete strategies and for all students interested in corporate finance and strategy. We present the latest tools and show you how to apply them!

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks