What is business finance?

Business finance is the initial capital that is required to start a business and the managing of that money. It is usually in the form of funding that you've raised to start, maintain, or expand the commercial business venture. In a broader sense, business finance refers to the entire category of a company or organization managing its money, to have clarity on the company's investments, budgeting, credit, savings, and business forecasting. The financial decisions for a small startup or a sole proprietorship usually fall to the owner of the business. In a larger company, the matters of business finance are under the responsibility of an accountant or financial manager. These managers may have a team of people to help with the administrative tasks involved with company payroll, taxes, payments, and other areas of business finance.

Why is it important to learn business finance?

It's important to learn business finance because you can gain insights into funding a business operation, whether through a commercial loan, line of credit, or crowdfunding. Business finance can help you understand the pros and cons of raising money for your business, how to allocate capital, and how to best fund the day-to-day operations of the business. If you want to work in business, you'll have to learn to deal with financial issues of all kinds, especially if you own or manage the business. Learning business finance helps you determine how to make capital investment decisions, how to obtain business loans as needed, assess business valuation for the business, apply for grant funding, or liquidate some of your business to raise money.

What career opportunities can arise from learning business finance?

The types of careers associated with business finance knowledge and a good educational background include financial management roles like financial analysts, budget analysts, tax accountants, financial forecasters, and financial managers. Once you're armed with good work experience, you can branch out to work on your own or move into different industries as an insurance agent, a real estate broker, or a commercial loan officer.

How can taking online courses help me learn business finance?

Taking online courses about business finance can open up new areas of interest to you in venture capital financing, cash flow analysis, international finance, investments and markets, and more. If you're already working in a financial role, and want to expand your knowledge, taking online courses in business finance can help you to better understand income statements, balance sheets, and financial ratio analysis models.

What are the benefits of taking an online Business Finance course?

Online Business Finance courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your existing knowledge or learn new Business Finance skills. With a wide range of Business Finance classes, you can conveniently learn at your own pace to advance your Business Finance career skills.

What Business Finance courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Business Finance, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Business Finance Courses - Learn Business Finance Online

Explore the Business Finance Course Catalog

Google Cloud
Work with Gemini Models in BigQuery - 繁體中文
Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, Google Cloud Platform, Big Data, Customer Relationship Management, SQL, Business Modeling, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Data Analysis, Natural Language Processing
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Google Cloud
Work with Gemini Models in BigQuery - 한국어
Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, Customer Relationship Management, Workflow Management, Google Cloud Platform, Applied Machine Learning, Big Data, Business Modeling, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), SQL, Predictive Modeling, Python Programming
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
HEC Paris
Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship University Certificate
Skills you'll gain: New Product Development, Business Strategy, Social Media Strategy, Product Development, Supplier Relationship Management, Ideation, Entrepreneurship, Social Media Marketing, Stakeholder Engagement, Social Media, Strategic Thinking, Decision Making, Content Marketing, Process Analysis, Project Controls, Corporate Strategy, Strategic Decision-Making, Business Operations, Business Planning, Innovation
University Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Managerial Economics & Business Analysis Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax, Global Marketing
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Global Challenges in Business Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax, Global Marketing
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Master of Business Administration (iMBA)
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Data Collection, Corporate Tax
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
HEC Paris
Executive MSc & MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Skills you'll gain: New Product Development, Intellectual Property, Research Methodologies, Performance Measurement, Design Thinking, Business Strategy, Value Propositions, Financial Modeling, Private Equity, Social Media Strategy, Business Modeling, Team Building, Active Listening, Business Planning, Supplier Relationship Management, Ideation, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Stakeholder Engagement, Corporate Sustainability
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Illinois Institute of Technology
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Skills you'll gain:
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
HEC Paris
Leading Innovation With Creativity University Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Design Thinking, Active Listening, Innovation, Creativity, Organizational Structure, Business Modeling, Organizational Strategy, Talent Management, Creative Thinking, Business Strategy, Self-Awareness, Initiative and Leadership, Consumer Behaviour, Strategic Decision-Making, Creative Problem-Solving, User Research, Organizational Effectiveness, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Ideation
University Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Financial Management Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax, Global Marketing
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Certificado en Finanzas Corporativas
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Statements, Capital Markets, Digital Transformation, Accrual Accounting, Business Ethics, Financial Analysis, Derivatives, Financial Reporting, Business Valuation, Financial Accounting, Balance Sheet, Accounting, Income Statement, Securities (Finance), Strategic Leadership, Capital Budgeting, Corporate Strategy, Return On Investment, Corporate Finance
Credit offered
Mastertrack · 6 - 12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Graduate Certificate in Accounting Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax, Global Marketing
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months