About this Course

Through this course with the Online Learning College you can learn the skills and knowledge required to help you to launch your own career working for yourself. The course is specifically designed to help you to understand the requirements and necessary skills to run your own business and start an exciting new path towards financial independence.

Study Time:	100 hours
Enrolment length:	12 months
Course Format:	Online
Entry Requirements:	None Specific

Upon completion of this course students receive a Quality Licence Scheme certificate and an OLC Certificate. All certification fees are included in your course fees.

Certification

To complete this Start Your Own Business Level 3 course you will need to submit, and pass, all of the tutor marked assignments. There are six assignments in the course and no need to purchase any textbooks as we provide all of the lessons and materials required to learn the syllabus. All assignments are coursework based and are in an essay/question and answer style to test your knowledge of the topics covered in each of the course sections.

Course Content

This course assesses the following units:

Unit 1: First steps

To begin this qualification we will look at the need for the basic planning and structure that is required from all businesses. By looking at the necessary skills of an entrepreneur and business owner we will be able to identify the skills which need to be developed and enhanced as you build up your company.

We will also look at ways to assess the present market and any competitors which may already be operating within the sector that you wish to work. By knowing this information you will be able to tailor your approach to provide a product or service that is very competitive in the sector.

This unit will teach you to:

• Identify the necessary personal skills needed to start and run a business successfully
• Understand the need for market research and identifying your competitors
• Understand basic financial planning, sales and profits
• Understand the need for data protection which every business must abide by

Unit 2: Communication and Customers

Good communication is always extremely important to any business. Without the basics any company in any sector will struggle to work as a unit and fail in different areas. Unfortunately, a surprising number of companies fail in what is possibly the most basic of needs for a company – communication.

In this unit we will explore the need for strong communication throughout an organisation as well as developing these skills to make them stronger for the benefit of your new company. Many people view communication as something that requires no work and that it is ‘easy’. These people are usually the ones who fail miserably in this area and by not devoting any time to ensure that their company is communicating well, they can start to lose customers and revenue.

This unit will teach you to:

• Understand internal communication within an organisation
• Identify the methods of communicating with people externally from the business
• Identify various tools of communication that can be used within a business
• Understand various feedback methods including asking for reviews through face-to-face and online methods
• Work closely with employees and be able to give feedback and praise to improve performance

Unit 3: Marketing your business

In this unit we will cover marketing and the various ways to gain attention for products and services. Encouraging marketing throughout an organisation will be explained as well as the need for quality marketing techniques for different industries.

Social media and modern methods of marketing will be explained so that you have a full understanding of advertising needs in the modern world.

This unit will teach you to:

• Identify the balance between competitive pricing and quality when marketing products
• Understand the need for great customer service and how this can be encouraged throughout your organisation
• Fully understand various types of advertising and marketing possibilities for various industries

Unit 4: Finance

In this unit of the course we will be looking at one of the most important aspects of any business – finance. Some businesses are created through the love of the industry or to help other people, whereas others are created purely for financial gain. Either way, a business needs to be financially stable to be able to compete in the industry and attract customers. Without a financially stable business you could soon find that the money going out of a company is exceeding that which is coming in – which obviously creates a massive issue.

The finances of a business are far from the most glamorous aspect of being a business owner but it is arguably the most important. Understanding the money coming in and the money going out is extremely important and you need to have a firm grasp on basic accounting and monetary skills in order to succeed.

This unit will teach you to:

• Understand ways of generating finance to launch a new business
• Be able to understand the requirements of setting up a new company and operating within the requirements needed for financial security
• Understand cash flow
• Be able to produce basic financial accounts

Unit 5: Employing staff

Most new businesses will begin life with just one person – a sole trader. But it may be that your business will not be able to operate in this manner and that you need to hire people from the very beginning or very soon after setting up. There are many important things to consider when doing this and in this unit we will explore the various points of interest concerning employment and staffing in a new business.

There comes a point in any business when it will need to employ more people to help the operations of the company. It is simply impossible for a business to continue to grow if there is only one person involved. This person may work harder and be incredible at what they do but there are only so many hours in a day and it will be impossible for the company to continue to expand with limited staff.

This unit will teach you to:

• Understand what job roles employing may be employed to carry out
• Be able to carry out interviews and work through the entire interview process with candidates
• Explain delegation and various techniques used to motivate staff
• Identify different training needs and methods that help to make your workforce a strong unit

Unit 6: Developing a business plan

In this final unit of the course we will be exploring the need for a business plan before you launch a new business and how to write this. There are many different things to consider when writing a business plan and you must be able to identify lots of areas and strategise how your business will progress.

A good understanding of the market in which you operate will help at all times when planning the direction you wish for your company to travel. Here we will learn to identify your competitors, potential routes to market and how to develop and grow your business through carefully planned action. Even if you have already launched your own business, it is never too late to write a well-structured business plan that will organise your thoughts and ambitions for the company.

This unit will teach you to:

• Understand the need for a business plan
• Identify all of the requirements of a business plan and what is to be included
• Outline financial information that is to be projected when planning a new business
• Appreciate the need for margins of error to be incorporated

This course can be taken over a 12 month period but you can complete it as fast or as slowly as you wish.

Online study and instant enrolment

All of our students are given access to our Online Campus through their own personal login and password. As soon as you complete your enrolment, you would have immediate access to your account which allows you to make a start working through the lessons. Tackle your assignments as your own pace and contact your tutor to access any help and support you need. The course itself is set out in a very simple layout, making it easy to work through the topics and complete your assessments.

Our Online Campus includes:

• Instant enrolment – access everything on your course from the moment you enrol.
• Personal account logins – login any time, 24/7.
• Full support throughout – message your tutor, use our online chat or give us a call.
• Online assignment submissions – upload work online from the comfort of home.
• Self-led learning – study at your own pace so you can pass much faster.
• Safe e-portfolio system – store all of your work in your account.
• Progression tracking – easily see what assignments you have left to complete.
• Details help centre – get instructions and guidance every step of the way.
• Unlimited attempts – submit as many attempts at your assignments as you need.

Unlimited assessment submissions

All of the assessments for this course are completed through our Online Campus. You can attempt each one as many times as needed to ensure you pass. After every attempt, your tutor will provide detailed feedback and tips on how you can improve going forward. Quickly see your progress during your studies by checking your progress bar and seeing the remaining assessments you need to complete.

Get full tutor support

Throughout your enrolment with the Online Learning College, you can access support at any time you need. All students are assigned a personal tutor who will mark all of your work and provide detailed feedback after every submission. Your tutor will be an industry expert with a full knowledge of the course content and will be able to help you at any point along your learning journey. One of the best tools at your disposal is your tutor – you can ask as many questions of them as you wish to and they will be happy to help at any time.

We also have a brilliant support team on hand and available through email, online chat and over the phone. This team is there to help with any questions which are more generic, such as providing support in submitting work through your account or getting your certificate when you have completed your course. We pride ourselves on ensuring the support you receive is the best in the business – help and guidance is fast and detailed every time you contact a member of the team.

Assessments

To pass this course learners must pass 6 assignments. These are completed after navigating through the corresponding lessons and writing your answers to assignment questions. Once these have been read and marked by your personal tutor, feedback and marks are provided to students which contain helpful tips to improve work in future assignments.

Enrolment Length

All of our courses are allocated plenty of time for students to complete their studies and all materials are self-led so that you can complete the course at your own pace, but you have access to the course on the Campus for 12 months from your enrollment date. Should you require additional time on one of our courses you can extend your enrolment by 30 days for an additional fee of £60. As well as this we operate a 14 day money back guarantee on every one of our qualifications- that’s how confident we are of how you will love studying with us!