Small Business Guide

$50.00
no certificate

- OR -

$75.00
with CEU Certificate*

Start Right Now!

Taking multiple courses? Save with our platinum program.

11

Lessons
13

Exams &
Assignments
5

Hours
average time
0.5

CEUs
1,459

Students
have taken this course

Course Description

Starting and operating a business is a minefield of rules and regulations. The regulations set in the moment you decide to start your own business. You need to get licenses and permits from the authorities. There are restrictions on the type of business you can operate in a neighborhood. Tax and employee regulations are perhaps the most strictly enforced regulations. Non-compliance can even lead to cancellation of the business license and at times, imprisonment.

This course will guide you on the main requirements of the regulations so that a business can develop a strategy for compliance. This course will also provide guides on how to protect the intellectual property of the business , the types of insurance a business must generally have in place, and sources of funding.

Every business has its own assets. You must know how to protect the assets of your business, such as: registering the intellectual property right of the business with the appropriate authorities; insuring the business against losses; growing your business with funding. Find out what you need to know so that you can focus on making your business successful.

Completely Online
Self-Paced
Printable Lessons
Full HD Video
6 Months to Complete
24/7 Availability
Start Anytime
PC & Mac Compatible
Android & iOS Friendly
Accredited CEUs

Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider

Course Lessons

Average Lesson Rating:

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

(746 votes)

Lesson 1. Registration of Business Name

Starting and operating a business involves many issues. The business owner must comply with many regulations, federal, state and local. Lack of compliance can result in penalties and sometimes even imprisonment. 11 Total Points

Lesson 1 Video
Review 3 Articles: Advantages of Registering Business Name; Guide to Start a Business; Registering a Business Name
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Complete Exam: Lesson 1: Registration of Business Name

Lesson 2. Business Structures

Business structure is the way a business is organized, owned, and managed. The laws governing the business and its operations will depend on its structure. 10 Total Points

Lesson 2 Video
Review 2 Articles: Articles on Business Structures; Understanding Business Structures
Complete Exam: Lesson 2: Business Structures

Lesson 3. Sole Proprietorship and Partnerships

Establishing a sole proprietorship is cheap, relatively uncomplicated,and easy; and it does not require any legal paperwork to be filed with the state or federal government. Once declared open, the business is up and running. 9 Total Points

Lesson 3 Video
Review 3 Articles: Partnership Structure; Sole Proprietorship; Sole Proprietorship Defined
Complete Exam: Lesson 3: Sole Proprietorship and Partnerships

Lesson 4. Corporation

Incorporation means the forming of a new corporation. In the United States, it is often referred to by its abbreviation, "Inc." A corporation is a legal entity created through the laws of its state of incorporation. 10 Total Points

Lesson 4 Video
Review 2 Articles: Advantages and Disadvantages of a Corporation; S Corporation and C Corporation
Complete Exam: Lesson 4: Corporation

Lesson 5. Limited Liability Company

A limited liability company, commonly called an "LLC," is a legal form of business company offering limited liability to its owners. 9 Total Points

Lesson 5 Video
Review 3 Articles: Advantages of Limited Liability Company; Hierarchy of Limited Liability Company; How to Form a Limited Liability Company
Complete Exam: Lesson 5: Limited Liability Company

Lesson 6. Licenses and Permits

Once you have decided on starting your business, you will have to get the necessary permits and licenses from the relevant government authorities. The permits and licenses vary among jurisdictions. 9 Total Points

Lesson 6 Video
Review 3 Articles: Business Licenses and Permits; Licensing and Business Registration Requirements; Obtaining a Permit or a License to Start a Company
Complete Exam: Lesson 6: Licenses and Permits

Lesson 7. Intellectual Property

Intellectual property means property of the mind or the intellect. Intellectual property is an important asset of your business. It is protected through law and can be owned, bequeathed, sold, or bought. 9 Total Points

Lesson 7 Video
Review Article: Overview on Intellectual Property
Complete Exam: Lesson 7: Intellectual Property

Lesson 8. Taxes

All businesses have to pay federal income tax. Some states also impose income tax on businesses. 10 Total Points

Lesson 8 Video
Review 2 Articles: Corporate taxes; Federal business taxes
Complete Exam: Lesson 8: Taxes

Lesson 9. Employees

Employees are an important asset. Hiring and managing employees involves many legal issues. A business with employees must comply with certain federal and state laws. 10 Total Points

Lesson 9 Video
Review 2 Articles: Employer and the Employee; Fair Labor Standards Act
Complete Exam: Lesson 9: Employees

Lesson 10. Insurance

As in life, nothing is certain in a business. There are many risks, some foreseeable and some unforeseeable. A business must insure itself against such risks. 10 Total Points

Lesson 10 Video
Review 2 Articles: Advantages of Liability Insurance; Property Insurance for Small Businesses
Complete Exam: Lesson 10: Insurance

Lesson 11. Finance. Grants, Loans, and Venture Capital

Financing is very important for any business. No business can survive without financing. There are different ways in which a business can raise financing. 60 Total Points

Lesson 11 Video
Review 3 Articles: Beginning of Venture Capital; Funds for Business; Grants for Small Businesses
Take Poll: How would you rate this course?
Take Survey: Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course)
Complete Exam: Lesson 11: Finance – Grants, Loans, Venture Capital
Complete: The Final Exam

157

Total Course Points

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

Know registration of business name.
Know business structures.
Know sole proprietorship and partnerships.
Define corporation.
Define limited liability company.
Describe licenses and permits.
Know intellectual property.
Know taxes.
Describe hiring employees.
Describe insurance requirements and types.
Know finance options, including grants, loans, and venture capital, and
Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.

Additional Course Information

Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online

View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

Course Title: Small Business Guide

Course Number: 8900100

Languages: English - United States, Canada and other English speaking countries

Category:

UniversalClass.com > Business > Management

Course Type: Professional Development (Self-Paced, Online Class)

CEU Value: 0.5 IACET CEUs (Continuing Education Units)

CE Accreditation: Universal Class, Inc. has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

Grading Policy: Earn a final grade of 70% or higher to receive an online/downloadable CEU Certification documenting CEUs earned.

Assessment Method: Lesson assignments and review exams

Instructor: John Chouinard

Syllabus: View Syllabus

Duration: Continuous: Enroll anytime!

Course Fee: $50.00 (no CEU Certification) || with Online CEU Certification: $75.00

Choose Your Subscription Plan

Course Only

One Course
No Certificate / No CEUs

$50

for 6 months

Add to Cart

Billed once
This course only

Includes certificate	X
Includes CEUs	X
Self-paced
Instructor support
Time to complete	6 months
No. of courses	1 course

Certificate Course

One Course
Certificate & CEUs

$75

for 6 months

Add to Cart

Billed once
This course only

Includes certificate
Includes CEUs
Self-paced
Instructor support
Time to complete	6 months
No. of courses	1 course

Platinum Yearly

ALL COURSES
Certificates & CEUs

$189

per year

You save 50%!

Start Now

Billed once
Includes all 500+ courses

Includes certificate
Includes CEUs
Self-paced
Instructor support
Time to complete	12 Months
No. of courses	500+

Platinum Monthly

ALL COURSES
Certificates & CEUs

$59 first month

$29.00 / each consecutive month thereafter

Start Now

Billed monthly
Includes all 500+ courses

Includes certificate
Includes CEUs
Self-paced
Instructor support
Time to complete	Monthly
No. of courses	500+

Student Testimonials

"The overall information was great." -- Deborah C.
"All of it was helpful." -- Leah F.

Related Courses

Business Branding 101

Take a look around you. Everywhere you look, you are faced with brands. From the brand of your television to the brand of your car, you are constantly surrounded by brands, and the many products they represent. In this course, you will go through an...

$75.00
0.6 CEUs 6h
Project Management 101

Have you ever been involved in a complex project that just did not go the way you wanted? Often failure is pre-ordained due to the approach to the project. The concept of project management exists because it helps assure completion of a project succ...

$90.00
0.5 CEUs 5h
Negotiation Skills

In order to be effective at any business endeavor learning how to negotiate properly is not simply a nice skill to have, it has become an essential requirement in career advancement. This course will teach you what you need to know in order to becom...

$75.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Business Management

Introduction to Business Management The world of business management offers an array of career opportunities unparalleled among income earning possibilities. Industries from mining to waste disposal have management-level positions in many compani...

$110.00
0.9 CEUs 9h
Memory and Concentration Techniques

Memory, concentration, focus, communication, problem solving and relationships all interconnect and interact to give us the information we need to function properly in the everyday world. T his course will focus on these topics and explore how memor...

$80.00
1.1 CEUs 11h
Human Resources Productivity Course Bundle

Human Resources Management 101: Today, many managers enter the world of human resources simply because they are exceptional managers. They have climbed the rank and file of the corporate ladder, succeeding at each rung, to the point where they are ...

$120.00
2.9 CEUs 29h
Writing Help Course Bundle

Writing Basics 101: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Writing Structures: Most of us learned spelling and grammar in elementary school and brushed up on the rules occasionally in junior high or middle school. Once we entered high school, it was assu...

$135.00
6.1 CEUs 61h
How to Write Case Studies

What is a Case Study? A case study is an in-depth study of a singular situation, person or event. What does this mean? In most disciplines, studies are required to prove a hypothesis. These studies are usually very large in nature, with the goal ...

$95.00
1.0 CEUs 10h
Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is vital for ensuring an organization still will be a leader in its field 20 years in the future. The plan is a tool leadership can use to judge an organization's health at that moment. This course is a complete guide for writing ...

$75.00
1.0 CEUs 10h
Delegation Skills

The Art of Delegation Delegation of the very work for which you are both responsible and accountable, that you have spent emotional energy to acquire, and in which you have invested education and experience, is a difficult skill to develop. Letting ...

$75.00
0.6 CEUs 6h
Understanding Financial Statements

Accounting is the language of business. However, the real language of business lies within accounting--inside the financial statements and financial reporting system. The purpose of this course is to provide a business financial communication tool. ...

$85.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Mastering Conversation Skills

This course reviews the fundamental skills that make up each person's ability to communicate effectively in both social and business settings. We begin with an overview of the building blocks of communication, providing a foundation for understandin...

$75.00
0.5 CEUs 5h
Writing Effective Emails in the Workplace

The number of email accounts worldwide is predicted to increase from 3.1 billion in 2011 to nearly 4.1 billion by the end of 2015, according to research by the research firm the Radicati Group, Inc. That number represents an annual growth rate of 7 ...

$75.00
1.0 CEUs 10h
Operations Management 101

Operations Management is a dynamic field in which individuals with the right skills, knowledge and talent can take a business to new heights and have a direct impact on daily operations and company profitability. Nearly 40% of all jobs are in the ar...

$80.00
0.5 CEUs 5h
How to Write Effective Policies and Procedures

Do your employees have a place where they can find information on everything from what happens to their job if they get sick or injured to whether it is okay if ...

$75.00
1.0 CEUs 10h
Financial Analysis 101: Planning and Control

The crux of financial analysis lies with its purpose. It may be the company's focus on short-term liquidity or its long-term planning. Financial statements provide a picture of the company's financial condition. Forecasting involves analyzing these ...

$85.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Collaboration Skills

Collaboration results in the best possible solution to any given issue since all the ideas, solutions, best practices, resources, skills, and issues were examined, discussed, and evaluated using the best possible criterion from a wide spectrum of kn...

$75.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Creating and Managing a Non-Profit Organization

Creating and managing a non-profit organization is a noble effort, one that takes a lot of work in order for goals to be reached. It is not something that a person can simply wake up one day and do without preparation. When you make the decision to ...

$75.00
0.5 CEUs 5h
Business Coaching

Choosing a career in business coaching can be a long and rewarding experience. You can start your career as a business coach using the knowledge and experience you developed on your own. In order to have a fully functioning and successful coaching c...

$75.00
1.0 CEUs 10h
Business Math 101

This course takes you through an overview of the wonderful world of business mathematics. The course is designed for a person of any age and anywhere in the world. All that is required of the learner are a computer, a connection to the internet, a...

$75.00
1.2 CEUs 12h
Journalism 101

This online course offers the student an introduction to the profession of journalism as a whole. It begins with a brief overview of journalism, acquainting students with the foundation of writing for the news industry. There is a lesson on the hist...

$80.00
1.4 CEUs 14h
Understanding Learning Styles

Welcome to this course on learning styles. After completing it, you should have a basic understanding of different learning styles and how they apply to today's students. You will learn about: the beginnings of learning style theory multiple intell...

$75.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Report Writing 101

Introduction to Report Writing Organizing and writing reports for business can take up a lot of valuable time and money. They are a necessary evil used to explain and/or justify expenses, events, accidents, policy changes, as well as document nume...

$75.00
1.0 CEUs 10h
Marketing 101

Have you ever wondered how a product makes it to market? How a business decides what type of advertising to use, and who the ideal customer is? Are you interested in direct and online marketing, or the global marketplace? Are you looking to obtain a...

$90.00
0.9 CEUs 9h
Managerial Accounting 101

Managerial accounting is not as widely used as other forms of accounting, nor is it as known. While companies concern themselves with financial accounting methods like audits, budgets and financial statements, they often completely ignore the forwar...

$90.00
0.5 CEUs 5h
How to Start a Gift Basket Business

Starting your own business is actually much easier than you may believe. Your knowledge and experience related to business does not need to be extensive, but learning about what is needed for your own business can aid you in its development. This gu...

$75.00
1.0 CEUs 10h
Critical Thinking

This course summarizes the goals and consequences of critical thinking, as well as items to be aware of when learning how to think critically, including cognitive biases and logical fallacies. The course also covers the value that comes from both in...

$75.00
0.5 CEUs 5h
Kinesics 101 - Learn to Read Body Language

Reading Body Language, Using it to Your Advantage H aving the ability to read body language can go a long way in helping you throughout your life. You can learn to understand the cues, or signs, that people show when they tell a lie, or when they ...

$75.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Healthy Relationships

Whether you are in a new or long term romantic relationship, a busy student working with other colleagues, parents struggling to form a connection with your children, or a business person needing to form a relationship of trust with the employer--re...

$75.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Listening Skills 101

Did you know that there is a difference between hearing and listening? There is! Have you ever been told that you just don't listen? Most people have at some point in their life, so you probably have experienced it as well. But the problem is that g...

$75.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Conflict Resolution 101

Conflict Resolution: In the Workplace and Beyond Did you know that a little conflict in your office today can shut down your entire operation tomorrow? That is no exaggeration! Workplace conflict costs. It starts by reducing productivity and emplo...

$75.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Recruitment and Retention Strategies

Recruiting & Retention Strategies is a course that's been specifically designed for professionals who are looking to improve their overall workforce. By looking at the best ways to retain employees and to recruit new talent, companies can ensure...

$75.00
0.5 CEUs 5h
Job Performance Appraisals - A How To Guide

Job Performance Appraisals is an in-depth study of various performance appraisal methods. We'll discuss the benefits and challenges of various methodologies as well as alternatives to performance appraisals. Whether you are a CEO, a middle manager, ...

$75.00
0.6 CEUs 6h
Employment Law Fundamentals

Learn the basics of Employment Law , the potential pitfalls, and ways to keep yourself out of court so that you can grow your business by hiring, evaluating, and managing employees. This course will discuss all the necessary information you need to...

$80.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Speed Reading 101

Speed reading provides you with the tools and information you need to improve not only the speed that you read, but your comprehension and concentration as well. Speed reading will also provide you with effective tools that you can use when you're i...

$75.00
0.7 CEUs 7h
Mediation 101

The individual who pursues a career as a mediator can look forward to a job that is personally satisfying and financially rewarding. With its emphasis on fairness and cooperation, this career is an ideal choice for those who are empathetic and want ...

$95.00
1.1 CEUs 11h
Business Writing

We live in a world where communication is paramount to survival. In a work environment where communication is equated with the professionalism and efficiency of an individual, would you jeopardize your career because of bad writing? Do you want the ...

$95.00
1.9 CEUs 19h
Confidence Building

This course on building self-confidence reaches beyond the standard self-help program by addressing the core issues surrounding confidence problems and exploring how to reprogram our brain‘s negative self-talk. Based on the concept that we com...

$75.00
0.6 CEUs 6h
Mindfulness in the Workplace

In this day and age, it is more important than ever to know how to be in the moment at all times. To experience awareness of your surroundings at all times will lead to a more productive self, in both your personal life and in the workplace. Do you ...

$75.00
0.9 CEUs 9h
Emotional Intelligence

What is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional Intelligence, also commonly referred to as EI or EQ (for emotional quotient), is generally considered to be an objective measurement of an individual's ability to function within social or group setting...

$75.00
0.5 CEUs 5h
Accounting & Bookkeeping 101 for Everyone

Accounting & Bookkeeping 101 for Everyone is a course that covers the fundamentals of accounting with the newcomer in mind. Accounting is more than just memorizing terms and procedures; it's a whole new way of thinking about finances. This cours...

$90.00
3.2 CEUs 32h
Anger Management 101

If you have been at the mercy of the negative consequences that result from mishandled anger, Anger Management 101 will provide relief. This insightful course is filled with both practical wisdom and application that will end the anger trap for good...

$75.00
0.5 CEUs 5h