How to find the right online course for your business

Everywhere you turn there is another online course, workshop, free training, or guide that promises to give you all the answers. It seems like online education has exploded over the last few years and it is easy to become inundated with too much information (and contradicting information too).

With so many educational opportunities available to us today, you feel surrounded. You feel like the walls are caving in and the world of online education is inescapable. Ok, that might be a little dramatic but you get what I’m trying to say don’t you?

When you are surrounded by so many people promising to give you the answers to all your problems, how do you find the right online course for your business?

Why you need education

Let’s start with how online courses can benefit your business. Business education can be extremely beneficial for your business. As business owners, it’s important for us to improve our skill set, hone in on what we are good at, and either outsource or grow our knowledge in areas that may not be our forte.

Online education allows us to take courses and learn new things from our own home or office. It connects us with like-minded entrepreneurs who have gone before us and have more expertise in the area that we are lacking.

Too many choices

I’m all for educating yourself on things you need to know to grow and run your business, but it can be a little overwhelming to make sense of all the information available to us.

Have one or all of these thoughts ever crossed your mind:

What courses should you take?
What information is best for you to learn first?
How will this benefit your business?
What should you actually apply to your own business?

When faced with this many choices, most people will shut down and avoid the situation altogether. Because too many choices is actually a bad thing.

When we are overloaded with information, we can’t make sense of it and instead of using it to move our business forward, we sit idle waiting for clarity on what to do next.

I’m not saying that all online courses are bad and you shouldn’t invest in them. In fact, I think they can be really helpful. But the trick is being able to learn how to find the right online course for your business and knowing what you need for your business in this season.

You don’t need to take all the courses for all the things at the same time. You don’t even need to opt into every free resource, PDF guide, and free training that you see. If it isn’t what you need right now to grow your business, pass on it until you do need it.

Because if you try to digest all of that information at once, you’ll end up paralyzed by all the content and confused about what to do next.

What to do instead

Instead of taking all the new online courses and latest trainings, you have to learn to turn off the noise. There will always be another new course and something else to learn, but you have to be a discerning business owner who knows what you need and when you need it.

Right now, you might need to work on improving your marketing skills. Maybe you would like to learn more about email marketing. Your business might be in a season where you need to sharpen your brand message and clarify your offering. Each of these things requires a different education and a different skill set to learn.

So here’s what you need to do →

Cut out all the clutter: Unsubscribe from email lists (you can always opt in again later), delete old PDF guides from your computer, and ignore all the hype around every new course that launches. Get rid of anything that doesn’t really apply to you right now so you can focus on what does.
Figure out what you need right now: What season of business are you in? Figure out what you actually need to grow your business right now.
Find resources that are geared towards what you need: Once you know your focus, find the resources that best fit that need. Then you can sign up for courses, download the guides, and absorb all the info about that topic.
Digest the info: Here’s the kicker. Once you’ve taken the course or learned the info, you need to act on it. Make time to actually do something with all the info you’ve just learned or it will all be for nothing.

Recap

In a world overflowing with online courses and information, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in choices and not know how to find the right online course for your business. But rather than succumbing to overwhelm, take a moment to assess your business’s current needs. Instead of trying to consume everything at once, focus on cutting out the clutter, pinpointing what your business requires in its current season, and seeking out resources that align with those needs.