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The Best Online Finance Courses

Unless you are the director of an accountancy business, it is unlikely that you started your business because you were excited to manage your own finances; yet, this is a necessary aspect of running your own small business. In fact, good financial management is the foundation of any successful business.

Precisely because finances are so important, managing your own finances as a small business owner can feel daunting. If the knowledge that the way you manage your finances could make or break is making you feel anxious or overwhelmed, then it may be time to consider taking action.

Studying online courses for accounting & finance

Since (as a small business owner) you need to be able to understand how to keep your books and explore your financial options, it might be a good idea to consider undertaking some training in finance and accounting.

Particularly if your focus needs to be on running your business, signing up to an online courses for accounting & finance could have manifold benefits for your business.

Enrolling on an online finance course could help you improve the running of your small business and give you the confidence that you will know how to make important financial decisions for your business.

Choosing the best online finance courses

While deciding to study finance and accounting might be an easy decision, finding the right online finance course may feel a little more difficult. We’ve put together this guide on the best online finance courses to help you find the right training option for you, so that you can learn how to manage your small business finances with ease.

When it comes to finding the best online courses for accounting & finance for you, there are a couple of key questions to ask yourself: 

  • What are the things I need to learn to help my business?
  • What kind of time commitment can I make? For instance, how many hours a week can I dedicate?
  • How much money can I free up to invest in this training?

Once you’ve found your answers, the next thing to do is to find the course. To help make this process of choosing a finance and accounting course easier for you, we’ve done our research and found some of the most highly recommended online courses for accounting & finance:

Finance and accounting accreditations

It is important, when choosing an online courses for accounting & finance, that you choose one which is accredited by a relevant professional body so that you are guaranteed training which is accurate and up-to-date with all rules and regulations.

Some of world leading professional finance and accountancy bodies to look out for are:

If you choose an online finance course provided by a reputable academic institution, then you will have automatic peace of mind knowing that your course will give you all you need to get started improving your business finances.

The benefits of taking an online finance course

It is impossible to achieve your business goals if you do not have the financial skills and knowledge to manage your finances effectively. Since accounting and finance is central for running a successful business, up-skilling yourself in these areas will empower you as a small business owner.

Taking an online course for accounting and finance can provide you with the opportunity to improve the running of your small business in many ways, such as having an accurate picture of your finances through bookkeeping and growing your business through profitable investments.

Training yourself in finance will also mean that you are able to:

  • Structure your business properly to making sure you avoid pitfalls such as overtrading
  • Minimise your tax contributions
  • Find additional finance without putting your business at risk
  • Manage all your finances, such as balancing your books, with confidence
  • Register yourself for VAT
  • Adapt to changes in the financial sphere

Since you will be able to do these things for yourself with confidence, investing in training yourself in finance and accountancy will mean that you can save precious resources by managing your own finances in those critical early stages of establishing your business instead of hiring an independent accountant and financial advisor.

Online Finance Course FAQs

  • How to study finance on your own?

    You can take an online accounting and finance course which can provide you with the skills and knowledge to manage your business finances going forward. There are a number of resources available but some of the best online accounting & finance courses are:

    • AAT Business Finance Basics
    • Accounting and Finance, University 1st and 2nd Year (Level 4 and 5), Online Business School
    • AAT Level 2 Foundation Certificate in Accounting, McArthur Online Training 
    • CIMA Cert in Business Accounting (Cert BA), Open Study College.

  • How long does it take to study finance?

    Not all online finance courses are the same length. The amount of time to complete a finance course will vary depending on the finance and accountancy body or academic institution you study with.

    Some online finance courses can be completed in a few months whereas other courses can be completed in several weeks.

    By comparison, a bachelor’s degree in finance takes 4 years to complete.

  • Which is the best financial course?

    To find the best financial course for you there are a number of key questions to consider.

    These include what do you need to learn to help improve your business, how many hours a week can you dedicate to studying, and how much money can you spend on training.  

  • Is finance hard to study?

    Managing your own finances can feel daunting but undertaking a finance course can give you the confidence to make important financial decisions.

    This can be key to making and keeping your business profits as you will gain experience in finance, economics and accounting as a whole.