If you understand the benefits of professional development for employees then you also get how important it is for entrepreneurs and small business owners to keep expanding their skills and knowledge. In fact, a commitment to do so is critical to your long-term success.

In addition to professional development, the benefits for entrepreneurs include a boost to their mental health, self-awareness, and confidence.

Further, entrepreneurs who commit to continued learning report increased creativity and adaptability, as well as improved decision-making and problem-solving skills, which help build business growth and a competitive edge.

"Lifelong learning helps entrepreneurs keep pace with changing trends and technologies, ensuring that they are always knowledgeable about the latest developments in their industry," writes Roger James Hamilton, author and founder of GeniusU, an education platform for entrepreneurs.

"This knowledge enables them to remain agile and responsive to changing market conditions and to be able to identify new opportunities for innovation and growth."

Continuous Training Options for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs and small business owners looking at ways to broaden their skills and knowledge have a broad range of options and subjects, topics, and skills, thanks in part to the growth of the employee continuous training industry. 

For example, there are courses you could take to brush up your leadership skills, from time management and executive communications to strategic planning.

Or perhaps you'd like to learn about a field or discipline you're less familiar with but is important to your business, one that you may even contract out, such as digital advertising, cybersecurity, or taxes.

Also, there are learning opportunities aimed at small business owners and entrepreneurs, including offerings from Small Business Development Centers, online education platforms, and nonprofits that support the growth of entrepreneurship communities.

Here are just a few of the resources available for your continuous learning journey, including online, on-site, free, and program-cost options.

Alison

This company, a free online platform for education and skills training, has more than 9,000 different courses in nine subject areas, including business, management, entrepreneurship, sales and marketing, and personal development.

The average time it takes to complete an Alison certificate course is 2 to 3 hours and 8 to 10 hours for a diploma-level course.

"We are driven by our belief in the power of free education and skills training to change people's lives for the better and are passionate about providing an overall learning experience that meets their needs and helps them to achieve life goals," the company says on its website.

Grow with Google

Google offers online courses and workshops for small business owners and entrepreneurs through its Grow with Google program, including tools to help build and strengthen your online presence.

"Your customers are online, so having a strong online presence is important — even if your business doesn't sell on the web," explains the Grow with Google website.

The program's list of options for business owners includes digital marketing, e-commerce, Google Analytics, cybersecurity, and AI.  In addition to certificate-level online courses, Grow With Google offers tips and advice on a variety of specific subjects via Video Lessons and Events.

Coursera

The popular continuous training platform Coursera partners with big-name companies and universities to help fuel a diverse mix of opportunities for learning, offering degree and certificate programs as well as free online courses. 

For example, you can "master artificial intelligence" with learning programs from IBM, Google, Vanderbilt University, the Coursera website says.

Business and training courses, many of which draw on the expertise from Coursera's university and corporate partners, range from beginning to advanced course subjects and skills-building levels. You'll find opportunities to learn just about everything, from starting a business online and Microsoft Excel to business analysis and negotiation strategies.

SBDCs

Small Business Development Centers or SBDCs offer instruction, workshops, and other types of guidance for entrepreneurs and small business owners at different stages of growth, including startups, on topics such as financial management, marketing, financial analysis, expansion, and access to capital.

There are more than 1,000 SBDCs across the country, according to the SBA, who administer the program.

The centers are often run in partnership with a community college or university and located on that campus, while others operate with private partners or sponsors or state or city governments, including local chambers of commerce or economic development organizations.

Also, there are SBDCs that specialize in a specific field or demographic, such as international finance or technology transfer and rural-owned businesses.

LinkedIn Learning

Subscribers to LinkedIn Learning can get a course plan created for them based on their subject and professional development interests and get unlimited access to more than 21,000 expert-led courses.

LinkedIn's "skill development platform" offers business, creative, and tech courses, and "dozens of courses are added each week," the website says.

The costs for an "individual" subscriber plan are not clearly stated, other than to say "as low as $34.99 a month." However, there is a free trial option, which may display more details on prices for coursework.