20 Professional Skills You Can Learn for $30 or Less Beef up your resume with in-demand programs, public speaking skills, and more.
By Entrepreneur Store Edited by Jason Fell
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If you want to stay on top of your industry and help your company be the best it can be, you've got to continue learning new skills. More and more employees are taking it upon themselves to keep their skill sets up to date in an increasingly competitive startup culture.
Taking in-person classes can suck up valuable time from your day, and courses from online universities can empty your wallet. Luckily, there are plenty of affordable, reputable classes you can take from the comfort of your own laptop. These 20 deals will help you keep up with the competition and beef up your startup from every angle.
20. The Complete Photoshop Master Class Bundle 2019 — $29
Learning how to use Photoshop can be a real thorn in your side, but this class bundle breaks it down for beginners. With more than 35 hours of expert instruction, you'll become fluent in Photoshop web design, light effects, outdoor portraiture and more.
19. How to Sell Anything to Anyone — $14.99
No matter what industry you're in, you'll need a skilled approach to sale to earn much-needed capital. This class helps you create win-win scenarios for you, your company and your client. These timeless methods will boost your career for a lifetime.
18. Master Microsoft Excel Macros and Excel VBA — $15
Like it or not, you can't escape Excel when you're an entrepreneur. If you're rusty (or if you are completely new to Excel), this course will set you on the right path — and you'll have a certification to show off when you're done. You'll learn how to use macros and Excel's basic programming language to automate tasks and learn more from your company's data.
17. Complete SEO Certification Training Bundle — $30
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, helps your target demographic find you first in Google's search results. You don't have to be a coding wizard to get your site SEO-ready: this training bundle will get you certified with eight expert-led courses. It covers general content marketing, social media strategies, conversion rates and more.
16. uTalk Language Education: Lifetime Subscription — $19.99
As your business grows, you may have to start talking to vendors, investors or partners from different parts of the world. Mastering their home language can help you strike a better rapport, which can translate into bigger profits. A lifetime subscription to uTalk will grant you access to multiple languages, practical vocabulary lessons, and speaking games.
15. Powerful Communication Owns the Room with Bill Hoogterp — $19.99
Bill Hoogterp spends his days teaching speaking skills to top executives, and you can benefit from his expert knowledge with this course. You'll find your authentic voice and learn how to use it to keep audiences engaged and sell them on your elevator pitch.
14. How to Write a Blog Post That Drives Traffic with Darren Murph — $19.99
Whether you're a new member of the freelance workforce or a business owner looking to boost their signal in the blogosphere, you can benefit from this class. Darren Murph holds the Guinness World Record for being the most prolific professional blogger, and he can help you create engaging content that draws customers to your site like moths to the flame.
13. The Complete YouTube Master Class — $11
Online advertising is becoming more visual every day, but you'll need some help if you want your company to crack the YouTube code. This course shows you how to grow your own brand by driving traffic to your website and earn money from YouTube through products and service promotions.
12. Become an Engaging Presenter with Andrew Whelan — $19.99
If you dread making presentations, this course will help you master skills that will take your deck slideshow from humdrum to wow. Former Second City performer Andrew Whelan shows you how to emotionally connect with any audience using improved vocal strength and your physical presence.
11. The Complete Guide to Digital Marketing Course — $11
Get certified in almost all aspects of digital marketing with this invaluable course. You'll learn how to craft engaging copy and draw customers to your site with blogs, and you'll crack the code of email marketing that works and SEO that brings your site to Google's front page. The included downloadable checklists will help you stay on track as you take the digital marketing world by storm.
10. The Complete Communication Skills Master Class — $14.99
Your ideas won't go far if you don't know how to effectively communicate with your team. This comprehensive class is led by pro executive coach TJ Walker. He covers everything from customer communications to job interviews to out-of-office scenarios, like wedding speeches.
9. Master of Online Business Building Bundle with Jerry Banfield — $29
Jerry Banfield has been in the entrepreneurship game since 2011, so he knows a thing or two about building your business online. He'll teach you how to use marketing tools like Google AdWords and social media advertising, how to master affiliate marketing and the ins and outs of the growing field of influencer marketing.
8. The Complete Salesforce Lightning Certification Training Bundle — $19
Salesforce is the most popular Customer Relationship Management (or CRM) software in the world — and you've got to master it to deal with your inevitable influx of customers. This four-course bundle shows you how to ace Salesforce exams and earn valuable certifications. You'll also learn A to Z skills like setting up Salesforce for your company, automating workflow processes, security and more.
7. Complete Project & Quality Management Certification Bundle — $29
Project management know-how is crucial for any startup: you can't successfully launch new initiatives and keep everything on track without skill sets like Agile, Scrum and Six Sigma. The eight courses in this bundle will demystify the frameworks you need to reduce errors, improve communication and streamline your business processes.
6. The Complete Digital Marketing 12-in-1 Course — $14.99
Google Certified Marketer Daragh Walsch leads this massive course covering the most important digital marketing tools around. Marketing fundamentals and research best practices, copy that sells and social media marketing through Facebook, Twitter and Quora will all be within your reach after you dive into this class. As an added bonus, you'll gain a digital marketing certification when you're all done.
5. The Complete Content Marketing Master Class Course — $11
Content is king when it comes to digital marketing, and expert instructor Phil Ebiner will have your content up and running in just five hours. He'll help you understand how content marketing can help you achieve your business goals, create a system so you never run out of great blog ideas or social media posts and how to get your content up and running across multiple platforms.
4. The QuickBooks 2019 Master Class — $19
QuickBooks is crucial for keeping tabs on your business's finances, and you can master this program during this seven-hour course. It covers balance sheets, profit/loss statements, and customizable reports. You can also set up accounts to track customers, vendors, and employees.
3. The Complete Amazon FBA A-Z Bundle — $29
You can clean up on Amazon with its Fulfilled By Amazon program. These 13 courses will show you how to source wholesale products or create your own line, then advertise it and rake in some cash. Even if you're a complete beginner who's working on a shoestring budget, you can earn revenue from Amazon FBA.
2. The Real Estate Investment Master Class Bundle — $29
Looking for a way to earn some passive income through investments? Real estate is a surefire bet, and these five courses will show you how to make intelligent moves with your money. Classes on key investment concepts, commercial real estate analysis and wholesale deals will help you choose which path to take when you're diving into real estate investment.
1. The Complete Business Plan in One Course Ft. Chris Haroun — $14
Former Goldman Sachs employee Chris Haroun shows you how to write a business plan that woos investors in this class. He'll share the secrets of getting funded, and you'll be off and running in no time with 50 business plan templates and 25 presentations designed for startups.
