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Advanced Certificate of Business

Build the skills to think strategically, lead confidently, and make high-impact business decisions with the Advanced Certificate of Business. This flexible program combines core leadership capabilities with elective specialisations to help you drive performance, manage change, and step into senior business roles with confidence.

Start Anytime

Yes

Delivery Method

100% Online

Study Hours

120 hours

Course Access

12 Months

Do you want to develop your critical thinking, financial management, business planning, and corporate social responsibility skills? Whether managing change, developing strategy or improving performance, this course prepares you for leadership as a future-focused business professional.

The Advanced Certificate of Business is a professional development course that provides you with the knowledge and skills to analyse problems, manage risk, and make informed decisions concerning organisational goals.

In this online business course, you will develop practical skills in management, leadership, and senior operational roles across a wide range of industries. You will also explore complex problem-solving, organisational finance, business planning, and ethical leadership.

You will also have the opportunity to select elective subjects, such as workforce planning, change management, innovation, strategy, communication, leadership, and risk management, to meet your professional development needs.

On completion of this course, you will feel confident to lead teams and influence positive outcomes at an organisational level.

This course includes elective or customised units.
Our team will be in touch shortly after enrolment to confirm your unit choices.

Printed learning materials are available for purchase for this course and can be ordered during enrolment.

Course Structure

Core Units (4 Required)

Unit 1 – Apply Critical Thinking for Complex Problem-Solving

Complex problem solving
Scope and impact
Problem identification
Impacts
Brainstorming
Optimal solutions
Implementing plans
Critical thinking
Creative thinking
Gathering information
Research
Task objectives
Risk management
Risk management strategies
Documenting problems
Legislative frameworks
Policies
Resources
Stakeholders
Stakeholder identification
Identification techniques
Problem solving
Problem mapping
Mind maps
Problem solving software
Ideation
Generating solutions
Selection criteria
Barriers to decision making
Preparing a brief
Feedback register
Evaluating feedback
Refining solutions

Unit 2 – Manage Organisational Finances

Financial planning
Budgets and data
Budgeting periods
Snapshots of financial situation
Statutory requirements
Taxation
Company tax’
Employee PAYG
Goods and services tax
Financial management software
Establish budgets and allocate funds
Preparing budgets
Data
Different budgets
Responsibility accounting
Circulation and compliance
Information sharing
Implementing budgets
Tracking
Cash flow budgets
How cash flow works
Cash outflows
Cost analysis and reporting procedures
Break-even analysis
The variable cost percent per unit of sales
Profit and loss reports
Ratio analysis
Auditing, and using financial reports
Due diligence
Probity
Financial reports
Discussion and analysis
Performance evaluation

Unit 3 – Develop and Implement Business Plans

Establishing a business plan
Drawing up plans
Why plans are necessary
Starting a business
Developing a business plan
Inclusions in a business plan
Start up businesses (plan)
Business plans – outline and elements
Existing businesses
The planning process
Strategies and operations
Operational plans
Inclusions in operational plans
Strategic plans
Strategic planning process (senior management)
Mission
Values and vision
Goals and objectives
Strategies
PEST and SWOT analyses
Environment and society
Continuous improvement
Communication
Contingency plans
Monitoring and evaluation and reports
Performance reports
Analysing employee performance (KPIs and KRAs)
Coaching and training for underperformance

Unit 4 – Lead Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility
Environmental responsibility
Ethical responsibility
Philanthropic responsibility
Economic responsibility
Social responsibility drivers
Barriers and benefits of corporate social responsibility
Legislation
International standards and initiatives
Organisational policies
Socially responsible practices
Opportunities for responsible practice
CSR failures to learn from
Corporate social responsibility planning
Stakeholder engagement
Ways to engage stakeholders
Change management
Managing change
Developing CSR strategies
Incorporating strategies in organisational systems
A plan to execute the strategy
Goals
Business objectives
Business plans
Social media responsibility plans
Promoting corporate social responsibility
Making it memorable
Integrate with PR strategies
Getting employees involved
CSR integration
Steps in reviewing processes
Auditing CSR
Making recommendations

Elective Units (Select 4)

Unit – Contribute to Strategic Workforce Planning

HR organisational objectives
Organisational goals and plans
Strategies and emerging trends
Future labour needs
Skills requirements and options for sourcing labour
Strategic plans
Technology – external influences and trends
Economic, market and technological trends
Demographic trends and labour force
General population trends
Labour shortages and demands
Direction, objectives and targets
External data
Changes to industrial and legal requirements
Consulting relevant managers
The value of planning
HR philosophies values and policies
HR strategic objectives and planning
Costs and benefits
Risk management plans
Contingency plans
Strategic human resource planning
Implementing the plan
HR strategies
Policy development strategies
Monitor and review the plan

Unit – Lead and Manage Organisational Change

Change management
Goals and objectives
Change
Forecasting
The input/output procedure
Budgets
Forecasting techniques
Risk assessment and management
Individual risk
- Change management strategies
- Responsibilities
- Ideas
- Sponsors
- Orchestrators
- Change agents
- Leaders
Planning change
Managing change
- Change models
- Lewin
- Beer
- Nadler and Tushman
- Bandura
- Kubler-Ross
Change management strategies
Education – effective communication plan
Effective change strategies
Innovation
Introducing change
Assess and evaluate proposed changes
Change leading to improvement
Change situations
Costs and benefits
Project plans – for managing change
Restructuring to support change
Communication plans

Unit – Manage Innovation and Continuous Improvement

Teams and continuous improvement and innovation
Effective work teams
Communicating objectives, expectations and desired outcomes
Evaluating the performance of critical systems
Collecting and analysing data
Evaluating business performance
The balanced scorecard
Conducting tests to make a diagnosis
Using diagnostic models
Input and output improvement
Stakeholders
Continuous improvement
- Active listening
- Problem solving
Customer focus and quality control
Quality assurance
Change or improvement = risk
Risk management
Focus groups
Economic models
Trialling new ideas
Mentoring team members
Organisational barriers
Structures and management behaviours that stifle initiative and innovation
Contribution and role of the manager
Improving the way things are done
Operational plans
Analysing performance and variances
Best practice
Supply chains
Gap analysis
Identifying improvement needs and opportunities
Decision making and performance analysis
Continuous improvement
- Developing idea
- Vertical thinking
- Lateral thinking
Types of innovation
Innovation traps
Determining whether to innovate and make changes
Managing change (proposals and plans)
Contingency plans
Investigating failure
Fault tree analysis
Event tree analysis
Fishbone diagrams
Knowledge management systems
Data storage
Lessons learnt
Evaluating continuous improvement
PDCA cycle (E.Deming/Shewhart)
Cost benefit analysis
Communicating changes
Knowledge management systems
Continuous improvement systems
Creativity and innovation theories and concepts
Critical thinking models
Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Model

Unit – Develop Organisational Strategies

Planning
- Aims
- Processes
- Evaluation
- Direction
Organisational values
Planning models
- Goals-based planning
- Issues-based planning
- Organic strategic planning
Timing
Planning focus
Gaining support
Stakeholder influence
Engagement
Information in strategic planning
The competition and the market
Market information/ market research
Capacity and capability information
Internal information – performance review data
Environmental scans
Strengths and weaknesses – tools
STEEP, PEST and SWAT analyses
Co-operative or joint ventures
Risk assessments
Simulations
- Monte Carlo simulation
- Fault tree analysis
- Event tree analysis
Focus groups
Econometric models
Cost-benefit analysis
Research and background
Organisational plans
The SIPOCC model
Controls
Formulating strategic objectives
Prioritising objectives
Documenting plans
Competitor analysis
Industry – competitive force
Final check of plan
Action plans
Required resources (skilled labour)
Communication
Performance monitoring and measurement
Performance measurement criteria

Unit – Communicate With Influence

Presenting materials
Confirming permission
Confidentiality
Identify audience needs
Information needs
Seek referral
Addressing a meeting
Complaints
Communication barriers
Suspicious inquiries
Organisation standards and procedures
The definition process
The identification process
Documenting potential issues and problems
Prepare positions and supporting arguments
Prepare for a negative customer response
Areas of common ground
Consulting with affected parties
Solutions
Legal requirements for consultation
Document negotiation outcomes
Schedule routine meetings
Legal and ethical requirements of meetings
Distribute meeting materials
Conducting meetings
Contribute to discussions
Seek consensus on meeting objectives
Summarise and distribute outcomes
Identify forums
Seating arrangements
Tone structure and style of communication
Communicating with others
Non-verbal communication
Cross-cultural communication
Provide opportunity for questions
Evaluate presentation
Identify areas for improvement
Constructive feedback

Unit – Provide Leadership Across the Organisation

Leadership
Vision and mission
Matching values
Obligations and integrity
Trust-based relationships
Organisation-based requirements
Incident management
Motivation
Maslow’s Hierarchy
Motivating others
Building relationships
Flexibility
Community image
Leader involvement
Tripe Bottom Line (TBL)
TBL Objectives
Trust and Influence
Communication
Decision-making
Assessing risks
Problem-solving models
Systems approach
Data analysis
Decision-making styles
Change management
Communicating decisions
Managing teams
Influence and motivation
Delegation

Unit – Manage Business Risk

Evaluate organisational processes
Scope for risk management
Review strengths and weaknesses of existing arrangement
Types of risk
Critical success factors goals and objectives
Document storage
Communication with stakeholders
Document risks on consultation with relevant parties
Assess the likelihood of risks occurring
Assess impact or consequence if risk occurs
Impact analysis
Evaluate and prioritise risks for treatment
Probability and impact matrix
Categorising risk
Treating risks
Action plans for risk treatment
Communicating risk management processes to relevant parties
Implement action plan according to polices and procedures
Evaluate risk management processes
Tools and techniques to identify risks

Unit – Manage Personal and Professional Development

Manage work goal development
Document team member responsibilities and work goals
Development of work goals
Skills mapping
Organisational frameworks for the development of work goals
Support others to develop work goals
Feedback on work goals
Facilitate access to personal and PD opportunities
Assess and prioritise demands
To do lists
Being busy with invaluable activities
Project planning
Using technology to manage work priorities
Manage team health and well-being in the workplace
Managing stress
Documenting development needs using applicable competency standards
Positive and constructive feedback
Professional development activities
Professional development policies
Learning styles
Networking

Unit – Lead Communication in the Workforce

Analyse internal and external workplace information
Communication protocols
Identify ways to adapt communication tools
Methods of communication
Communication protocols
Structure
Adapt communication protocols
Prepare materials for communication protocols
Direct others to communicate
Explain complex information to positively influence others
Motivate others to communicate respectfully
Consider those from diverse backgrounds
Identify and address barriers to understanding
Techniques for solving communication challenges
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Use communication styles relevant to varying audiences
Verbal and non-verbal communication
Written communication
Present information in a succinct, clear and persuasive manner
Evaluate differences in perspective and critically
Seeing both sides
Negotiate towards a final outcomes
Confirm and implement outcomes of negotiation
Mentor to others to assist them in achieving communication goals
What is mentoring?
Identify needs and goals
Mentoring methods
Manage feedback
Identify and document areas for improvement
Improve communication processes

Estimated Duration

120 hours

Course Delivery and Start

Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online

Assessment

Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.

Approval and Recognition

Australian Online Courses Pty Ltd is an approved and recognised member of IARC. The IARC is an International association that recognises quality and excellence in tertiary education providers.

Career Outcomes

Professional development for:

Managers and emerging leaders
Business owners and entrepreneurs
Team leaders and supervisors
HR and workforce planning professionals
Project and operations managers
Professionals preparing for senior or strategic roles

Course FAQs

Why choose Australian Online Courses?

Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
Improve your employment opportunities;
Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
Unlimited tutor support via email;
We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.

Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?

There are no course or subject pre-requisites for entry into our programs. However, our professional development programs are generally intended for people over the age of 18 with a competent level of English. For those under 18, please complete the Parent/Guardian Consent Form before enrolling.

Are there any computer requirements?

To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.

When can I start this course?

You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!

Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.

BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.

Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.

Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.

How is this course delivered?

This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.

Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?

No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.

What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?

Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.

I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?

Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.

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