If you work in business, whether in marketing, management, finance or any related sector, you’d be keenly aware that change is fast and frequent.
As a result, we’ve tailored our eLearning platform so that you can choose to learn only the business skills and knowledge you need to adapt to changes in the workplace or gain promotion.
The Certificate of Business (Customised Program) will help you to adapt to changes in the workplace by offering you the flexibility to choose the subjects from our range of business units that best meet your professional development needs and career goals.
Simply follow the four steps listed below, and you’re on your way to professional development success.
Step 1
Select six (6) Units from our Business Units List.
Administer projects
Project purpose and objectives
Project management plan
Activity definition process
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Activity sequencing process
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
Realistic and achievable timeframes
Project budget / cost control
Reporting processes
Project Administration
Allocate and monitor tasks
Deadline or target date
Financial control systems
Cost estimating
Manage project budget
Timeframes and milestones
Team meetings
Maintain project records
Project completion
Auditing requirements
Reporting
Review project plan
Build and sustain an innovative work environment
- Leading innovation by example attitude and motivation
- Innovation
- Organisations as living systems
- Organisational context
- Positive reception of ideas
- Constructive advice
- High performance
- Opportunities for innovation
- Risk management and assessment
- Factors affecting planned work objectives
- Decision-making responsibilities
- Constraints and contingency plans
- Innovative ideas and work practices
- Relationships
- Management style and structure
- Developing innovation skills
- Establish working conditions that reflect innovation
- Maintaining workplace procedures that foster innovation
- Collaborative work arrangements to foster innovation
- Building and leading teams to maximise innovation
- Overcoming barriers
- Risk to stimulate innovative practice
- Procedures to foster innovation
- Innovation traps
- Feasibility studies
- Commitment / communication
- Specialised assistance
- Facilitate in collaborative work arrangements
- Forms of innovation
- Business model
- Formula for change
- Innovative and creative ideas
- Forcefield analysis
- Effective team characteristics
- Team goals
- Transitional management teams (TMT)
- Suggestions, improvements and innovations from colleagues
- Recognition and motivation
- Celebrating and promoting innovation
- Value of innovation and how it occurs
- Monitoring and evaluation of innovation ideas
- Support evaluation of ideas within the organisation
- Supporting innovation in a physical environment
- Evaluation of physical environment in relation to innovation
- Ideas for enhancing the physical environment
- Selecting resources and equipment
- Delegation
- Design, fit-out and decorate workspaces
- Creative mindsets
- Positive workplace relationships
- Providing learning opportunities
- Share relevant information knowledge and skills
- Process for change
- Encourage formal and informal learning opportunities
- Mind mapping
- The de Bono ‘Hats’ system
- Lateral thinking
- Developing and sharing skills
- Create opportunities for individuals to learn from others
Build client relationships and business networks
- Initiate communicate with clients
- Identify preferred client communication styles
- Establish rapport with client
- Non-verbal communication
- Verbal communication
- Investigate opportunities
- Positive and negative feedback
- Two-way communication
- Barriers to effective communication
- Communication processes
- Business writing
- Client relationship strategies
- Client loyalty objectives
- New clients versus repeat business
- Strategic view
- Define the objectives
- Client profile information
- Profiling
- Loyalty strategies
- Accurate product descriptions
- Complaint resolutions
- Stock and deliveries
- Telephone answering times
- Indicators
- Maintain customer relationships
- Ongoing client feedback
- Assessments and questionnaires
- Interviews
- Focus groups
- Feedback forms
- Problems with feedback
- Effective data
- Using feedback data
- Build and maintain networks
- Maintain business contacts
- Business associations
- Professional development activities
- Establish network support for business
- Channels to exchange information
- Written correspondence
Communicate with influence
- Communicating with influence
- Confirming appropriate mandate or authority
- Non-verbal communication
- Protocols and confidentiality
- Using appropriate language
- Barriers to communication
- Do’s and don’ts
- Effective questioning
- Active listening / barriers to listening
- Feedback
- Stakeholders
- Present and negotiate persuasively
- Advancing the business interests
- Realistic positions and supporting arguments
- Effective group decision making
- Legal requirements
- Health and safety
- Acknowledge differences of opinion
- Communication styles
- Being persuasive and influencing styles
- Aggressive behaviour
- Problem solving
- Diversity and compromise
- Personal conflict and collaboration
- Anti-discrimination
- Equal employment opportunity (EEO)
- Positive work environments
- PICN Model
- Negotiation techniques and resolution
- Trust and developing work relationships
- Maintaining credibility and trust
- Lead meeting effectively
- Types of meetings
- Guest speakers and participants
- Agendas and meeting procedures
- Keeping meetings on track
- Summary of key issues and possible options
- Group decision-making and agreed outcomes
- Scheduling breaks and closing meetings
- Meeting minutes
- Select appropriate forums
- Preparing effective presentations
- Team presentations
- PowerPoint presentations
- Language adaptation
- Managing question and answer sessions
- Action plan, notes and outcomes
Create and use spreadsheets using Excel 2016
- Ergonomic requirements
- Presentation modes
- Organisational presentations
- Presentation requirements
- Selecting an application to produce a presentation
- Slides, notes and handout masters
- Design slides notes and handouts
- Adding slides and content
- Outline view
- Speaker notes
- Style guide
- Saving presentations
- Design and layout
- Slide design
- Notes design
- Designing pages
- Templates
- Presentation features
- Advanced software features
- Transition
- Builds
- Hidden slides
- Custom presentation
- Designated timelines
- Using help
- Spelling and consistency
- Presentation materials
- Hand-outs / speaker notes
- Electronic documents
- Storing presentation
- File formats
- Optical disks
- Magnetic media
- USB devices
Design and produce business documents
- Technology and software requirements
- Business suites
- Word processing
- Desktop publishing
- Spreadsheets
- Software applications – what is it to be used for?
- Software suitable for specific tasks
- Layout and style
- Document design principles
- Format and style
- Identifying, opening and creating files
- Opening a Microsoft Office program
- Creating files
- Designing a document
- Templates
- Styles and working with themes
- Organisational requirements
- Editing
- Checking documents meet task requirements
- Enhancements to formatting
- Creating a mail merge
- Storing and saving documents appropriately
- Difficulties with document design and production
- Help functions
- Proofreading (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
- Changes
- Saving and naming documents
- Document presentation
- Printing and PDF file format
Develop and implement a business plan
- Develop business plan
- Evaluate pre-existing strategic plan
- Evaluate business and operational plans
- Analyse business vision, mission, values and objectives
- PEST analysis
- SWOT analysis
- Triple Bottom Line (TBL)
- Review market requirements
- Profile customer needs
- Research pricing options
- Develop performance objectives and measures
- Financial, human and physical resources requirements
- Permits or licences required
- Write business plan
- Communicate business plan
- Skilled labour requirements
- Performance measurement systems
- Monitoring and evaluation plan
- Contingency plans
- Timely business reporting
- Reporting failures and variances
- Performance reports
- Employee performance
- Training requirements
- Continuous improvement
Develop and implement strategic plans
- Develop strategic plan
- Strategic planning processes
- SWOT PEST and STEEP analyses
- Vision and mission statements
- Planning models
- Develop values
- Stakeholder support
- Market information research
- Internal – performance review data
- Environmental scans
- Political, economic social developments
- Technological developments
- Risk management
- Fault/Event tree analysis
- Econometric models
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Strengths, weaknesses and threats
- Cooperative ventures
- Write strategic plan
- Document relevant research
- The SIPOCC model
- Strategic objectives and strategies
- Timeframes
- Responsible parties
- Performance indicators
- Action plans
- Check resources required (skilled labour)
- Communicate strategic plan
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Develop and nurture relationships
- Develop professional relationships
- Conduct dealings with clients or professionals
- Social, business and ethical standards
- Confidentiality and disclosure
- Adjusting styles and methods
- Self-knowledge and the Johari window
- Build business networks
- Protocols
- Using business networks
- Expand and enhance the organisation
- Nurturing relationships
- Build on referral business
- Identify referral needs
- Complementary sales techniques
- Cross-selling and up-selling
- SPACED benefits
- Referring information and ideas
Develop and use emotional intelligence
- Understanding Emotional Intelligence (EI)
- Identify strengths and weaknesses
- Capitalising strengths
- Self-awareness
- Social awareness
- Expressing Emotions
- Emotional triggers, strengths and weaknesses
- Emotional states of co-workers
- Cultural expressions and emotions
- Empathy
- Reasoning Skills
- Managing Your Emotions
- Self-Regulation
- Relationship Management
- Social Skills
- Motivation
- Measuring EI/EQ
- Developing EI
- Personal stressors and emotional states
- Casual factors of stress
- Managing Stress and Conflict
- Behavioural stress and supporting stressed workers
- EI in the Workplace
- EI Assessments
- Stress and Resilience
- Stress Management Techniques
- Leadership and EI
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Emotions and decision making
- Thoughts and feelings
- Listening skills
- Building productive relationships
- Utilising emotional intelligence
- Positive workplace climate
- Maximising team outcomes
Develop teams and individuals
- Determine developmental needs
- Implement learning
- Identify learning needs
- Training needs analysis (TNA)
- Learning plans
- Consultation
- Identifying improvement areas
- Assessing all employees
- Develop individuals and teams
- Competencies
- Learning plan goals
- Learning style preferences
- Delivery methods
- Coaching and mentoring
- Induction training
- Career counselling
- Continuing professional development
- Work shadowing
- Evaluate workplace learning
Implement continuous improvement
- Implement continuous improvement
- PDCA Cycle
- Strategic approach
- Decision-making styles
- Facilitate continuous improvement
- Communication
- Quality control
- Quality assurance
- Total quality management
- Mentoring and coaching
- Monitor and review performance
- Review progress
- Customer service
- Customer interactions
- Complaints
- Risk management
- Improvements
- Forcefield analysis
Lead a diverse workforce
- Dimension of workforce diversity
- Cultural emotions
- Source of workforce diversity
- Qualitative data
- Aboriginal / Torres Strait Islanders
- Stolen generations
- Maralinga and native title
- Rights and gaps
- Diversity as a strength
- Capitalising on worker’s strengths
- Challenges and impacts of workplace diversity
- Legislation, regulation and enterprise policy
- Reviewing diversity policies
- Social and cultural factors
- Cultural safety and misunderstandings
- Managing tensions
- Resolving conflict
- Collaboration and respect
- Communication skills
- Providing opportunities for input
- High performing teams
- Input reluctance
- Develop a workplace diversity plan (WDP)
- Principles of workplace diversity
- Employment strategies
- Cultural diversity policy
- Goals and strategies
- Work plans
- Implementing diversity policy
- Diversity training programs
- Positive contribution of diverse workforce members
- Valuing diversity
- Consultation process
- Positive work environment
- Ethical values and framework
- Code of conduct
- Manager obligations
- Ethical misconduct
- Design processes to maximise benefits of diversity
- Promoting workforce diversity
- Engaging with a diverse workforce
- Communication processes
- Behaviors and language
- Body language and communication
- Do’s and Don’ts
- Effective questioning
- Active listening
- Rapport and influence
- Barriers to listening
- Culture and beliefs
- Behavior and attitude
- Prejudices
- Diversity
- Role models
- Managing performance
- Development opportunities
- Induction and training
- Policy procedures and legal information
- Diversity tools and techniques
- Solving problems
- Negotiation and outcomes
- Counselling and support
- Harassment allegations
- Complaint procedures and outcomes
- Review and feedback
- Individual development
- Team performance data
- Recommendations for enhancements
Lead and manage a sales team
- Sales operations
- Develop sales team objectives
- Sales plan and budget
- Comparative analysis
- Value Chain Analysis
- Best practice and benchmarking
- Competition
- Planning process
- Sales
- Size and structure of sales team
- Recruit staff
- Select and induct sales team
- Policies and procedures
- Training methods
- Compensation methods
- Non-financial rewards
- Sales territories
- Direct sales team
- Motivate and support team
- Coach and mentor team
- Client focused tactics
- Allocate resources
- Sales training programs
- Sales volumes
- Conversion rate data
- Cross-selling ratio’s
- Sales management
- Sales reports
- Customer needs
- 80/20 rule
- Upselling / cross-selling
- Ethical and social conduct
- Legislative requirements
- Green marketing
- Evaluate sales performance
- Effectiveness against performance standards
- Product changes
- Market share
- Pricing strategy
- Evaluations
- Recognise and reward staff
- Best practice
Lead and manage organisational change
- Strategic change needs
- Goals and objectives
- Budgeting / forecasting
- Review policies and practices
- Innovation
- Change management
- Assess proposed changes
- Risk management
- Costs and benefits
- Managing change
- Change management strategy
- Sponsors and orchestrators
- Change leaders
- Stage of change
- Beer’s Change Model
- Nadler and Tushman’s Change Model
- Kubler-Ross – The Change Curve
- Education plan
Manage a small team
- Staffing plans
- Staffing requirements
- Competencies
- Identify skill gaps
- Develop procedures
- Employment conditions
- Performance management
- Staff development
- Induction and training
- Successful recruitment
- Legislative compliance
- Coaching
- Industrial relations obligations
- Wages
- Superannuation
- Staff records
- Taxation requirements
- Security / privacy
- Managing staff
- Performance evaluations
- Review team performance
Manage finances
- Financial planning
- Financial data
- Financial reports / snapshot
- Statutory requirements
- Company tax
- Employee PAYG
- Goods and services tax
- Financial management software
- Cash flow
- Preparing budgets
- Fixed and flexible budgets
- Responsibility accounting
- Implementing budgets
- Circulation and compliance
- Implementing budgets
- Tracking
- Cash flow budgets
- How cash flow works
- Cost analysis and reporting procedures
- Break-even analysis
- Profit and loss reports
- Auditing and due diligence
- Using financial reports
- Probity
- Reporting purposes
- Performance evaluation
Manage innovation and continuous improvement
- Programs, systems and processes
- Continuous improvement
- Total Quality Management (TQM)
- Lean manufacturing
- Quality and improvement
- Continuous improvement
- Financial measures
- Customer service
- Sustainability
- Strategic approach
- Decision making
- Performance analysis
- Monitoring costs
- Quality assurance and control
- Risk management
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Changes and improvements
- Innovation
- Entrepreneurial behaviour
- Team contribution
- Management guidelines
- Successful implementation
- The PDCA cycle
- Innovative ideas
- Adaptability
- Innovation traps
- New technologies and processes
- Contingency plans
- Communicating successes
- Creative ideas
- Integration of new technologies
- Critical evaluation
Manage operational plan
- Operational plans
- Resource requirements
- Consultation processes
- Key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Contingency plans
- Risk management
- Develop a proposal
- Plan approval
- Activities and targets
- Resource acquisition
- Recruitment process
- Operational performance
- Review performance systems
- Progress reports
- Profit expectations
- Productivity standards
- Budget and financial information
- Coaching and mentoring programs
- Training sessions
- Variations to operational plans
Manage people performance
- Resource management
- Allocate work
- Consultation
- Develop work plans
- Performance management
- Action plans
- Project plans
- Financial monitoring
- Customer service
- Risk assessment
- Assess performance
- Providing feedback
- Recognition and acknowledgement
- Equity, goal and motivation theory
- Delegation
- Training and development
- Counselling
- Managing poor performance
- Provide coaching
- Performance improvement
- Progressive discipline
- Warnings
- Terminating staff
- Unfair dismissal legislation
Manage risk
- Establish risk context
- Risk management strategy
- Reviewing processes
- Corporate governance
- Risk capacity
- Strategies
- Stakeholders
- Goals and objectives
- Success factors
- Key Results Areas (KRAs)
- Identify risks
- Consultants
- Market research
- Process mapping
- Forcefield analysis
- Check sheets
- Analyse risks
- Risk treatments
- Develop action plans
- Business continuity planning
- Contingency planning
- Audits
Manage small business finances
- Implement financial plan
- Identify financial requirements
- Produce financial budgets or projections
- Cash flow / cash flow reports
- GST
- PAYG
- Inflows and outflows
- Projections
- Manage business capital
- Eleven strategies for obtaining finance
- Managing the loan
- Enable adequate financial position
- Credit card policies
- Types of credit
- Developing a credit policy
- Handling defaulters
- Key performance indicators (KPI’s)
- The basics of bookkeeping
- Monitor financial performance targets
- Monitor marketing and operational strategies
- Operations
- Calculate financial ratios
- Debtors
Organise personal work priorities
- Develop work goals and Key performance indicators (KPI’s)
- Organisational objectives
- Team goals
- Personal work goals
- KPI’s
- Time management
- Prioritising tasks
- Urgency – urgent/non urgent tasks
- Minimising constraints
- Providing training for workers
- Developing a work plan
- Risk assessment and contingencies
- Performance issues
- Work standards
- Work variations – not providing quality of service
- Seeking feedback
- Performance reviews
- Signs and symptoms of stress
- Needing extra support
- Identifying skills gaps
- Personal and professional development needs
- What skills do you need to improve?
- Accessing learning support
- Recording achievements
- Incorporate feedback into learning plans
- Organisational policies and procedures
- Signs of workplace stress
Market the small business
- Marketing strategies
- Key products and services
- Marketing activities
- Product / services features
- Customer base
- Target market
- Demographics profiles
- Psychological profiles
- Competitor analysis
- Marketing objectives
- Product volumes and pricing
- Distribution channels
- Cost benefits
- Marketing
- Promotional activities
- Customer service levels
- Customer journey
- Marketing strategies
- Staff briefing
- Market objectives
- Budgetary requirements
- Digital devices
- Platforms and technologies
- AdWords
- Business performance
- Performance gaps
- Improvement plans
- Setting new targets
- Customer requirements
- Trends
- Marketing development
- Forecasting
- New business opportunities
Provide personal leadership
- Influencing individuals and teams
- Rewarding individual and team efforts
- Equity and goal theory
- Selling the benefits
- Promote accountability
- People-centred workplace cultures
- Roles
- Positive acceptance, support and ideas
- Making informed decisions
- Gather and use information
- Histograms and scattergrams
- Flowcharts
- Gantt charts
- Forcefield analysis
- Qualitative data
- Organising and processing data
- Checking information
- Decision making process
- Decision making styles
- The problem solving model
- Barriers to decision making
- Determine course of action
- Communicating decisions clearly
- Plan to implement decision
- Action plans and templates
- Monitor implementation
- Process controls
- PDCA cycle
- Enhance the image of the enterprise
- Business standards and values
- Vision / mission
- Body language
- Conduct and dress standards
- Language and punctuality
- Standards of personal presentation
- Developing a reputable organisation
- Integrity and credibility behaviours
- Leadership and management performance
- Organisational requirements
- Personal and management standards
- Personal and management performance
- Positive role modelling
- Circle of concern and influence
- Performance management
- Performance appraisals
- Linking performance management with organisational goals
- Managing issues and problems
- Changing inappropriate behaviours
- Setting standards
- Performance evaluations
- Key performance indicators and targets
Undertake project work
- Access project scope
- Project management
- Forcefield analysis
- Project parameters
- Project management tools
- Gantt charts
- Critical Path Method
- Project tools and software
- Logistics Support Analysis
- Cost schedule control systems
- Formulate risk management
- Work health and safety
- Implementing risk controls
- Health and safety legislation
- Develop project budget
- Coaching and mentoring
- Integrity
- Accuracy
- Achieve project deliverables
- Review project
Unit Selection
Please specify your unit selections(6) in the notes section during the enrolment/checkout process.
Study Hours
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.
About Us
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrol Online: Enrol Now
Enrol via Live Chat (Business Hours)
Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
Enrol via Purchase Order/Tax Invoice
Enrolling Multiple Staff?
To enrol multiple staff, please complete the Employer Enrolment Form. We’ll be in touch within 60 minutes during business hours!
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY and EFT/Direct Deposit. Please allow 1-2 Business days for processing for EFT and BPAY.
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. In some circumstances, enrolments from younger people may be considered. Please complete the AOC Parent Guardian Consent Form prior to enrolling and submit here.
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.
Career Pathways
Future growth
Strong
Unemployment
Low
- Business Administration Manager
- Office Manager
- Administration Assistant
- Office Assistant
