You run a gift basket business and have mastered the design skills essential to your success.
But what about the business skills that will keep you on track and help you increase your profits?

• Have you considered learning software such as Word or Excel, but thought you didn’t have time to sign up for classes?
• Or perhaps you’ve wanted to create your own marketing materials but don’t know how.
• You know that you could manage your company books better if you knew how to use QuickBooks, but you fear that lessons would be expensive.
• Perhaps you’ve wondered if there is a way to master email.

You can learn these and many more skills at hundreds of  classes offered free online.  Besides their around the clock availability, online classes also provide instructor feedback, discussions where you can interact with classmates and self-evaluation tools to allow you to monitor your progress.

 Two primary sources make it easy to sign up and complete free quality classes.

HP Learning Center is offered by Hewlett Packard. It’s a good place to start looking for classes of interest. If you don’t see the class you want, sign up for their newsletter so you’ll receive notice of new classes as they are posted.  Current classes include

• Customizing business envelopes and automating postage
• Marketing writing tips
• Promote your business with social networking

Pendaflex Learning Center is owned by Pendaflex and offers courses in four categories: starting your business, marketing your business, managing your business, and growing your business. Current courses in their free instructor-led, 24 hr courses include

•  Start-up basics for the first-time entrepreneur
• Online marketing tips
• Advanced Microsoft Word 2003
• Touch up digital photos with Adobe Photoshop Elements software

Use your time, especially during business slow-downs, to build your skills. These skills will serve you well when the business cycle begins to swing upward again.