Social Business Model and Planning for Social Innovation (Coursera)

Social Business Model and Planning for Social Innovation (Coursera)

In this course we will take the social business opportunity that you have identified in the first course to a higher level. Specifically, you will develop a business model using the Business Model Canvas. Gradually you will also start writing your business plan. Moreover, you will be able to assess different organizational forms and select the one that is appropriate for your developed business model.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

By the end of the course you will be able to compare different social impact investment methods and choose the right funding strategy for your social venture.
Note: It is highly recommended to have completed Course 1: 'Identifying Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities' before you start with this Course!

Course 2 of 3 in the Social Entrepreneurship Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction of the Business Model Canvas
Welcome to Course 2 of this Specialization! In this first Module we will introduce you to the Business Model Canvas - a useful tool that will guide you through the business plan process. You will be able to categorize the elements in the Canvas and start to use it in order to create your business model.

WEEK 2
Applying the Business Model Canvas
In Module 2 you will gain more experience using the Business Model Canvas as a tool to conceptualize your business ideas and will be also introduced to the Social Business Model Canvas. Moreover you will receive advice about cooperating with your team members and coordinating in the iteration process. The Module will conclude with initial insight to writing a business plan - What are important elements of a business plan?

WEEK 3
The Purpose of a Business Plan
Welcome to Module 3! At this point you will start to dive deeper into creating your business plan. After analyzing a real-world business plan of a social enterprise you will listen to guest speaker giving advice about important issues to consider when writing your business plan. You will be encouraged to think through different organizational forms a specific social enterprise may implement and start to outline your own business plan.

WEEK 4
Selecting an Organizational Form
In Module 4 you will intensify your knowledge about various organizational forms. In particular new organizational forms, tailor-made for social enterprises, in the US and the UK will be presented and you will be encouraged to scan the legal framework in your own country. Once you have identified a form that matches your expectations you will continue your business plan process by starting to think about funding options in the next Module of this Course.

WEEK 5
Attracting Startup Funding
Welcome to the final Module of Course 2. By concluding this Module your social venture will have reached an important milestone in the development process. This session will introduce you to the broad landscape of options you will face when designing the funding strategy for your social business. You will be encouraged to think about the financial needs of your venture and asked to create a plan of how to address those. Guided by insights from a social impact investor and researcher you will develop an elevator video pitch. This will be an important tool to attract startup funding. The final section of this module includes a special on the Impact Investing World Forum held in London in 2017, where Kai spoke to some practitioners who have some insights and good advice!

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

How to finance your venture ? (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique

How to finance your venture ? (Coursera)

The course aims at providing knowledge and experience to entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs generally start with a mission, a new idea that they want to bring to the world. If the idea is original, it is probably not expected by the market, which has to be educated. This is a very costly experience. Entrepreneurs need to gather capital at the start of the journey.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Structure: Building the Frame for Business Growth (Coursera) Coursera
Michigan State University

Structure: Building the Frame for Business Growth (Coursera)

Just like when building a house the foundation for your business provides the framework for success. A business built on weak structure will struggle to succeed. We'll address some of the most pressing issues that you as a business owner must face while constructing the proper framework for your business.

Sep 28th 2026
4 Weeks
Planificación y gestión estratégica para Pymes (Coursera) Coursera
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Planificación y gestión estratégica para Pymes (Coursera)

Este curso fue diseñado para apoyar a empresarios de distintas regiones y países, a que logren desarrollar e implementar estrategias adecuadas que les permitan alcanzar sus objetivos y cumplir su misión. El curso permite profundizar sobre el proceso de formulación de una estrategia, entregando conceptos y algunas herramientas para crear y capturar valor con una estrategia empresarial exitosa

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Value and Business Decision Making (Coursera) Coursera
Yunus Social Business Fund Bengaluru

Value and Business Decision Making (Coursera)

This course is part of a Specialization titled “Strategy and Finance for a Lifecycle of a Social Business”. It is an introduction to time value of money and will help the learner understand the basics of finance with the ultimate goal of valuing a company from a societal lens. The beauty of the modern decision-making framework is that it can be used to understand value creation at any level – the individual, the corporate or nonprofit entity level and from the point of view of society. The applications however become increasingly complex as your lens expands from the individual to the corporate/nonprofit to the global society.

Sep 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Digital Business Models (Coursera) Coursera
Lund University

Digital Business Models (Coursera)

Digital business models are disrupting 50-year old companies in telecommunications, transportation, advertising, e-commerce, automotive, insurance and many other industries. This course will explore the business models of software disruptors of the west such as Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon, and the east such as Xiaomi and weChat. The class uses a structured framework for analysing business models with numerous examples so that students can apply it to their own business or case study.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Art of Negotiation (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

The Art of Negotiation (Coursera)

The art of negotiation comes into play daily in the life of employees at all levels and in every position. Participants explore how current approaches to negotiation strategy and tactics are used, what negotiation entails, types of negotiation relationships that exist from hard bargain to win-win, to fully partnered relationships and personal ones. The course explores the personal and behavioral characteristics of an effective negotiator. Participants discuss how empowerment, power, and authority affect the negotiation process and outcome. Topics include how important it is to plan and prepare for a negotiation session.

Sep 28th 2026
4 Weeks
Creativity And Entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
Berklee College of Music

Creativity And Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

Creativity & Entrepreneurship will help you tap into your inner creativity and learn how to leverage it for career development or business innovation. Presented by Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship founder Panos Panay, this course features interviews with world renown entrepreneurs, innovators, songwriters, producers, creative directors, educators, performers, visual artists and chefs as they discuss parallels between the creative and entrepreneurial journeys.

Sep 21st 2026
4 Weeks
Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat (Coursera) Coursera
The University of Sydney

Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat (Coursera)

The evolution of design has seen it become a discipline no longer limited to the concerns of a singular, specific domain and develop to become a pathway for solving complex, nonlinear problems. Design is becoming a capability-enhancing skill, equipping people with the ability to deal with uncertainty, complexity and failure. In this course, we demonstrate how you can use design as a way of thinking to provide strategic and innovative advantage within your profession.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Companies and climate change (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Companies and climate change (Coursera)

How can companies act in the fight against global warming? This is a question that is being asked more and more urgently to all economic actors. To shed some light on your thoughts, we have met with four companies of various sizes and sectors of activity that are very committed to the subject. They will share with you their progress in aligning themselves with the objectives of the Paris Accord.

Sep 28th 2026
4 Weeks
Unleashing the Impact of your Social Enterprise (Coursera) Coursera
Copenhagen Business School

Unleashing the Impact of your Social Enterprise (Coursera)

In Course 3 of this Specialization you will first of all learn about Social Impact Assessment. Hence you will be able to develop a method to evaluate the social mission that you achieve while implementing your business plan. Next you will outline an appropriate communication strategy for your social enterprise and will demonstrate how to market your products and services to beneficiaries and other customers. Here you will employ an adaptable communication strategy as you move from early adopters to a broader market share.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Emprendimiento y métodos ágiles de desarrollo en videojuegos (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de los Andes

Emprendimiento y métodos ágiles de desarrollo en videojuegos (Coursera)

¡Bienvenido al curso de emprendimiento y métodos ágiles de desarrollo en videojuegos! Este curso es parte del Programa Especializado Coursera en Diseño y Desarrollo de Videojuegos, en la cual aprenderás a diseñar y programar cierto tipo de videojuegos, aumentarás tu comprensión acerca del mercado actual de videojuegos y de lo que se requiere para crear un juego exitoso comercialmente.

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks