Corporate Strategy
free

Name: Corporate Strategy Course
Price: 36 USD

with Valentina Bogdanova

4.8/5

(275)

Build a winning corporate strategy: Master the art of competitive positioning and strategic decision-making

2 hours of content 1830 students

Start for Free

What you get:

2 hours of content
2 Downloadable resources
World-class instructor
Closed captions
Q&A support
Future course updates
Course exam
Certificate of achievement

Corporate Strategy
free

A course by Valentina Bogdanova

Start for Free

What you get:

2 hours of content
2 Downloadable resources
World-class instructor
Closed captions
Q&A support
Future course updates
Course exam
Certificate of achievement

Start for Free

What you get:

2 hours of content
2 Downloadable resources
World-class instructor
Closed captions
Q&A support
Future course updates
Course exam
Certificate of achievement

What You Learn

Identify and choose the optimal strategic positioning for your business.
Avoid the risks associated with an incoherent corporate strategy.
Analyze industry dynamics to position your business model for success.
Build a sustainable competitive advantage to protect your business.
Gain insights into strategic choices and strengthen your leadership skills.

Top Choice of Leading Companies Worldwide

Industry leaders and professionals globally rely on this top-rated course to enhance their skills.

Course Description

Developing a corporate and business strategy is key to success. It helps align the efforts of decision makers, middle management, and other employees, making sure they work in the same direction In this Business and Corporate Strategy course, you will learn how to a create a clear outline of an organization’s goals and plan to achieve them. It covers several key topics: corporate strategy vs. business strategy, the industry life cycle model (describing the introduction, growth, maturity, and decline stages), Michael Porter’s five forces model, game theory, the concept of competitive advantage, the types of growth strategies (organic vs. inorganic, horizontal vs. vertical, etc.), and so on. By the end of the lessons, you will be able to distinguish between businesses that are well-positioned from a strategic perspective and those with an incoherent corporate and business strategy. This course does not require an MBA or a business degree. It teaches you the fundamental skills you need to become a successful executive.

Curriculum

1. What does the course cover

1 Lesson 1 Min

Introduction to the course and what you will learn in the lessons to come.

What does the course cover
1 min
2. Why companies need a Strategy and how a Strategy helps firms

3 Lessons 15 Min

The term “strategy” refers to the ways companies achieve their goals. In this section, you will learn why companies need strategy and how to distinguish between corporate and business strategy. We also discuss the importance of the mission, vision, and values statements.

Why companies need a Strategy
5 min
Distinguishing Corporate and Business Strategy
4 min
The Misssion, Goals, and Values statements
6 min
3. The industry life cycle model

6 Lessons 19 Min

Just like everything else in life, most industries have a lifecycle too. The four stages of the Industry Lifecycle model are Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline. This section describes how product demand and business health looks like during each one of them.

Introducing the industry life cycle model
3 min
Here is why you need to know about the industry lifecycle model
2 min
The introduction stage
5 min
The growth stage
3 min
The maturity stage
3 min
The decline stage
3 min
4. The five forces model

7 Lessons 27 Min

The 5 Forces Model is one of the most widely used corporate strategy frameworks. It helps analyse the competitive environment in a given industry. The section goes into more detail about the 5 forces influencing the level of competition: the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitute products, the rivalry among existing firms, the bargaining power of buyers, and the bargaining power of suppliers.

The five forces model - An invaluable tool for practitioners
2 min
The threat of new entrants
5 min
The threat of substitute goods
3 min
Competitor analysis
2 min
The bargaining power of suppliers
3 min
The bargaining power of buyers
4 min
Porter's five forces in practice
8 min
5. Game theory applied in a corporate context

4 Lessons 9 Min

Michael Porter’s 5 Forces framework provides a holistic view and considers multiple layers of an industry’s dynamics. However, it has one major drawback – it is static. Game theory, on the other hand, considers the interactions among competitor companies. We discuss this alternative framework in more detail.

The essence of zero-sum games
2 min
Game theory and why it is useful in strategy
2 min
Understanding the Prisoner's dilemma and its implications in the business world
3 min
Gametheory shown in practice
2 min
6. Understanding the concept of competitive advantage

6 Lessons 18 Min

This section introduces a company’s internal decision-making process. This is one of key factors determining the success of a business. This part of the Business and Corporate Strategy course examines how to use internal processes to gain a competitive advantage.

Internal decision making
1 min
Introducing the company life cycle model
6 min
What is a competitive advantage and why companies need it
3 min
Acquiring a sustainable competitive advantage
3 min
The fundamental role of resources and capabilities
3 min
Acquiring a competitive advantage
2 min
7. Competing with the other companies in the industry

5 Lessons 18 Min

This part of the course focuses on Porter’s competitive strategies theory. According to it, every company must choose between one of three fundamental strategies: cost leadership, differentiation, and niche positioning. The best way to set up a business is to settle on one from the very beginning.

Focusing on competitive strategy
2 min
The cost leadership strategy - sell cheap
7 min
Differentiation - be better and different
3 min
Niche strategies - serve a specific sub-segment of people in the best way
3 min
Hybrid strategies and why they can be dangerous
3 min
8. The types of growth strategies used by companies

5 Lessons 16 Min

The two drivers that create value for a business owner are revenue growth and profitability. This section describes the difference between organic and inorganic and horizontal and vertical growth.

The main types of growth strategies
2 min
Organic growth - building a solid foundation and growing from the inside
5 min
Inorganic growth - Using the potential of M&A to acquire third party companies
2 min
Growing horizontally
3 min
Growing vertically
4 min
9. The SWOT framework

2 Lessons 7 Min

The SWOT framework allows us to combine internal and external analysis. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and Weaknesses are related to a firm’s internal environment, while Opportunities and Threats refer to the external environment.

SWOT analysis - a useful framework for strategic analysis
3 min
SWOT analysis in practice - analyzing Starbucks
4 min

Topics

Business FundamentalsTheoryCorporate StrategyBusiness Skills

Tools & Technologies

Course Requirements

No prior experience or knowledge is required. We will start from the basics and gradually build your understanding. Everything you need is included in the course

Who Should Take This Course?

Level of difficulty: Beginner

Aspiring and existing entrepreneurs
Business executives
Individuals who want to differentiate their professional profile and build up their business skills

Exams and Certification

A 365 Financial Analyst Course Certificate is an excellent addition to your LinkedIn profile—demonstrating your expertise and willingness to go the extra mile to accomplish your goals.

Meet Your Instructor

Valentina Bogdanova

Ex-CEO at

5 Courses

722 Reviews

4242 Students

Valentina Bogdanova is an experienced business executive with a strong background in B2B sales, marketing, and corporate leadership. She began her career as a sales expert and steadily advanced through management roles, eventually becoming CEO and Chairperson of the Management Board at GPS Bulgaria. Today, she serves as Sales Director at VEM Technology, where she continues to apply her expertise in strategy, leadership, and business growth. Valentina holds a Master of Business Administration in Executive Leadership from the American University in Bulgaria and a certification in Digital Marketing from SoftUni. Known for her versatile skill set, she is passionate about teaching leadership, strategy, and management to aspiring professionals.