Business Writing Made Easy Self-Study Course

How can this self-study course help you?

Time-saving techniques

Most people struggle with the amount of time they have to write their business documents. Writing is a process, even when writing emails. This course steps you through the process to help make the writing of documents and emails manageable tasks.

You will save time when writing your emails, reports and other documents. In turn, you will get more done in less time as you will understand how to structure your documents and emails. And, importantly, you will see how much clearer your documents and emails are and know that your reader will be more likely to read them and take action.

Structured learning

The self-study course is divided into modules. Each module provides information on what you will learn, the resources for that module, guidance on what you need to do to successfully complete the topics within the module. Sometimes when you invest in a self-study course it can feel like there is a lot of information to absorb and no clear direction.

The structured learning of this self-study course provides you with a pathway to follow with clear signposts every step of the way.

Practical activities

Activities are included in each of the modules. These activities help you to practise the skills before going to the next step of applying the skills to your documents. They form part of the stepping stones to build and solidify your writing skills.

People are often in a rush to jump from the 'theory' to application to their own documents and that's when mistakes are made. The graded activities enable you to practise the skills immediately and check your answers so that you can minimise the chance of making the same mistakes with your documents and emails.

Immediate application

Everything you learn will be applied immediately to your own documents so you won't have to think about where to apply what you learn. It's common to do a course and then have to work out how to apply those skills to your particular situation. In this course, your work document or email will be used at every stage of the course so that you can understand how each part of the writing process applies to your writing requirements.

Online support

The convenience of a self-study course is that you can complete it at your own pace and in your own time. But what about when you have questions? This self-study course provides online support where you can ask your questions and have them answered by a real person – an experienced business writer – and not artificial intelligence (AI) that provides possible answers to frequently asked questions. You'll know that you'll receive a timely answer to your question which will help you in developing your business writing skills.

Checklists

At the end of each stage of the writing process, checklists are provided so that you have a quick reference guide as you apply the skills to your own documents. Even though you'll be working on a document or email that you need for your role during the self-study course, it can be easy to overlook some key steps as there is a lot to remember. The checklists help to keep you on track with your writing.

Self-assessment of skills

If you're investing in improving your writing skills then you know that you could be writing your documents and emails better. But do you know the exact areas where there are gaps in your skill level? The self-assessment helps you to identify those areas that you need to focus on.

What can you expect?

Here is a list of what to expect:

• Bite-sized learning so that you can build your skills gradually and embed them before going on to the next stage of the writing process. This reduces the feelings of overwhelm and increases confidence levels.
• Quizzes to check your understanding of the skills covered. Answers are provided once you complete each quiz allowing you to identify areas that you may need to revisit.
• Techniques to help you save time when writing.
• Planning tools to clearly understand the 'why', 'who' and 'what' of writing your document or email.
• Writing strategies to help you present your document or email in a professional manner.
• How to use layout features effectively.
• How and when to include the active voice in your writing to bring clarity to your message.
• If and when you should use the passive voice in your writing.
• How to use tone and language skilfully.
• A three-step process to reviewing and editing a document quickly.
• Techniques to write emails effectively.
• Activities to help you practise the skills before applying them to your documents and emails.
• Support every step of the way by being able to ask questions and have them answered by a real person.
• Practical application by using your own document through each stage of the writing process. You're able to see how your document or email will improve by applying each stage of the writing process.
• Self-assessment both at the beginning and end of the course allows you to identify gaps initially and determine the progress made at the end.
• Checklists to help you to stay on track with all of your documents and emails.
• A structure that allows you to know your progress in the course and how each component builds upon the previous one.
• Additional resources to help you with your writing requirements.
• Flexibility of learning. As you can work through the course at your own pace, you're able to re-visit any of the modules multiple times if that is what you need to do to master those skills.
• Action plans. It's easy to forget the key points that you want to implement from a module. The action plans help you to retain the information and take action.
• Weekly business writing tips to help you continue to apply what you have learnt to your own documents.