Getting a startup on its feet is tough. For this reason, many young entrepreneurs are contemplating going to college to get the skills necessary to run a business. They regard education as a worthy investment and hope that both they and their businesses will reap the returns somewhere in the future. They are right. Here are some degrees they might find useful.
1. Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
The online MBA degree is the entrepreneur’s degree of choice. Students pursuing it learn valuable business skills, which they then apply to their businesses. An MBA class is also a good place to network, for it is full of like-minded people. Moreover, students undertaking this course are required to complete internships in various organizations.
During these internships, they get first-hand experience on how to run a business. But here is a word of caution to all potential MBA students: only pursue an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited MBA. You improve your chances of landing a job if you get an AACSB online MBA.
2. Communications Degree
Entrepreneurship involves a lot of communication. When selling products to clients, how you make your sales pitch determines whether you make a sale or not. You also need to sell your ideas to investors if you are to secure financing for your startup. In both cases, you need to have excellent communication skills, and a communication degree class is a good place to get them.
3. Marketing Degree
Communication skills are the key to getting ahead in the competitive world of business. But having these skills is not enough; you need marketing skills as well. You see, communication centers on passing a message across, and this in itself is not enough to get clients trooping through your door.
The key lies in how you pass this message to your target market. This is what marketing is all about. It gets the right message to the right people in the right manner. A good understanding of who the ‘right people’ are is also a crucial part of marketing. For this reason, entrepreneurs enroll in marketing courses, and so should you.
4. Information Technology (IT)
Computers play a big role in the running of businesses today. Our modern economies are so dependent on computing that no sector of industry can do without them, and neither can your business. Since you will use computers whether you like it or not, it makes sense to learn about their finer details. And an IT degree is just the way to do so.
5. Ethnic and Cultural Studies
Believe it or not, entrepreneurs are rushing to get an ethnic and cultural studies degree. But why, you ask? It is because we live in an integrated world where physical borders have ceased to be relevant. And as an entrepreneur, you must wake up to this reality. Customers no longer fit a specific mold, or come from one region.
If you are a young startup owner, going back to school to further your studies is in the best interests of your business. The skills you learn, and the networks you build, will make you an efficient business owner.
