08/ 23/ 2006
Corporations have the luxury of hiring people to fill various roles in their company: sales, marketing, public relations, tech and so on. Small-business owners, as you already know, often end up taking on all of those roles themselves. To ensure your future success as a jack of all trades, it's important to take advantage of the opportunities college gives you to have a well-rounded education. Keep these tips in mind when planning your schedule.
Choose general education classes wisely. Your friends may choose the classes they take for their general education requirements based on rumors that a class is easy or the fact that it takes place at a good time of day, but that doesn't mean you should. Carefully read the descriptions of each class available and decide which ones will best serve you in gaining knowledge that will be useful to your business. While this might mean enduring the occasional 8 a.m. class, your business will be better off for it.
Consider a double major. While a business degree isn't mandatory for a small-business owner, it will certainly help give you a foundation in the range of subject matters in which you'll need to be versed. In fact, many business programs offer concentrations in entrepreneurship, which will look especially good on your resume when you're trying to procure bank loans and investment partners.
Depending on the business you've started or are planning to start, however, a business degree may not be enough. See what other programs might help you become more successful in your chosen field. If, for example, you have a photography business, you owe it to yourself to pursue at the very least a fine arts minor to broaden your range of skills and to allow you to learn techniques from experienced teachers (who will likely become valuable business contacts as well). While a double major can add another semester or year to your schooling, it might be the most valuable route in the long run.
Take advantage of student status. While you might not feel you have time to take on an internship, it could be worthwhile to do so while you're still in school. Many internships are only open to students, and you could learn a lot from observing a seasoned business owner in action. Also, keep abreast of workshops and seminars going on at your school or around your city that seem advantageous. If offered through your school, you can often go for free and even non-school related events sometimes offer discounts to students. Even though you might not be looking for employment after college, don't skip out on job fairs, either. Attending these is an excellent way to make contacts and keep an eye on the competition. If you see a company that offers similar products and services, you can find out what sort of qualifications they would expect you to have. That way, you can make sure you're bringing them to your own business.
Use career counseling service. Your counselors are there not only to help you choose the most beneficial classes, they can also give you aptitude tests to let you assess your strengths and weaknesses, so you can figure out which areas you might want to improve with a few extra classes. For example, if you are technologically intuitive but not as versed in communication skills, then you could trade out a computer class for a public speaking course. Make sure you tell your advisors as much about your business plans and goals as possible. They might point you toward classes you hadn't even considered.
Finally, don't be afraid to take classes out of your comfort zone, even if you risk pulling your grade point average down slightly. That four-point GPA won't count nearly as much in the real world as will the breadth of skills and knowledge you bring to your business.
