You are well aware by now that running a successful business is not as simple as turning ideas to a reality. The market is tough. As the colossal coldness runs through your bowels, you want to do anything you can to take the leap.
Educational resources can help you evolve and grow – they range from taking expert-taught courses to completing a masters or other advanced degree. However, pursuing these courses via traditional structured education can often be impractical for small business owners. The good news? Growth of online education is changing all that.
With the availability and flexibility of online programs, it’s a perk that small and midsize company CEOs may want to consider, for themselves and for key personnel, informs Richard Skolnik, State University of New York’s dean of the business school. There are a number of platforms, and courses available from prestigious universities located through the globe.
Also, EducationNews’s Recent online Offerings Expand Higher Education Options reveal that several new online courses are a strong indicator that students are increasingly seeing online education as academically rigorous and more legitimate. The sources cites a 2010 Zogby survey, when there were only a few online courses in existence, in which 83% executives held the notion obtaining an online degree is equal to a conventional one.
Nevertheless, adding academic responsibilities to an already heavy schedule might be more than you can handle. Here are some considerations for finding a course for finding a course that fits to your needs – and successfully getting what you require from it:
Time required for completion
A master’s degree is paving the way when it comes to attaining a higher set of skills, but there’s a downside: two more years in enrollment means more loss of work time and probably more academic responsibilities, as well. This is one of the major reasons why business owners and working professionals are turning towards accelerated programs and degrees.
Accelerated master’s degree programs like those offered at Gwynedd Mercy University save majoring professionals study time and costs of application fees, admission tests and additional courses. By choosing such an option, you can start taking courses toward your master’s while seeing your business, and also get dual course credit if you already hold an undergraduate degree.
Flexibility
Find programs that fit your schedule; several institutions offer afternoon, evening, three days a week and weekend courses. You don’t want to do a half-good job of studying or a half good job of running your business.
Essentially, students pursuing traditional degrees have a consistent schedule to follow each day, with in-class course instruction followed by outside-class assignments. When pursuing a degree online, you may have to find your own ways to stay on top of your course, and when coupled with the task of staying on top of your business, at the same time, this could mean taking just a course of two each month.
Networking opportunities
The faculty behind credible online courses includes the same leading scholars who teach full-time on ground graduate programs. Seminars provide a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect with industry experts.
Therefore, when choosing a course, make sure the learning environment is highly collaborative and allows networking opportunities with enrolled professionals in other institutions. Who knows, maybe a connection or two brings clientele to your firm.
What are your thoughts on pursuing education as a business owner? Feel free to leave comments.
