Did you know that many entrepreneurs have opened successful businesses without a degree? There seems to be some level of gatekeeping in the business world when it comes to college education, but the truth is, you don’t have to have a degree to run a successful business. The idea that only people with a degree can be successful is preposterous, and we’re going to show you why.
Here’s how to become a successful business owner without a degree. If you’ve got no plans to go to college, don’t be afraid to start your own business.
IMAGE: PEXELS
A Degree Only Takes You So Far
While it’s true that holding a degree in business, finance, or some other business-related area can be beneficial, it’s not the key to running a successful business. There comes a point where the knowledge linked to your degree can take you only so far, and then real-life experience comes into play.
Let’s say you’ve got a degree in business. You learned how businesses operate, how the markets work, and a ton of useful information during your education. This has all been valuable up to this point, but now your business is at a point where its customer service is suffering and customers aren’t happy. What do you do?
Your business degree likely covered customer service, but only when you get your hands dirty running your business do you truly get to know your customers, your products, and what’s expected of you.
Don’t Sacrifice Your Work Ethic
Without a degree, you may be at a slight disadvantage, but don’t let this hold you back. You still have a trump card on the other guy: your work ethic. When you see someone slacking off, that’s your chance to get ahead and push yourself. Outworking the competition is certainly one way to take your business to the next level, but always keep in mind that everyone has limits. Don’t overwork yourself to the point of madness, either.
Network Like Your Life Depends On It
Have you ever heard the saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”? Having a strong network at your fingertips is one of the best ways to grow a successful business. That being said, you should be introducing yourself to everyone you possibly can. Don’t just introduce yourself, though, include some information about what you do and what your business is about.
The most important part of discussing your work is showing how passionate you are about it. People respond to passion and remember it. Being passionate about what you do can help set you apart from the dozen other professionals that crossed that person’s path in the previous week; they’ll remember your face because your passion was real and tangible.
Don’t limit yourself to networking within your field/industry, either. Connect with people inside and outside of what you do for the best results. Remember, you can’t have too many connections!
Just Because You Don’t Have A Degree Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Be Learning
You should always always always be learning new things. Just because you didn’t go to college doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to learn. Study things like market trends, skills to help your business grow, or this detailed financial freedom guide to help improve your overall skillset.
The more you learn, the better. You might learn things you think you’ll never use, until one day, that very knowledge can make or break your company. Pay attention to the experts as well. They’re experts for a reason, and you can learn quite a bit from them. Absorb all the information you can on a daily basis, and you’ll be a more well-rounded, self-aware business owner.
Don’t Be Afraid Of Failure
It’s time we break our negative relationship with the word failure. Failure is nothing but a step in the right direction if you look at it from a different angle. Take a step to the side, and you’ll see that failure is a friend who’s misunderstood most of the time. Many business owners don’t succeed in what they’re doing because they’re afraid to fail, which prevents them from taking chances.
Every failure is a learning opportunity. Study your failures. Embrace them. Learn from them. Make them your guiding light to where you want to be. When you fall, pick yourself back up and push forward. Take chances.
A business owner that takes no risks is more likely to end up unemployed than at the top of his or her industry. Make failure your friend instead of your enemy, and most of all, be aware of your shortcomings and how they affect your business and your personal failures. The key to solving any problem is knowing what it is. Don’t let yourself be kept down by that inner voice, go out and do it!
If you are interested in even more business-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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