This field of work is one of the few fields that does not require a degree to get started. It is, however, knowledge and creativity that will maintain and run an everlasting career at the roots.
When interviewed, many people stated they would rather save their money and invest it into starting their business. Some people stated that they also saved time by jumping right in and learning how things work along the way. If they had questions, they often asked a business mentor, bought a book, hired an accountant, or invested in someone who worked in website design.
Consider These Steps
Running a business is about being your own boss. You are in charge and you make the rules. You know what needs to be done and you make the plans. That being said, some level of research needs to be done and you must be able to resource out to get the answers you need.
College preps people for this by requiring they research and learn the information needed to help them succeed in their chosen career. Well, if you can find the information, read, and learn a few (okay, a lot) of things, then by golly, it isn’t required that you have a degree!
So, now that we know that college isn’t the only way, where do we start towards maintaining a successful business?
Goals
First, you need to take a hard look at your current situation and make a plan. Many businesses start when people have little to nothing but the drive in their hearts to get it started. Do you have that? Great! We’re off to a good start, because now you need to know what your business will be. Where do you see yourself in 1, 5, 10, 25, or even 50 years, and what is your business goal?
Plan
Next, now that you are familiar with where you are at and where you would like to be, it’s time to make a plan. Not a haphazardly sketched plan that you wrote on a piece of scratch paper, but a real, truly invested, typed-out kind of plan. You need to know what resources, money, and people involved you need. Best of all, what questions to ask and where to get them answered.
Action
C’mon, don’t say you don’t know the next step! Take action and get the process started. If you’re busy, working a different job, or raising kids, then start small! It takes a seed to grow a forest, and good grief you have it in you to plant that seed.
Really start asking those questions, making those calls, and reading up on things you are unsure about. Most of all: CARE about what you are doing or your business is going to die young.
Gauge/Measure/Evaluate
Last but not least, now that you have put in some good time and you can see movement, look around and see if things are going as planned. Are you content with the outcome of your business and where it is headed? Are there things that need to be changed or added to make your business more successful?
Once you’ve determined the success of your business, either make those changes or… Relax. Because, my friend, you’ve been working hard.
To sum things up, it’s not true that business requires you to have a degree. You do have to be creative, have a strong skillset, and lots of determination. If and when you start your business, you need to consider where you are at and make a plan of where you’d like to be. This plan needs to be complete with defined goals on how to get there from here.
You need to take action (this is the hardest part!) and you need to be a gauge in determining if your business is where it needs to be. There you have it, how hard could it be?
Of course there will be plenty of challenges along the way, so give OCGnow a call today at (904) 600-3600 to learn more about how collaborating with a marketing agency can help you make it without a degree.
