Now that you own a small business, you’ve probably realized exactly how much you don’t know about business practices and problem-solving. This is very common and nothing to worry about, but it does extend an invitation for you to increase your education in business and make that work for you. Read on for some ideas about how to do this.

Get a Degree

You might choose to return to school formally and earn a degree in business. There are many options here. You might specialize in business management, marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources, operations, or project management. You’ll take a variety of general classes in business and then delve deeply into your specialization.

Many programs are available completely online these days. Just make sure you choose an accredited school that offers reasonable tuition rates. Also, find out if a program is completely asynchronous or if it requires you to attend regular meetings or classes, then choose what works best for your schedule.

Be aware, too, that your schoolwork will occupy a good share of your time, so you’ll need to balance school, family responsibilities, and your business. To do this, remain organized, and stick to a schedule. Your planner should become one of your best friends. Write down everything you need to accomplish each day, and check your list frequently. Don’t forget to squeeze in some time for fun, though, so that you don’t get burned out.

Learn Informally

If going back to school simply doesn’t fit into your life right now, there are plenty of other ways you can educate yourself in business. Load up on books about business topics. Start with general works, and move up into reading about specializations as you learn more.

Podcasts and online videos are two other good options. These are readily available and usually free.

You could also check out the multitude of online business classes that you can take for free or for a minimal fee. These don’t give you credit toward a degree, but they can teach you much about running a business and bring you deep into the world of best practices and problem-solving.

Connect With Others

Don’t neglect the option of learning by connecting with others. Link up with more-experienced business owners, and ask them plenty of questions. You can even create a network of business owners who get together periodically for meetings (even informal meetings) or brainstorming sessions. When you run into problems in your business, you’ll know where to turn for help.

Put Your Knowledge to Work

The more you learn, the more you can put your knowledge to work for your business. You may, for example, study business plans in a class and decide to make one for your company. A business plan describes the purpose of your company, details your business’ structure, presents your products or services, discusses your marketing, and explains your funding and budget. You can learn about all this and more in your business education. Remember, even if you don’t choose formal business education, you should still be learning all the time so that your business can grow and flourish. Check out this article for more ideas.

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