If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, you might be torn between going to college or skip it altogether. People have been debating for quite some time now whether a degree can help make you into a successful entrepreneur or not. If you have the funds, a great business idea, and the guts to take risks, then you can already start a business. The internet is already a good source of information on being a good entrepreneur, so there is no need to invest in college, right? But is this always the case?
Why Some Choose to Go Straight to Entrepreneurship
Some entrepreneurs did not have much choice but to skip college and build their careers early on. This led to starting their own brand from scratch until they were able to succeed. For most people, financial struggles stop them from graduating even in one of the best but most affordable colleges in their area.
There might be scholarships offered to eligible students. One can also apply for a student loan to help put themselves to college. Many people fail to make it through the day without worrying about how their future would look like if they have a degree but will be in thousands to hundreds of thousands in debt.
Many have proven that they could make it big even if they only made it through high school. Others were able to build a household brand even if they are college dropouts. Think of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg, to name a few.
But even with their massive success, most entrepreneurs still tell aspiring entrepreneurs to try and aim for a college diploma if they can. Some reasons why despite their résumé gap, they still advocate for one are as follows:
- Society likes college credentials
- A college diploma shows your dedication and willingness to learn
- You can learn valuable lessons crucial in running a business in college
Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Pursuing a Higher Education
With all the success stories of people who made it big without a diploma, it is easy to assume that you don’t need to be a college graduate to be a successful entrepreneur. But what many people fail to realize is that one can learn many valuable lessons in college, which makes the extra investment worth it.
You Get to Learn Important Interpersonal Skills
Many entrepreneurs have great products to sell but lack the skills to build good and lasting relationships. This pertains to their relationship with their clients, employees, suppliers, business partners, and other people within the industry. Without honing your interpersonal skills before diving into business, you could already be ruining your relationship with others before it even began.
In college, you have a big platform where you can experiment, learn how to make friends, turn some to enemies, and build connections. You get to learn early on how important networking can be no matter where you go. The more social you get in college, the easier it will be for you to please other people, convince some to do things that will be advantageous to you, and easily reach your goals.
You Will Learn That Hard Work Will Eventually Pay Off
There is no easy way to acquire that college diploma. You might need to secure a student loan to make through the four years of higher education. You will have many sleepless nights, solve many problems, use your creativity and even your connections to pull strings and achieve your goals.
Earning a college degree will make you learn early on that hard work usually pays off. You will learn not to give up even if no one believes in your capabilities and even if you are already stressed out. If you have the will and made it through college, chances are you can have enough resilience once you start building your brand.
You Can Enjoy Learning the Basics of Business Finance
If you are having a hard time managing your money now, imagine how much harder it gets once you start running a business. There is a need to monitor and manage every penny that goes in and out of the business. Deciding where to spend your cash and how to spend it wisely can quickly make you regret you did not take financial management when you were studying.
Investing in the right classes allow you to have a solid foundation on the basics of running a business. Rarely will you have enough funds and people to manage your business financials. Even if you can hire a staff to do this for you, you still need to understand your business finances to make sure your business is earning and not the other way around.
Your role model might be a successful entrepreneur who managed to build a brand name even with having a college diploma. Even the most successful people who run multiple businesses are still investing in continuous learning and are advocating for a college degree. If they value finishing college, then there is no reason for you to skip it altogether when you have the resources, and there’s this voice telling you to go for it.