Credit: MychaelThompson

You must have seen several ads about how to get “free” money for your small business. Is there really free money available for your businesses?

While the government does offer grant money, it is not easy to qualify or receive as some may lead you to believe.  There are hundreds of scams out there that entice small business owners with the promise of free money, for a small fee.

These scams work by guaranteeing that you will get a small business grant or you will get all your money back.  They charge you a fee of about $50 for a packet with information on how to write your grant proposal and a list of organizations that can provide the grant you are looking for.  Unassuming business owners pay this fee and receive information with a list of organizations that don’t give any business grants.  When you try and get your money back, you find that the guarantee was just a hog wash.

Does that mean there are no small business grants?

There are, but are rare, and the information you need to find and apply for the legitimate grants is available “free” of charge. For businesses that qualify, there is a possibility of getting free grants from the county, state and city governments.  There are also some private corporations and foundations offering these grants.

Grants for Technology Startups

Businesses that stand the best chance of getting grants are technology startups. As long as they match the extremely stringent requirements, the federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology (STTR) programs are there to help. They award more than $2 billion in grant funding each year.

Small Technology Focused Businesses

Many state and city governments offer grants for small businesses that focus on technology. In Ohio, TechColumbus offers grants to help entrepreneurs test their ideas and see if they can actually run a business. In Philadelphia, The Ben Franklin Partnership and in Gardiner, Maine, the Maine Technology Institute are just a few of the many organizations that help local tech companies out.

Credit: drsnapea (via Flickr)

Non-Tech Businesses

Small Business Certifications – Non-tech businesses may not find it as easy as tech-focused businesses to get a grant. But it is still possible if you do the needful. The first thing to do is to check if the business qualifies for special small business certifications, such as minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned business or disadvantaged business. The state and federal governments usually give preference to such business owners.

Economic Development Agencies – You can then look at the economic development agencies or similar agencies in your local area.  Many of these agencies offer government-sponsored grants in an attempt to help with the expansion of existing businesses, help new businesses get started, train employees etc. For example, workforce training grants are offered by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council for businesses in the counties.

Get Grant Information – The next step would be to sign up at Grants.gov and get information related to different kinds of federal grants.  It may not be easy to qualify directly, but it is certainly possible to get a part of the funding with a little innovative thinking and some networking.

Workforce Training Grants – Workforce training grants are a great source of funds. Many states have these grants and you can check out for grants within your state.  You will also be able to get more information through community colleges or workforce investment board.  Some states fund more than $10 or $20 million which helps hundreds of companies.

Foundation Grants – You can also look at foundation grants at the Foundation Center that provides you information on U.S. based foundations, public charities that give grants as well as corporate giving programs. While grants from these places are meant for non-profit organizations, you can make use of them intelligently by creating a non-profit front for your small business.  You can attach a non-profit section to your existing services or products business.  For example, a children’s theatre company can have a non-profit section that teaches after-school acting classes.

Irrespective of the grant you apply for, you must understand that the cash is usually meant for funding specific products or projects, not for companies.  If you are looking for free money, you must also be ready to fit into the requirements by making changes to your business structure as needed.

Apart from that, businesses that do obtain grants cannot spend the money as they please.  They will have to abide by the strict rules and regulations concerning how the money can be spent and the percentage of money that can be used for specific purposes. These requirements will have to be complied with.

Are you fascinated by a topic and you want to know more about it? Is the thought of attending a prestigious university appealing, but not realistic for you? The Internet and Open Courseware are making top notch educational opportunities available to the public on the Internet through free online courses from top universities and organizations.

You won’t earn course credits or a degree with these free online courses, but they’ll allow you to expand your mind by reading, listening to, and watching some of the best minds in various fields. Whether you’re interested in learning more about business and marketing, history, foreign languages, science, or the arts, you’re bound to find something you’ll love from these places offering free online courses.

1. Yale University

Credit: Yale University

Wouldn’t you love to sit in on a Yale lecture? Now you can with their Open Yale program, which offers several free online courses in topics ranging from The Old Testament to Biomedical Engineering.

There aren’t a lot of available courses online from Yale, but the quality more than makes up for the lack of quantity. This is one of several top universities that not only offers written course materials but also full videos of the course lectures or downloadable .mp3 audio versions so you can listen to the lectures from just about anywhere.

2. MIT

Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT’s OpenCourseware is without a doubt the biggest collection of free online courses from a prestigious university. Their list of offerings is huge to put it mildly. Interested in architectural design? They’ve got it. Want to learn about globalization? They’ve got that too. How about nonlinear dynamics or even toy product design? Oh yeah, you’re covered. Is there anything you can’t learn about with MIT’s OpenCourseware? Maybe, but I can’t find it.

The courses available online through MIT don’t follow a single format, so know that they’ll vary. Some courses will feature lecture notes. Some will include exams and solutions. Others will include multimedia elements like video lectures. In most, if not all, courses you’ll be told what texts the on-campus students used in the class, so you can purchase the textbook to follow along with the course if you’d like to.

3. U.S. Small Business Administration

Credit: U.S. Small Business Administration

The SBA may not be a university, but they offer some of the best free online business courses available on the Web. Whether you’re already a business owner or just thinking about becoming one, let them teach you how to write a business plan, market your business, understand basic accounting principles, and more with interactive online courses.

I’m personally a huge fan of their business planning resources, and recommend them to all prospective entrepreneurs or freelancers. You can even learn about things like international business and crime prevention. What’s not to love?

4. The Open University

Credit: The Open University

This UK university offers a pretty wide range of free online courses and learning materials through their OpenLearn program. What I love about OpenLearn is that they tell you up front in the course listings how long a course should take you to complete (18 hours for a climate change course and 8 hours for a social marketing course for example).

Each “study unit” in the OpenLearn program features its own discussion forum, allowing you to interact with other people following the same courses or sharing your interest areas.

5. UC Berkeley

Credit: UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley might not be the biggest compared to MIT’s huge offering of free online course materials, but you could argue they’re the best. What I love about UC Berkeley is that they offer all of their free online course materials in webcast form. You can find audio and / or video lectures, allowing you to feel like you’re right in the actual classroom or lecture hall (without worrying about being called on!).

UC Berkeley also does something other universities don’t — they offer webcasts of current semester courses. In other words, you can take a course right along with current students earning a degree with the school. Their webcast list lets you know the course schedule so you never miss a lecture. When you first visit the link above, the course list might look small. But don’t let that fool you! You’ll only be looking at the current semester’s webcast list. Check out the drop-down menu near the upper right of the screen, and you can pull up free online courses from past semesters as well (from as far back as 2001!).

No, you won’t earn a degree with these free online courses, but they offer an amazing wealth of knowledge. There’s no excuse not to learn anymore — not money, not admissions essays, nothing at all. Check out some of these free online courses and webcasts, and learn something new today. And when your friends or colleagues ask where you picked up that awesome little nugget of wisdom, just say “Oh, just [insert prestigious university here]. No biggie!”

The economy in the United States is causing great concern for everyday citizens around the world. While top level executives are walking away with millions from failed companies, investors and employees are facing hard facts about their investments, their careers and their future. When you find yourself under the axe, your career aspects are bleaker across the board and if you’re not prepared for the possibility of lay-offs, you can be a tight spot both in the short-term and long-term.

Jobs and Recessions

There is little doubt there is a huge correlation between jobs and the economy. When the economy dips, companies trim the fat on their budgets. Often, this means non profitable departments are cut along with nonessential personnel. Contractors, freelancers and others might find themselves out of work for one company where they were duplicates of actual employees who must now shoulder more work for the same salary. Freelance individuals might find also themselves with more work as companies opt to outsource work to contractors rather than pay employee benefits and salaries.

In a recession, many jobs will be lost and the jobs that remain will become more cumbersome. Some fields will remain the same or even grow, such as the medical industry, virtually undisturbed by the economic conditions. Your plan for a bad economy should reflect your career track, your skills and your initiative.

Jobseeker Qualifications

When you find yourself worrying about the economy or the well being of your particularly employer, remember that the best employees are usually the first to jump ship. Employees with contacts and skills that make them desirable in the industry are often sought after by competitors with firmer standing, and when the first sniff of trouble arrives, these employees are gone to the highest bidder.

To be one of the more desirable employees snatched up by competitors or just easy to hire for a company in a different sector, you should have:

• Clear and necessary skills
• Experience in a particular field
• Documented education and certifications
• Contacts within the industry

You should always be working to network and build contacts within the industry you choose to work in, as well as competing and complementing industries. These contacts can come in handy when you need to find a position now. The remainder of the qualifications are earned rather than created. This is where education comes into play.

Benefits of Education

While education can’t give you workforce experience, it can give you opportunities to start work in an entirely new career without the benefit of experience. If you recognize a need in your area for cable technicians, a few certifications classes can get you qualified to lay cable. While this is quite a switch from many office style careers, you don’t hear of cable technicians getting laid off. Skilled labor is hard to come by in a great economy, so it’s usually one of the best places to start your education in a bad one. You can learn a basic skill in a matter of weeks and use that skill to secure yourself a job. As you continue to learn and add skills to your initial one, you’ll be well on your way to a formal certificate or degree as well as a career in an area where you are sorely needed and unlikely to ever be asked to leave.

Education can give you an almost immediate skill as well as starting you on a new track. While you might learn a spot of welding to get you into a particular company, you can add more technical skills and management courses to your degree over time. When you finish your degree, the economy will likely have improved and you will have survived with a new career and now have a huge number of options as to how you want to use your new degree and extremely valuable experience in a particular field.

Seeking Opportunities

The most critical aspect to finding a job in a failing economy is going where the jobs are. This might mean physically moving to a new city or state, or it might mean doing research to determine what needs there are in your community for skilled and trained employees. Find an opportunity that interests you and immediately get to work earning the entry-level qualifications or adding to your current qualifications to be sure you are the most desirable applicant for the job.

In a bad economy, jobs won’t come to you – you must find them. For those who have used education to their advantage, this can be as simple as letting a few contacts know what skills and abilities you have and waiting for a conversation to start regarding a move to that company using your new skills as a catalyst for change.

Kinesthesia is our movement sense. It simply refers to an awareness of changes in momentum, balance, pressure and body position in general. It tells us all about how we are moving our bodies. Kinesthetic intelligence includes control of the bodily motions, the ability to handle objects skillfully and the gift for using whole body motions.

You would have seen or you could be one of those people, who are always on the move; who study while walking, whose body is forever active irrespective of what they are doing, even while watching TV. For the kinesthetic types, moving is fundamental and they often fidget if nothing else. It helps them concentrate better.

This “body smart” group as they are called affectionately includes overly active people who indulge in physical self and for whom learning is a physical experience.

Kinesthetic Intelligence And Our Brain

The area of kinesthetic intelligence is located in the cerebellum and concerns the thalamus, main ganglions and others parts of the brain. The brain’s motor cortex controls bodily motion and people with this intelligence display dexterity and skills for fine motor movement.

Identifying Kinesthetic Intelligence

It is very easy to identify people with kinesthetic intelligence. They enjoy and usually are seen to be successful in active sports, constructing, dancing, hands-on tasks, working with scientific probes and microscopes, robotics, digital still and video cameras etc. These activities involve deftness and physical coordination and using their fine and gross motor skills, people with kinesthetic intelligence involve in learning and expressing themselves through various physical activities.

Kinesthetic Behavior

People with kinesthetic intelligence behave differently to those that completely follow the norms set by society. These people love figuring out how things work and do not need others to tell them. They do things going by their instincts and get “gut feelings” for things around them. They have plenty of physical energy and love physical movement. They cannot stay still for long and are often described as being “on the go.” Children squirm at the breakfast table or even at their desk at school. They enjoy dance, sports and any exhilarating experience. They are very good at creating things and they are always active and love outdoors. Their motor skills are excellent and they are very aware of their bodies. They learn well through movement and “doing” and prefer touching than looking.

We keep hearing things like, “My mind works better when I’m doing something physical, like running or walking.” “I like spending all my free time outdoors.” “I enjoy working with my hands.” All these constitute kinesthetic intelligence.

Creativity

This sort of high kinesthetic intelligence is what creates scientists, writers, artists, musicians, dancers, performers and other creative people that allow their minds and hands to move without any pre-planned format. While some are blessed with athletic abilities, others are gifted in fine-motor skills, such as drawing and crafts.

Many creative writers use free writing style to get ideas and musical composers end up playing impromptu pieces. These are examples of allowing the body to take over and play a leading role in coming up with new ideas. These actions are not pre-planned and it is just the body movement preceding the thought processes.

A person with kinesthetic intelligence is said to write beautifully and can make writing feel real, funny, down to earth and physical. If this intelligence is strong in a piece of writing, then it is likely to affect the reader at the gut level. This writing may also have a natural sense of movement, the kind of writing that people may say, “breathes.”

Reaction Of Society

Society is almost startled with what it perceives as hyperactivity, being called “intelligence.” Kinesthetic-intelligence is one of the basic human intelligences that has not been appreciated in our culture and has always been suppressed by civilizations. It is the negative social conditioning that causes people to suppress the bodily kinesthetic intelligence.

Albert Einstein once stated that he felt it in his muscles, when he was thinking about something that later proved to be very significant. This heightened kinesthetic sense tells us that helping develop this kinesthetic sensitivity from an early age, instead of suppressing it, will help people turning out to be more creative individuals.

Discouragement

Children grow up as conditioned by the society. Without realizing what it is, most people, including parents and teachers, restrict children from doing a lot of things just because that is not the way they are supposed to be done. In school the superior student is always the one that is great at copying the sequences of movements in writing, dancing, in sports, in speech and even social manners. These things teach a student to pay attention to something that is being taught and then do them accordingly. Whereas, the kinesthetically creative person lets the body lead and moves independently without following any preconceived plan. These free combinations may produce excellence in many areas. Who knows there could be a highly creative individual hidden in your child too. But it takes an intelligent adult to recognize and understand kinesthetic activities.

Some people may say that this is like putting the cart ahead of the horse. An example of the Volkswagen is given when comparing a kinesthetic person. In Volkswagen, the motor is at the back of the vehicle and this is German innovation. Similarly, in the creation of intelligent and creative individuals, children should be allowed to innovate without having to follow a planned course.

How To Encourage Kinesthetic Intelligence?

Rather than ridicule children with kinesthetic intelligence and who are very fidgety, it is better to give them tools and equipment to manipulate in class. Rather than stopping them from moving, it is better to let their bodies develop through expression, enabling them to grow up into creative individuals.

They need opportunities to learn by acting things out or moving, as they are “hands-on” learners. Expecting them to sit quiet for long and listen to something without experiencing it physically is unrealistic.

People with kinesthetic intelligence can be excellent with fine-motor or gross-motor skills, or even both. People like surgeons, athletes, dancers are highly valued, either for their skills, their talent or things they produce. Kinesthetic intelligence needs to be understood better to be able to provide better opportunities to such people, in order to bring out their hidden talents.

The Benefits of Education
The costs of education are almost always far outweighed by the benefits. Knowledge alone is priceless, but to put a price tag on a degree or certificate the latest figures show an individual with just a high school diploma earns an average of $30,940 per year. Six months to a year of higher education increases that salary to $35,048. An associate degree earns an average of $37,492 and a bachelor’s degree is another big step up at $50,024.

If you were to complete a bachelor’s degree while working in a skilled job of some kind, you would stand to increase your earnings by over $12,000 a year. Should you go on to pursue a master’s degree, you can expect to see your earnings jump even higher to $59,280. There is definitely value in a single certificate or training class, but the impact on the bottom line by a full degree is even more impressive.

Using Education
To use education effectively, you must first assess your long-term career goals. If you’re hoping to start anew in a totally different industry, your educational program will be far different than the associate looking to move up to a management position within a corporation. Once you have your goals in mind, you can begin to sort through the many programs and alternatives to find the best educational solutions for you.

Decide on a Program
The next step in planning your next step career-wise is to determine the amount of education you’re pursuing at this time. Educational programs range from intense MBA or legal programs to night classes to obtain the latest Microsoft or Cisco certification. Are you planning a full degree or just a few new skills to add to your portfolio?

Research Schools
Your next step is to begin researching the programs in your area or online that offer the kinds of program you’re interested in. If you’re hoping to begin an entirely new industry in a new area, you can even expand your search to colleges and universities outside of your current geographic area. Most often, however, you’ll be continuing your current work assignment while working on your new educational initiatives and will require a close or online campus.

Plan Around Your Time Constraints
Unless you are one of the lucky few who are able to go back to school full-time, you’ll be working around existing time constraints in the form of family and work. Be honest with yourself as to how much time you can dedicate to your educational program and examine possibilities of reducing your workload, changing to a less intense area of your company or restructuring your childcare responsibilities to free up time for yourself.

Remember that attending classes will not be the only demand on your time by going back to school. You’ll also have to allot hours of time for homework, study, group projects and research. In addition to finding the time, you’ll also need to find a quiet area in which to store your school materials and dedicate time to your studies.

Find Funding
School has tremendous benefits, but it comes with certain costs. When planning to go back to school, start first with any programs your current employer might have to fund higher education. A surprising number of companies are willing to pay for your degree as long as you commit yourself to working with the company for some period of time. Others make no demands, but still pay for your schooling.

If you’re not in such a lucky position, look into the many government loans and grants that might be available to you. If you have special status such as a veteran or member of certain organizations, other entitlements and scholarships might help foot the bill of your schooling. If nothing else, borrow the money or pay out of pocket remembering that the costs of education will be repaid many times over.

But these industries are not the only ones which can benefit from CPE courses, seminars and conferences. Every industry is evolving and there is always something new and possibly better to discover in your current career field. Attending conferences or taking CPE courses online will not only keep you abreast of the latest developments in your industry, it will also be very impressive in your personnel record when it comes time for raises and promotions.

Find Applicable CPE Credits

If you work in an industry that requires a certain number of CPE credits to maintain or earn a certificate, your company or professional organization likely offers many courses and seminars throughout the year to bring you the latest news and strategies in your industry. Take advantage of these programs as they are often sponsored by entities which can afford to bring in excellent speakers and you are able to attend and reap the knowledge for free.

If you’re already attending all the mandatory and offered training sessions, expand your search to include training sessions online which can be completed at your leisure in a variety of areas. There are also conferences and courses offered by other organizations in your area or out of your town.

Arrange Time for CPE Credits

If you are interested in learning the latest your field has to offer, you employer will likely be extremely supportive. He may be willing to send you to the conference in another town on company dollars provided you prepare a summary or present what you learn to the rest of the team. At the very least, you will likely be able to arrange time off to attend a seminar offered during the afternoon one day.

Programs offered by your employer will most likely be scheduled for large groups of people such as your team or division. These will be available without you needing to arrange additional time away from the office, so you should always take advantage of these training programs.

Regardless of other training programs you’re able to attend, there are many CPE credit classes available through the internet. Many of these are offered by reputable organizations and companies. Some are even offered by the government. Not only will these courses keep your knowledge and skills up to date, they are also easy to schedule in your current workload. Take a day away from the office and relax at home for some training. Or use your down-time at the office to brush up on a new skill or method.

Take Powerful Programs

Unless you’re able to take every continuing education program that comes your way, focus your attention on programs that will offer you the most worth for your dollar (or your company’s dollar.) Give weight to any program that involves networking or social skills as these are critical in modern business and will help you advance your career considerably.

Vary your courses to reflect a diverse platform of training and don’t limit your courses to those that apply to just your narrow field of the industry. Management and overall industry courses can make a difference in your actual job performance as well. If you’re ready for a big advance in your career, you can even learn a second or third language as a part of your CPE credit requirements.

Take Care of Administrative Details

If you are required to earn CPE credits for certification, be sure to save certificates and maintain your records to reflect each course you take. If your employer is responsible for updating the CPE credits you’ve earned, make a copy for human resources and keep a copy for yourself.

If you’re not required to take CPE classes, record your hours anyway and send a copy of your certificates to your manager or the human resources department. It is likely the credits will add up for you in a big way career-wise.

Various Resources are Available for Financing Your Education

There are several choices that are best for a college education. These choices are typically through scholarships, grants, military funding, and loans. Scholarships are the widest received forms of college funding. Scholarships are often received while in high school, and in some instances, through special organizations for students that are returning to college. There are a lot of monies that are rewarded every year to scholarship recipients, all of whom greatly welcome the reprieve from paying the additional funds for school. This is typically the best choice for financing your college education. Scholarships are typically rewarded to individuals based on grades and community services. A scholarship is the best source for financing a college education since the monies do not have to be paid back.

Paying for Your College Education with Grants

Grants are another great way to receive financial assistance for your college education. For those that do not have the adequate financing for college, and if living at home your family does not make enough income, then grants are frequently rewarded. It should be noted that grants must be repaid, and not everyone that applies for a grant will be awarded money. Receiving a grant is still a form of assistance, and it often well received.

Using Military Funding for College

Some students may choose to enroll in the military for financial assistance for their college. This may not seem as though it is the most popular decision at this time, but the United States military does pay for college funding. Securing a college education while in the military can be a best choice on a personal level for financing for your college education.

Taking Out a Loan for College Payments

Loans are perhaps another widely used means of financing for your college education. Many banks and lenders are eager to give a loan to a college student, as that is where many banks receive their finances. Although loans are highly popular, it is also important to note that loans typically have a high interest rate, which means that there will be a higher amount paid in return for the loan than what was originally borrowed. Giving great consideration to a loan is important when deciding if it is the best means of financing for your college education.

Deciding Which Method of Financing to Work Best For You

These choices are the most popular forms of financing for your college education. Deciding on how long of a payment plan you’d like to be on, and how much you are willing to repay for college finances will often determine the best choices available for college financing. A college education is something that will last for a lifetime, so making the best of college years, and the financial investments that are included are of great importance and will set the foundation for a bright future.

Various Methods to Receive Financial Assistance

There are various ways that a student can receive financial assistance for college funding. One of the most popular ways is through a student loan lender. A student loan lender can be in the form of a bank, a financing company, or through an individual lender, be it public or private. There are several key points that should be addressed when dealing with a student lender. Some of the items that can be of question for the student loan lenders are: can the lender meet all of your needs, what is the rate for interest and the terms applied, what does the loan application consist of, how do the repayment plans operate, what are the rewards that are given to those that pay the loans on time, and what are the methods that a loan lender can be reached.

Selecting the Right Lender for Student Loans

Choosing a lender that can meet all of the needs of the applicant is important. There can be needs, such as a small loan for a partial semester, or to even pay lab and book fees. Does the lender meet off of the desired requirements that the student is looking for in a loan? If so, this is often the lender that many students will choose to go through. It is also important to know the interest rates and the term applied to these rates. It is best to look for a loan lender that has very little interest with terms that are suitable for the student’s needs. For loans that have long terms, it is important to seek the loans that have smaller rates. The longer the payments are prolonged on the loan, the higher the rates will be for paying back the loan. This is typically where much of the money for the loan can be accrued. While reviewing the loan application, it is important to notice the terms for the rates on the loan, as well as how the repayment plans operate. Repayment plans may consist of monthly, quarterly, or even yearly repayment plans. Selecting which repayment plan is thought to be the most difficult part of choosing a student loan lender, as choosing a plan is making a long term commitment. For those that can pay their loan back in a decent amount of time, they will often find that they will receive a reward, such as little or in some instances, no money charged as a rate on the interest. Being able to reach a loan lender easily during normal operating hours is also of importance, should any questions or concerns arise.

Being Comfortable with the Student Loan Lender Decision

It is evident that there is a lengthy process that is needed when choosing a student loan lender. Playing the market smart and safe is the best way to go. Remembering that the importance of a college education is at hand often outweighs the negativity of the process for looking for a student loan lender.

In 2006, MBA graduates expected an average base salary of $92,360 with an average signing bonus of $17,511. Their undergraduate counterparts who earned a bachelor’s in business administration expected to an average of $40,976 per year, according to College Journal. In terms of salary expectations, an MBA is certainly an asset.

Although the statistics don’t differentiate between starting salaries for those attending traditional brick-and-mortar college and online schools, an MBA is an MBA. If you earn an MBA online at a reputable school, it’s likely that your starting salary will be comparable to that of other MBA graduates.

Cost of Getting an Online MBA

In a March 2006 survey conducted by GetEducated.com, the cost of earning an MBA online ranged from $5,600 to $115,000. With such a wide range in the cost, you can expect online MBA prices to vary from one school to another.

When it comes to online MBAs, higher costs don’t necessarily mean a better education. However, it is some of the most reputable schools that have the highest price tags. The cost at Duke University, for example, is $115,000. As you consider schools, take note of the costs, but also the reputation of the school and the education you’ll be receiving.

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are two options for earning an online MBA – taking advantage of the distance education programs of traditional colleges or attending a cyberspace-only college.

Distance education programs give you the opportunity to earn an MBA from a reputable traditional institution while affording you the flexibility to earn your degree from a remote location.

If you are already in the workforce full-time, the constraints of your job might keep you from attending a school to earn your MBA. Online MBA options allow you to continue to meet the demands of your job and earn your MBA at the same time.

Earning an online MBA takes a significant investment on your part. Not only do you have to pay the cost of attending an online school, you’ll also have to think about the time you have to invest in earning the degree. As you make a decision about earning an online MBA, consider the return you will receive on the investment. Most graduates begin to see tangible benefits of earning their online MBA three to five years after graduation.

When you earn your MBA online versus in a traditional business school, you lose the interaction with professors and other students. It becomes more difficult to build a network with your colleagues. These networks are invaluable, often lasting throughout your career. If you are able to create relationships in the cyber-classroom environment, you can make up for some of the lost interaction.

Choosing an Online MBA School

It’s important to attend a reputable online business school. Since there are so many diploma mills out there, recruiters are rightfully suspicious of MBAs that have been earned through an online school.

Business Week Online reports that there are more fake online MBA programs that there real ones, making it easy for consumers to get scammed and harder for them to land a position using the fake degree as credentials. The website also reports that recruiters are a little tougher on online MBA graduates. They tend to look for strong resumes along with an explanation for attending an online school.

Accreditation is another issue that you must take into account as you consider which online business school you want to attend. Part of your school’s reputation rests on the accreditation agency. Make sure the agency that accredits your school is one that is nationally recognized. The U.S. Department of Education has a list of nationally recognized accreditation agencies.

Do your homework about each online business school that you’re considering. Ask the admissions office for information about the success of their graduates. Do an internet search on the school to see what other people are saying about it.

In the long run, the rewards of getting an online MBA can definitely outweigh the costs. It’s up to you do to the necessary due diligence to make sure you’re choosing the best school for you.

Formal Education
The first step in running a successful business is to gain as much formal education as possible. College courses and a full degree prove to be tremendous assets to most entrepreneurs. There are always those who greatly succeed without completing a university degree, but many others benefit from even basic courses in accounting, finance, management and marketing.

Of course more specific technical courses can also make the difference in a fledging business and a success. To run a business, you must have a skill or product. Knowing how to create that product or serve your clientele is essential. College or university level courses can give you that knowledge. If you’re impatient to begin living your dream, there is no reason to not start a business while still in school. In fact, it may be easier to secure financing and assistance if you are a still a student.

Legislation
Every country, and even state or municipality, has different legislation regarding businesses. Some college courses teach the differences between sole proprietorships and corporations, but knowing the difference, especially at tax time, between a C-corporation and an S-corporation may be critical to your bottom line.

Both formal and informal courses are available to give you instructions in governmental legislation regarding small businesses. Courses are available online or through books and brochures. Other organizations offer actual conferences or meetings to keep business owners up to date with ever-changing policies.

Key legislation changes may have an immediate impact on your business or it may be a more gradual development for the industry as a whole. Key economic indicators and interest rate changes may seem unrelated to your day-to-day operations, but understanding how these things affect the business community as a whole is very important. Even trade deficits and pending legislation may make an impact on your company or business down the road. It’s very important to stay informed.

Industry Knowledge
Many will argue that the most important aspect of running a successful business is learning the ins and outs of the actual industry. Industry knowledge or “street smarts” can only be taught through experience and observation. Who are the major players in your market? Who makes important decisions?

The more players you know in your industry, the more pathways will be open to you. Obtaining permits can take months for some, but can be done in hours for those with the right connections. The same can be said of almost any other aspect of your industry. Providing an excellent product or service is the bottom line of a business, but knowing the right people and business strategies can help you get that product or service into your customers’ hands more efficiently.