10 April 2015

Can Online MBA Help Entrepreneur To Boost Their Business?


Do you think business education is necessary for becoming a successful entrepreneur? Can an MBA help aspiring entrepreneurs to prepare themselves better? I cannot deny that business skills and knowledge are among the many requirements for starting and running a business. It is possible that you can gain the necessary skills over the years while running your start-up, but it will surely prove to be a very risky and expensive decision. While starting a new business, you must ensure that you are fully capable to manage your company and have significant knowledge about the industry and the market. Moreover, you also need to develop excellent, management, leadership and communication skills. This is where business education comes in. Have a look....

Is MBA necessary?



I agree that there are many successful entrepreneurs who do not have an MBA, but you should also know that there are innumerable entrepreneurs around the world who have failed miserably simply because they don't have the right skills and knowledge. However, it's also true that the value of a business degree are reduced to a great in the past few years. During the 1980s, MBA had a high ROI and offered an assured management career in leading companies. But the scenario has changed completely today.

Several businesses, including start-ups, in Silicon Valley now consider an MBA as a negative sign, as they would rather prefer a candidate with 2 years of work experience than someone who spent 2 years sitting in a classroom. Only the leading institutes, namely Wharton, Harvard, Stanford etc, still offer significant ROI for careers in technology firms. I believe the trend will soon follow across all industries.

Studying MBA is expensive


Moreover, earning an MBA degree is a really expensive affair. Your expenses could run up to $60,000 per year or even more as tuition fees in B-school and universities are increasing rapidly. You will also be compelled to stay out of the workforce while you study and give up on your existing employment, promotions and raises. If you consider all the factors- tuition, accommodation, lost income and promotions- the cost of your MBA degree can rise to almost $400,000. Are you ready for such an investment?

Are you better off without an MBA?

As I said earlier, it is indeed important that you gain business knowledge and skills to become a better entrepreneur. Moreover, an MBA can offer you 3 valuable benefits-
  • High quality education to develop the right skills
  • Excellent networking opportunities with people who matter
  • An accredited degree
However, I believe that it is clearly a better idea to look for other sources that can offer you the same benefits but without asking for such heavy investment of time and money. Wondering what other options are available to you? Let me help you out then. The ideal answer for you is online business education! Why?

Why online MBA is the answer



Let's face it...typical MBA programmes are not developed for helping entrepreneurs. On the other hand, online fast track MBA programmes are a great fit for aspiring entrepreneurs as it allows learners to study without the need for making crippling time and money investment. As these programmes offer high flexibility with no scheduled classes, you can choose to study from your won home at any time you want and at your own pace. This means you will be able to do a day job and gain experience or work on your start-up during the day and manage time for your studies at night or any other time that's convenient for you. Moreover, with an online top up MBA degree you will be able to fast track to the final year of a recognised MBA programme and earn your business degree faster.

Although you can find numerous online programmes out there, but if you ask me it is better to pursue the courses offered by the leading UK universities and business schools. As UK institutes have a strong reputation for providing high quality education, you will be able to acquire a widely accepted and recognised qualification. By earning an online ATHE Diploma in business you will not only learn how to manage your business effectively, but will remain updated about the latest market and industry trends. This will empower you to position your company better and enable you to achieve your business goals.

The truth is it can be very challenging to succeed as an entrepreneur, but your business education will support you and give you the strength to progress and advance your start-up.

How else can online MBA help you to become an entrepreneur? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions by commenting below.