No one ever said the road to success was easy. Oftentimes, particularly for entrepreneurs, the pathway to success is crooked and full of obstacles. Achieving success as an entrepreneur or business owner, though, can be easier when you have the education and experience necessary under your belt. Here, we’ve rounded up three alternative education pathways to help you reach your goals for professional success and up your game.
Find a Mentor
While you want to be able to distinguish yourself from the competition, you don’t have to recreate the wheel entirely. By studying your competitors diligently you can glean helpful insight into your industry and customer base. However, by picking the brain of someone in the know, you can even better position yourself for success.
Finding a mentor in your industry (or even a similar industry) can be an invaluable learning mechanism as you grow your business. And experts say that finding a mentor, either in person or online, is simpler than you may have thought.
Experts say that your best bet is to search outside of your comfort zone. Seek out people at area business associations or organizations, local universities or community groups. They say to be sure to set up a meeting with someone you’d like to have as a mentor and share what you are looking for in the relationship. There are many mentoring resources out there, so there’s no excuse not to find one.
Side Hustle While Gaining Skills
Another way to develop and hone in on your skills is through a side job. This can be a role of which doesn’t require a lot of time, but can position you as an expert in your field and afford you more credibility in the future (not to mention make extra cash). Multilevel marketing is a great way to work as little or as much as you’d like while gaining valuable entrepreneurship and sales/marketing skills. Amway is one such opportunity.
Amway is a well-respected staple in the multilevel marketing industry. And though sometimes it is mistakenly thought of as a pyramid scheme, it is anything but. Amway is proud to employ millions of Independent Business Owners around the world and offers a top-notch educational program that sets you up for success in the company and beyond. Its business model is built on ethics and an opportunity for folks of all backgrounds and experience levels to be successful.
Other side jobs that can help you gain experience, skills and credibility include blogging as a subject matter expert for various websites and publications in your industry as well as creating your own blog where folks can go to read your expertise. This helps you build a name in the industry as well as heightens your communication and writing skills as the same time.
Study On Your Own Time
There’s also much to be said about continuing your education. But this doesn’t necessarily mean going to a traditional college for a degree (though many find it valuable to do so). Online courses and standalone classes at local community colleges can be a cost-effective way to sharpen your skills on a budget and without investing too much precious time. The key is to never stop learning and continue to challenge yourself each day. Investing in yourself and your education is always a good investment.
At the end of the day, if you’re doing work you love and care about, you’re halfway there. The other half takes believing in yourself, taking risks and putting in the time and effort. And remember, failing is part of the road to success. Even Steve Jobs knew that success takes time.
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