Summer is winding down and Labor Day weekend is nearly upon us. As children nationwide prepare to go back to school, maybe you should follow their example. No matter how much you think you’ve learned just from running your small business, or how experienced you are, or how long you’ve been doing it, there are always new lessons to learn.
Here are five ways to go back to school and learn new ideas to help your business grow.
1. Get educated
Local colleges and universities, as well as their adult education or extension programs, provide a wealth of classes that can help small business owners and their employees hone their knowledge and skills. Look into what’s offered near you. You might find courses in using social media and accounting, special certifications that can help your business gain new clients, and more.
2. Get low-cost help
Colleges and universities can also be a rich resource for getting the manpower you need without spending a dime. Suppose you need to do market research to figure out if a new product or target market will pay off, but don’t have the time or staff to handle it yourself. Consider enlisting a local college or university’s marketing department to help. Often, professors are willing to assign your project to a class so they can learn—while you benefit. Keep in mind you’ll be working with students, but also remember that students often come up with new ideas and insights you may never have considered.
3. Get professional help
If you need more expertise than a student team can provide, check out the business or management professors at nearby colleges and universities. Many do consulting on the side or run their own businesses in addition to teaching. You may be able to find an expert in your field right in your own back yard. Of course, this help isn’t free, but perhaps a combination of consulting and student assistance could keep the cost down.
4. Get centered
Located at colleges and universities nationwide, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partly funded by the SBA and provide free consulting and advice from experienced advisors. Many of them are entrepreneurs or former entrepreneurs themselves; others are marketing professionals, IT experts or business lawyers. You might think it’s only startups that need this kind of assistance, but you’d be wrong: Helping established business owners grow is a huge priority for SBDCs right now. Find an SBDC near you at the SBA website.
5. Don’t be a snob
When looking for business help, don't limit your search to big-name colleges and universities. It’s more important to look for a school that meets your particular needs—and if those needs are highly specialized, such as for a food-service business or an ecommerce company, a local junior college or trade school can often be a better bet. Don’t rule out business-related classes offered your city, either. While often these are targeted more to startups, they sometimes include useful courses for employee training such as using Excel or other business tools—and they’re so low-cost that you can easily pay for employees to attend.
Image credit: Photos.com
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