2020

How to Develop Entrepreneurial Skills While in College

How to Develop Entrepreneurial Skills While in College

College is a fantastic time to start working on your dream career. Actually, many CEOs had their breakthrough ideas while in college. Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Dell, and many others launched their businesses back in college.





You can also emulate these entrepreneurs and be successful. But how do you manage to balance schoolwork and still pursue your entrepreneurial dream? You might ask. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.






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You can acquire relevant and hands-on skills that are vital in running a business while taking your course. In fact, it’s advantageous to start your entrepreneurship journey while in college, mainly because you have lots of resources at your disposal, from supportive lectures who can be your mentors, like-minded students to share ideas with, to free resources like free the Internet to do your research and learn more.





So how do you develop entrepreneurial skills while in college?





Take the Right Courses





Being in college provides you with an opportunity to select from a pool of courses. To make good use of this opportunity, you should select courses that will benefit your business model. When you attend such classes, you meet both lecturers and students. It enables you to learn more about your venture early on. You’ll also get more time to practice and learn from your mistakes.





Some of the startups you see today began as school projects. The products began as prototype designs for project-based entrepreneurship classes. Usually, it’s the professors who provide guidance and advice to perfect your project and make it a success.





Team up With Other Students





College provides students with a lot of free time. In addition, it’s a multidisciplinary institution. Why not use your spare time to connect with other students ? Spending time with students from various disciplines will provide you with diverse and innovative ideas. Students from other disciplines will also bring onboard different sets of skills that you require for your entrepreneurship journey.





Mark Zuckerberg, for instance, teamed up with his college friends in developing Facebook. He didn’t do it on his own. These friends are now part of his team. So if you are an aspiring entrepreneur, always have a diverse team of like-minded friends to share concepts and unique insights.





Find a Mentor





Getting a mentor is a crucial step when pursuing entrepreneurship. Your mentor should be an expert in your field to provide you with practical guidance. Executive research carried out in 2013 shows that 80% of CEOs participating in a survey admit that they had received mentorship.









The best way to get a mentor is to approach your professor. Most professors have operated business ventures or have been part of many startups and, therefore, have the practical experience to offer guidance. Also, they are well connected and might help you find a great mentor.





There are also lots of local experts who can make great mentors. Finding local experts is a great way to network, because it may come with additional opportunities such as internships.





Enroll in a Club





Entrepreneurs are supposed to be social beings. You must not isolate yourself. Go out and network vigorously if you want to get new opportunities. You can easily do that by joining an entrepreneurial school club or any clubs in your locality.









Clubs will enable you to gather with other like-minded people, collaborate, and even discuss your entrepreneurship plans and challenges. These clubs also organize events such as fairs that can provide an opportunity to tap for support. Besides, it’s an opportunity to promote your business if you have one.





Get Practical





In entrepreneurship, you learn better through experiential learning. So, do something entrepreneurial, even if it’s small in size. You can begin with something simple like a laundry business or an essay business and offer a dissertation service. Starting with an established business model will expose you to challenges of running a business and get to learn business techniques that you can apply to your business venture.









While starting with a venture you are passionate about is an option, you are more likely to get into losses. So, learn the ropes before you venture into your passion. And when you do, don’t fear failure. Failure will always be a part of startups and any other entrepreneurship ventures. In fact, failures will teach you better lessons and give you valuable experience for future success.





Make Good Use of School Resources





One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is a lack of resources. On the contrary, most colleges offer free resources, including business advisers, library materials, free Internet, copy, and print services, among others. You also have student grants, mentors, and technology. Why not take advantage of these free resources and build your entrepreneurship skills?





Most startups spend a lot of money when starting. You can cut a huge percentage of these expenditures when you make good use of the free school resources.





Intern at a Startup





An internship provides a valuable experience that will come in handy when you start your own business. You should choose an internship based on what you admire. Besides selecting an internship in your area of interest, startups should be the preferred interning area for entrepreneurs. By interning at a startup, you get the skills of running a business from scratch. You get the experience of starting your business, forge professional connections, and it can also be a great opportunity to get people who can be your mentor.





Most startups are involved in various ventures, including seeking funding and marketing. When you are in the middle of these operations, you will know where to look when you start to operate your business.









Read Widely





It is a no brainer. You have to learn from others if you want to be successful. You can’t always learn from your mistakes. Take time to read what other successful entrepreneurs have done to be where they are. Besides learning some lessons, their stories will motivate you to work harder on your dream venture.





You can also research about competitors in the field you are passionate about. Learn about their startup phase, what they are doing at critical stages of their business, and how they identify their market. Researching will equip you with different ideas to better understand the market you intend to get into. With such information, you’ll be in a better position to compete with competitors and even crush them.





Take Free Online Classes





Adding one more class to your already busy schedule can be hectic. But it may be what you need. For business owners, learning never stops. You should always strive to keep updated about business trends and technology. It is because these are crucial factors that are ever-changing. Staying updated will, therefore, keep you a step ahead.





There are lots of online courses that you can learn at your convenience. Register for these courses and take time to learn something at least every other day.





For entrepreneurs, school is an opportunity to learn soft skills that would help them become all-rounded and successful business people. It is not about the piece of paper alone. It is about taking advantage of all the programs available to acquire skills and the time factor of starting early enough. So, use the tips above to hone your entrepreneurial skills now.






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