If there’s one thing to keep in mind regarding an education, it’s that it doesn’t end in the classroom. Especially as an entrepreneur, you are constantly experimenting and learning. As the new school year kicks off, here are a few classroom rules that can apply to you as a business owner:
Be prepared
You know when teachers send home 100 pages worth of supplies you need to buy for your child? It always seems silly that one classroom could need that many supplies. But then, one month later, not a single student seems to have a pencil sharpener, even though everyone was supposed to buy three.
Similarly, it’s always best to be overly prepared as a business owner. You never know what could happen; your partner could bail, a sponsor could fall through or that fundraiser doesn’t get you all the funds you were hoping for. Be prepared for any situation, and nothing will be able to knock you down.
Network
The first time I toured a college campus, my mom came with me. Whenever we came into contact with any of the students, she asked them what advice they would have for an incoming freshman. Every single one of them (and there were dozens of them) said to get involved in extracurricular activities.
In my freshman year, I didn’t take that too seriously. I focused on my schoolwork and spent my weekends studying. As the semesters passed, I started to realize that an education is about so much more than your homework — it was equally as important to do the things that won’t be on your transcript. I made social connections, established relationships and got involved in programs that helped me to be successful in several aspects of my life — even after graduation.
It can be easy to lock yourself in your home office and focus on your own work as an entrepreneur, but if you don’t establish a web of networking, your system will fail. Reach out to other business owners and establish relationships so that when you’re in need of a helping hand, you’ll have someone to go to.
Do Your Homework
Now that we’ve discussed the social aspect, I should emphasize that there’s still homework. After all, your child probably isn’t allowed to go play with their friends until their homework is done, right?
There really isn’t much of a break for business owners. It can be exhausting work — but it definitely pays off. That being said, it will pay off only if you truly put the work into it. Give your business the attention that it deserves, and it will return the favor by tenfold.
Don’t Give Up
Failure in life is inevitable. As an entrepreneur, you’ve probably seen it time and time again. But every failure is a learning opportunity — and it’s important to understand that the only real failure in life is giving up. Dust yourself off, learn from your mistakes and move forward.
None of us ever stop being students. Let’s set the example for everyone going back to school right now and demonstrate these rules as entrepreneurs.
by: Emily Brady
Emily Brady received her Bachelors at Brigham Young University Idaho where she majored in Communication Sciences with an emphasis in journalism and professional management. She has written for Scroll News and Deseret Digital Media and is currently a freelance writer. In her free time she enjoys hiking, reading and swinging in her hammock.
