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Do business or study business? Why an MBA could help you!

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A master’s in business administration provides many opportunities for recent graduates to find lucrative careers in a wide range of industries. Business administration is a college major that prepares students for jobs in the private sector and public sector. It is one of the top-rated, marketable degrees that employers want most. Many employers are searching for people who qualify for different positions and can handle diverse job duties. The skills that students learn while pursuing a master’s degree in business administration transcend to more than just one particular profession or one industry. Some of the fundamental skills for success, like critical thinking, leadership, analytical and communication, are developed while completing the degree program, which is important for many professions.

An individual who holds a degree in business can work in several industries, including advertising, finance, human resources, retail management, research, education, insurance, banking, real estate and more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the median salary for business and financial occupations range between $50,000 and $70,000 annually, although the actual salaries vary depending on the particular occupation, the extent of the job responsibilities and the location of the employer. Depending on the employer, an individual may receive additional incentives, such as bonuses, medical benefits and retirement benefits.

There are different levels of concentration with a business administration degree program. Students can choose specific business concentrations, such accounting, marketing, finance, management and information technology. The coursework incorporates general areas of business administration as well specific courses designed for specific majors. For instance, typical courses for a master’s in finance concentration focus on statistics, economic theory, financial research and banking; however, the coursework for master’s in marketing program involves subjects including marketing research and analysis, consumer data analysis and marketing promotions.

A master’s degree from a prestigious institution, such as Washington State University, gives an individual a competitive edge to qualify for and procure top-level job positions. In addition to completing the fundamental coursework for business administration, a master’s degree program provides the opportunities for students to explore in-depth courses in specific majors, enabling students to develop expert knowledge and skills.

Where does THAT entrepreneurial spirit come from? How does it affect you?

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Entrepreneurship is a rewarding pursuit. It is vaunted by many as the height of accomplishment. Choosing successful investments and guiding projects with potential into their own as full-fledged businesses is a fantastic challenge that can pay big dividends.

However, there are high barriers to entry. You need at least a little money to start, and you need to know what you’re doing and who to talk to. Whether or not you have the golden spoon, there are valuable insights that can help you reach your destination. So where does your entrepreneurial spirit come from? Is it…

In the Blood?

Some enter entrepreneurship through their family ties. When you come from a family of businessmen and entrepreneurs, you tend to have access to two things: money and connections. Much of entrepreneurship revolves around knowing who to talk to, how and when, and then having the money to act on what you’ve talked about.

It may sound almost obvious, but having family members in an industry makes a big difference for this. Even if they do not themselves invest in businesses, learning a business passively as you grow up within a family can do a lot to give you the leverage you need to get started.

In the Class?

Some pursue education directly as a means to learn about business. Steve Wynn is a fantastic example of someone who has leveraged an education into a career in entrepreneurship. Education isn’t a mark of skill or a guarantee of success, but individuals armed with knowledge about entrepreneurship and how it works tend to fair better.

The key is in understanding the history of entrepreneurship and how to identify things that will work, as well as filtering one’s own emotional responses. While we are frequently told to “go with our gut,” the truth is that this can be a major liability in entrepreneurship.

Those that say they make decisions purely on instinct may be misjudging their own analytical minds. Education can help entrepreneurs to make much more informed, intellectual decisions that will not be vulnerable to the psychological pull associated with a strong presentation and a pleasant smile.

In your personality?

However, some individuals don’t have any particular business background. They simply use their paycheck from their usual nine-to-five job in as a resource to bootstrap their way to entrepreneurial success. This is by and large the hardest way to get yourself into entrepreneurship, but there are plenty of examples of those that have made it. The world wide web has become an important resource for individuals like this. While it isn’t a magic bullet, there are a number of resources that allow individuals to run much more successful campaigns.

Kickstarter is a great example of this, and crowdfunding in general. Aspiring entrepreneurs can pick projects not to back through the crowdfunding system exclusively, but in other ways, offering what support they can and reaching out. By making it easier for would-be business owners to get into business, it gets easier for entrepreneurs to pick their marks and strike out to make connections.

Does it matter where?

Entrepreneurship is always a challenge, but it isn’t as mystical as it can sometimes seem from the outside. As with most industries, the hardest part is getting started. Once you have an idea of what you’re looking at in the industry, picking yourself up and going for it becomes much more possible, and there’s nearly nothing to stop you no matter what your background when you get momentum.

3 Benefits of Using an E-commerce Service for Your Small Business

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Owning and operating a small business can be stressful. If you’d like to take your business online, but aren’t sure where to begin, it may be time to consider an e-commerce service. These providers help you set up a storefront, manage your inventory, and communicate with your customers — all from one easy-to-use interface.

 

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Let’s take a look at the three main benefits of this type of service:

Manage Store Inventory Online

When you opt to utilize e-commerce software for your small business, you reduce the need to manage inventory and stock in real time. Instead, you simply add the products you have for sale and let the software do the rest. Visitors will be notified of what’s in stock, what the current price is, and then be walked through their purchase. If you run low on an item, you’ll be notified in plenty of time to add additional stock.

Add or Remove Products Instantly

If you’ve decided to add a new product to your store, or to stop carrying a product that you no longer want to sell, making changes is easy. With just a few clicks, you can update your shop’s site in real time. This means that visitors to your store are always provided with the most up-do-date information possible about the products you offer.

Control Your Store from Your Mobile Device

Owning a business doesn’t stop just because you need to travel, visit the doctor, or take some time off. When you run your business using an e-commerce program like 1ShoppingCart.com, you can access all your information from your mobile device. So, if you need to add inventory, contact a customer, or walk someone through a problem, you can access the information you need from your mobile device.

When you want to operate your business online, but need an easy, convenient way to do so, an e-commerce service might exactly what you’ve been looking for. These services help business consumers run a storefront online and manage inventory conveniently.

They provide you with the freedom to access your business from home, your office, or on the go, so that you have the information you need at your fingertips, no matter where you are.