Your Degree Is Not Your Destiny: How To Succeed in Business Without a College Education

It’s no secret that having a college degree can open up many career opportunities. But what if you don’t have a degree? Does that mean you can't follow your dreams and achieve your goals? Absolutely not. With the right knowledge and resources, you can become an entrepreneur without a college degree. The Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce has put together a list of helpful tips to help you get started; let's take a look.

Start with an LLC Designation

One of the first steps to launching your own business is to create an LLC designation. An LLC stands for Limited Liability Company, and it helps legitimize your business and provide protection from any potential liabilities. You can start the process of creating your LLC designation online with relative ease and minimal cost.

Set Attainable Goals

Successful businesses are built upon well-defined goals. When you are starting out, it’s important to set reasonable expectations and milestones that are achievable in order for you to stay motivated and on track for success. Write down your goals for the next three months, six months, and one year so that you have something concrete to work toward.

Use a Great Business Card for Networking Events

Networking events are invaluable when growing a small business, so having great business cards is essential. Present yourself professionally by using stylish templates from Canva or other free design services available online. Include all of your contact information as well as any relevant information about your company, such as mission statements or website URLs. This will help people remember who you are when they see your card later on.

Learn About Your Industry

Whether it’s through reading books or attending webinars, learning about the industry in which you hope to succeed is essential for any entrepreneur without a college degree. Understanding trends in the marketplace will help give you an edge over competitors who may not be as knowledgeable about their industry. Giving yourself this advantage will position you as a leader rather than a follower within the space.

Find Online Tools To Help with Daily Operations

Nowadays there are countless tools available online designed specifically to help entrepreneurs keep their businesses running smoothly and efficiently. These range from project management software like Asana or Slack, accounting tools like QuickBooks or Xero, and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like Salesforce or Hubspot. All of these tools can be invaluable when launching or scaling up operations within your business, especially if done without access to traditional college education sources typically used by most entrepreneurs.

Use PDFs For Organization

Document organization is key when running a successful business. Keeping everything organized digitally will ensure that all documents related to clients' or vendors' contracts can be accessed quickly should the need arise later down the line and will also help minimize room for error. In order to do this effectively, consider converting all of your important paperwork to PDF format. Going from Word to PDF is easy with the right tools, and it will give your documents an extra layer of protection.

Learn Accounting Basics

Every small business owner should practice good accounting principles, but this is especially crucial for those without the college education background most entrepreneurs possess. An effective way to do so is by harnessing programs like QuickBooks/Xero and using spreadsheets created in Excel/Sheets; you can also look for online resources that can help. It's also imperative to reconcile bank statements every month.

Finding success as an entrepreneur doesn't have to be a distant dream. With tools like PDF converters, accounting software, and an eye-catching business card for networking, you can start your own business and watch it grow. Keep these tips in mind when you're ready to get started.