Ready to learn about Business

[jamestl2]

Hey everyone,
My name is James and I've heard about SBF through vangogh (I know him through Webmaster-Talk).

I'm 22 and an Information Resources major at UW-Milwaukee. I used to be a business major a few years back, but I didn't really enjoy the curriculum (no online nor computer focus) and wasn't doing to well in a few of the classes (Accounting and Statistics, strongly disliked those courses).

Anyway, I have a strong Wordpress background and I just recently started my own (online) business pertaining to it, and I hope to learn a lot about what I can do with it.

Thanks

[vangogh]

Hey James. Nice seeing you here. You'll find a different mix of people here than at WT. Lots more business knowledge and everyone is definitely friendly. I'd tell you I'm looking forward to getting to know you, but I think at this point we know each other pretty well.

Thanks for joining the community.

[cbscreative]

Welcome to this group, James. I completely understand your dislike for Accounting and Statistics. I'm glad there's people like Evan (another member here) who enjoy that because I share your strong dislike for those. I was going to a business university from 2001-2006 focusing on networking and technology. When I got to the point where I had to take courses like Statistics just to get a piece of paper, my boss (me) told me it wasn't a priority since I had the knowlege that was important. College dropouts often succeed in business, look at Bill Gates.

[jamestl2]

Thanks guys.

I'll actually be graduating this Fall (hopefully :D), and I feel most of the knowledge offered in the IR courses I'm taking, I already previously knew about (learned about building websites in my spare time, before subjects even close to them came up). The main reasons I'm attending are because my family urged me to, and financial and insurance reasons.

I'm still unsure about what my exact future is going to be, despite being a senior in college (aka the job vs. business path). I know I'd like to take the business path, but I don't know how substantial it'll be in the short term.

[vangogh]

If it means anything I had no clue what I wanted to do when I graduated college. A few years later I went back to school, earned another degree and still had no clue what I wanted to do.

Don't feel pressure to figure it all out right away. Most people don't. Do what you think best and see where it takes you and then if you decide you'd rather do something else go ahead and do something else.

With business just try something. Do your best to make it a success and if it doesn't work learn something that you can apply to your next business. A lot of success is simply hanging in there and trying different things.

[cbscreative]

Hanging out here will teach you a lot about business and can even keep you from making a lot of mistakes. Like vangogh pointed out, there is a lot of varied experience here making it a great resource as you explore your options.

[jamestl2]

I'm thinking my primary concern will be dealing with money / finances. I know that I'll have to earn some money to eat, pay bills, etc. So I'll probably have to find work to get started, I just don't want to remain stuck on that path for the rest of my life (Plus job hunting is a whole 'nother story...).

I am making a little bit doing what I've been doing (Adsense on a few sites), but it's nowhere near enough to survive on my own.

I did recently started undertaking a few contracts on a freelance site about a month or so back, and I found out it pays pretty well (far better than Adsense has offered me), so I decided I'd try that path out and convert the idea into a full-fledged website and offer my services to people if they need them.

[KristineS]

Welcome to the forum James. Don't worry about graduating and not knowing what you want to do. I think almost all of us were in that boat when we started out.

[jamestl2]

Thanks Kristine.

I'd like to not worry about it, but I don't know if I can't, know what I mean? Because we all have to start somewhere.

[vangogh]

James, one advantage you have is being young. It means you probably don't need as much money to live as you will say 20 years from now and you probably have more energy than you will 20 years from now.

You can always go for the full time job and work on starting a business after work. It's not easy to find that energy after work, but you have youth on your side there. And you have time to figure out what kind of business you really want to run. You also have time to learn many of the things you'll need to know.

Offering services is a good way to start. Do what you can to make enough to support yourself and go from there. There are lots of ways you can get more clients and turn clients into repeat clients and get everyone to spend more money with you. It doesn't happen overnight, but if you keep at it and keep improving, it does happen.

[Patrysha]

Welcome to the forum. Entrepreneurship is an incredible ride...enjoy the journey.

[yoyoyoyoyo]

Lashtal from WT, and I agree, that VanGogh is everywhere!!! :)

[vangogh]

Don't turn around. I'm right behind you. I'm everywhere. :)

[Dan Furman]

If it means anything I had no clue what I wanted to do when I graduated college. A few years later I went back to school, earned another degree and still had no clue what I wanted to do.

Don't feel pressure to figure it all out right away. Most people don't.

I'm 43 and still figuring it out. I'm doing what I do now, but who knows where will I be ten years from now? Ten years ago, I really couldn't have predicted where I am right now.

Personally, I like that. To me, the most soul-crushing thing in the world would be a "safe / long term" job that you really can't afford to quit. I like being free.

[KristineS]

Got to agree with you on that, Dan. I've never really had a plan about what I wanted to do, except that I knew I wanted to write. That has led me through a bunch of different employment experiences. I've learned a lot. Who knows where I'll end up, but the ride has been interesting so far, and that counts for a great deal.

[Paul Elliott]

Welcome to the SBF, James.

Keep looking, asking, and trying. It'll all sort out.

BTW, this is an excellent place to start with any business consideration.

Do excellent work and keep on doing it.

Paul