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Considering going back to school....

by Zodiax
22 replies
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I am considering going back to school in order to learn business skills so that I can effectively start a profitable company. Contrary to what I thought in the past, IM(the business of selling thin-laced info products) is not a way to financial stability and entrepreneurship.


I started this out in 2011 after I was in a low point in my life, and googled how to make money online. My search eventually led me the world of IM, filled with info-products and get rich quick schemes disguised as 'business opportunities'. My naivety led me to believe that this would be a way to get a taste of self-employment, and learn how to run a business without having a 'fancy degree' and all.


A lot has happened during that time and I am aware of my limitations. I know that I don't know the first thing about how to run a real business. I barely even know the basics, like how to do market research, how to market, the fundamentals of the economy.


I know enough to skirt by, but I know that in order to achieve what I want I need to learn. Yes, I know there are thousands of books out there that I can read(I have been reading), but I think a structured environment would be better for me. I thought that the wisest choice would be to go rogue, skip school, and 'make passive income', but that is all a pie in the sky dream.


I am thinking and in the midst of planning to go back to school to get a masters in business and administration. I don't have the funds now, but I think this would be a great opportunity to show my resourcefulness and make the money to go back to school.


It would most likely be a few years before I can afford to go back, and I am debating whether I should do online schooling or onsite schooling.


I would feel more empowered knowing I have the skills to succeed, and I think a lot of people would take me more seriously.


MLM, 'passive income', and crappy info-product creation is not the way for me to be taken seriously, and I don't take any of that seriously anymore.

There is so much more to creating a profitable business, online and offline.

These are the questions I still struggle to answer due to lack of knowledge.


1.How do I effectively find a product or service that is in demand?


2.How do I study market trends?


3.How do I create a proper business outline?


4.How to get the financial resources to 'start up'.


5.How to actually manage things like accounting, logistics, payroll etc.


6.How does the world economy work?


I won't find any answers to these questions in a $7 wso or clickbank product.


I don't want this to be a game anymore...
  • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
    Banned
    Just more dreaming. Very little of anything that you are going to learn in 'business school' is going to bring you any great level of success. Sorry, but it's my personal belief that you would just be wasting more years of your life. I could be wrong - there's a first time for everything I've been told.

    If you think your 'latest' plan will be more successful than anything you have tried in the past, go for it. I think you will wind up disillusioned, frustrated and still searching for something to do with your life. This is just more flailing-about. It's not a plan. It's a desperation move mandated by a lack of personal vision.

    The most important thing you need to succeed in life is courage. Find something you love and that you are incredibly good at and have the courage to stick with it. If you fail, fail for the right reasons. Then either start over with the knowledge gained by your failure or use it to hopefully point you in a new direction, that is better suited to the skills and interest you actually possess - not the ones you thought or hoped you possess.

    Your posts have painted a picture of you as someone just bobbing on the surface of life's waters, waiting to see where the tides and winds will blow you. You espouse trite cliches as if they are a belief system that you subscribe to. Until you discover the essence of your inner core and a personal mantra for your own life to believe in, you will never create anything. You will continue to meander through your daily existence and before you know it the best years will have passed you by.

    Above all else, spend less time dreaming and yakking and more time actually doing something. Anything. It's called self-discovery and it's where the road map for every journey you ever take in life must originate from.

    Cheers. - Frank
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    • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
      Yes, l have to agree with Frank on this one, at least overall!

      I have been on your position, read a box of self help books, (most leave you high and dry, unless you can use something in it in your own circumstances, not easy).

      And the thing about a business course is it teaches a lot of theory, but just like self help books, gives little on actual application.

      You have to remember that the course is set up by the social structure that uses the school system is set up to churn out workers and soldiers, not entrepreneurs!

      So you will learn how to set up a Bakery, (or similar business) but odd's on you will learn little on how someone like you can create wealth with an idea?

      No doubt that is what Frank is getting at!

      Probably the best book l have read, is Talk and Grow Rich! It teaches you how to use your subconsciousness to create plans and ideas. I have used it and it definitely helps, so worth looking for!

      Wealth actually boils down to persistence and testing, and as Frank has said, stay with an area you have an interest in!

      I created enough businesses offline to figure out, it is too hard to do, and staying online is way easier.

      I have also learned that traffic is the holy-grail of IM, figure that out and the rest is easy!

      That is why after 7.5 years online trying pretty much everything that business hubs with their own traffic flows are the best option!

      I know that some do well, with creating sites for people, etc, but stay with these kind of sites and one of the main reasons for failure, is taken out!

      Adwords is so expensive now, it is virtually useless, and l have never made a sale using Bing!


      I tried to make Fiverr work, but quickly learned that they are strictly into having a large slave type workforce, and frown on individuals who want to deliver only!

      Then l tried Graphicriver, which is literally the last option left to me online, (well the last option with the best chance).

      At the moment it is pocket money, but the Elite authors over there are and have made half a million or more over up to 8 years.

      I am slowly figuring out how they do it, not easy to figure out, but l am getting there!

      But anything online is the same, persist for long enough and you will hit a brick wall, then you can either walk away, (which is ok, l have done that several times, when l released the price l would have to pay) or ask the question....

      How are they making this much money with this, when l am not?

      Answer that and you get closer to success.

      Most success is getting over the mental barriers; most thought that the 4 minute mile was impossible, but one person dared to ask how can l do it, and now most can do it!

      Hope that l helped.

      Good luck!



      PS go and watch Cocktail, (Tom Cruise) might help?
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      • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
        Banned
        Originally Posted by tagiscom View Post

        Yes, l have to agree with Frank
        Living proof that demonstrates you don't need a college degree to be absolutely brilliant.

        Cheers. - Frank
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    • Profile picture of the author HN
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

      1.How do I effectively find a product or service that is in demand?
      Wrong approach! Come up with a new and unique service or product and create the demand for it. Be a few steps ahead not behind the rest of the crowd.

      2.How do I study market trends?
      3.How do I create a proper business outline?

      4.How to get the financial resources to 'start up'.
      Crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, JV partnerships.

      5.How to actually manage things like accounting, logistics, payroll etc.
      Hire an accountant.

      6.How does the world economy work?
      Do you expect a simple answer?

      Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

      Just more dreaming. Very little of anything that you are going to learn in 'business school' is going to bring you any great level of success. Sorry, but it's my personal belief that you would just be wasting more years of your life. I could be wrong - there's a first time for everything I've been told.
      Cheers. - Frank
      It's rare for me to agree with people on this forum, but I have to agree with this.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
    Having earned an MBA myself, I thoroughly disagree with Frank. I wouldn't be where I am today without the skills I learned in business school, particularly advanced finance.

    Normally, I encourage people with skill-based undergraduate degrees, such as engineering, accounting, etc., to go to business school. The broader base of an MBA opens doors, but it's nice to have a specific skill to fall back on or build upon.

    The entrepreneurial life style isn't for everyone. Hell, it isn't for most. Find what interests you and become great at it.
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    • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

      Having earned an MBA myself, I thoroughly disagree with Frank.
      Well, now you're just showing that having an MBA doesn't supplant innate stupidity.

      I friggin' slay myself. :-)

      I wouldn't be where I am today without the skills I learned in business school, particularly advanced finance.
      Seriously? You couldn't have found your way to the trash heap of humanity without an MBA?

      Harsh - I know! I love Monday mornings and waking up full of piss and vinegar.

      Normally, I encourage people with skill-based undergraduate degrees, such as engineering, accounting, etc., to go to business school. The broader base of an MBA opens doors, but it's nice to have a specific skill to fall back on or build upon.

      Blabedy-blabbedy-blah-blah-blah!

      Life isn't for everyone. Hell, it isn't for most.
      Fixed that for you.
      Find what interests you and become great at it.
      No school required for that.

      Follow my lead kid, lest you wind-up like Riffle. A fate worse than death.

      Cheers. - Frank
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        A lot has happened during that time and I am aware of my limitations. I know that I don't know the first thing about how to run a real business. I barely even know the basics, like how to do market research, how to market, the fundamentals of the economy.

        I know enough to skirt by, but I know that in order to achieve what I want I need to learn. Yes, I know there are thousands of books out there that I can read(I have been reading), but I think a structured environment would be better for me. I thought that the wisest choice would be to go rogue, skip school, and 'make passive income', but that is all a pie in the sky dream.
        It's unusual but I also disagree with Frank here....maybe. You are considering a graduate degree? What is your undergraduate degree?

        Have you worked in your undergrad field? If not, was it lack of GPA or interest or lack of available jobs that kept you from doing that?

        My daughter-in-law will receive her MBA in December and it's been a long haul as she's taken classes at night while working in her field. Point is - she's been working in the field she majored in as an undergrad and the MBA places her higher in that field.

        You bring up an important point - knowing HOW to run a business is critical whether you have your own business online or offline. However, if you have an undergrad degree you should already know much of that stuff. I know my d-in-law's classes aren't about 'basic business management' but about risk assessment, global business practices, market analysis, etc.

        I think it's a smart move to re-think your approach if IM isn't working for you. Much of what you see here (the WF) is the fluff and pomp of internet marketing - these days there is little substance discussed.
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        • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

          It's unusual but I also disagree with Frank here....maybe.
          OK. But just this once! :-)

          Cheers. - Frank
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        • Profile picture of the author Zodiax
          Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

          It's unusual but I also disagree with Frank here....maybe. You are considering a graduate degree? What is your undergraduate degree?

          Have you worked in your undergrad field? If not, was it lack of GPA or interest or lack of available jobs that kept you from doing that?

          My daughter-in-law will receive her MBA in December and it's been a long haul as she's taken classes at night while working in her field. Point is - she's been working in the field she majored in as an undergrad and the MBA places her higher in that field.

          You bring up an important point - knowing HOW to run a business is critical whether you have your own business online or offline. However, if you have an undergrad degree you should already know much of that stuff. I know my d-in-law's classes aren't about 'basic business management' but about risk assessment, global business practices, market analysis, etc.

          I think it's a smart move to re-think your approach if IM isn't working for you. Much of what you see here (the WF) is the fluff and pomp of internet marketing - these days there is little substance discussed.

          I have no degree.


          I don't know how the college system works.

          I would have to go through an undergraduate and than graduate program?
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          'I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion'
          -Muhammad Ali

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          • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
            Banned
            Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

            II don't know how the college system works.
            It's not a complicated procedure. You show up, apply yourself to the best of your ability and see it through to the end.

            Oh, wait. It's just like pursuing a career in IM - or anything else in life for that matter. :-)

            Cheers. - Frank

            P.S. You may want to rethink this. Vocational schools are all the rage and give you a much better bang for your buck, as well as training in a field where you can actually make a living upon graduating.
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            • Profile picture of the author Zodiax
              Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

              It's not a complicated procedure. You show up, apply yourself to the best of your ability and see it through to the end.

              Oh, wait. It's just like pursuing a career in IM - or anything else in life for that matter. :-)

              Cheers. - Frank

              P.S. You may want to rethink this. Vocational schools are all the rage and give you a much better bang for your buck, as well as training in a field where you can actually make a living upon graduating.


              My intention is not to get a career, it is to learn the most effective strategies for creating a profitable business.


              I want to extend my knowledge, which is amateur level at best.

              At the level I am now, any successful enterprise would be 'dabbler's luck', but with the skills armed I can be more prepared.


              I can't afford it now anyway, this is something I will have to do in a few years after I make a steady income through one of my pet projects.
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              'I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion'
              -Muhammad Ali

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              • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
                Banned
                Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

                My intention is not to get a career, it is to learn the most effective strategies for creating a profitable business.


                I want to extend my knowledge, which is amateur level at best.


                The goal is to enhance my ability to compete in the realm of business.
                Then quit jerking-off, here. Get off you ass and go talk to a guidance-counselor. You've already passed the point of appearing pathetic and completely ineffectual. If talk was money you'd be retired by now, living in Tahiti.

                Go take a long, intense gaze into a full-length mirror. What do you see???

                Cheers. - Frank

                P.S. No one here can help you achieve your goal, because while you claim you know what you want to do, you won't take the first baby-step to do it. So - you're either deluding yourself and lying to us, or . . . . . . . .

                Ooops! There ain't no, 'or.'
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              • Profile picture of the author HeySal
                Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

                My intention is not to get a career, it is to learn the most effective strategies for creating a profitable business.


                I want to extend my knowledge, which is amateur level at best.

                At the level I am now, any successful enterprise would be 'dabbler's luck', but with the skills armed I can be more prepared.


                I can't afford it now anyway, this is something I will have to do in a few years after I make a steady income through one of my pet projects.
                I also disagree with Frank. Even though some subjects I took will never earn me any bucks - knowing the material is a prize nobody can take away. I took a lot of stuff that fascinated me for my "optional" courses.

                Kay is right about taking the type of business courses that matter and not the cut and dried black and white crap that you can look up and figure out in a few minutes from reading.

                I'm going to go on from there and say to get some courses of just general subjects that interest you as well so you actually have a direction. "Business" is so damned general it means almost nothing. What lines of business would really flip your switch to work in? You into science? Sports? Technology? Etc? Get some of that background so you have a direction to move into once you get the business know-how you are seeking to get it started. That move also gives you an education in areas that you are just generally interested in and will make your time in school valuable no matter what happens in the real world afterwards.
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                Sal
                When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
                Beyond the Path

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                • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
                  Banned
                  Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

                  I also disagree with Frank.
                  Some people never learn. :-)

                  Cheers. - Frank
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      • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
        Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

        Well, now you're just showing that having an MBA doesn't supplant innate stupidity.
        Actually, it typically encourages it.

        Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

        Seriously? You couldn't have found your way to the trash heap of humanity without an MBA?
        I was coming here well before I earned my MBA. That join date isn't entirely accurate...
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    No offense & good for you wanting to learn something new but I don't think you really understand IM.

    IM is what you make it, going to school isn't going to make you successful. Schools usually teach basic theory which is borderline useless. You're basically paying out thousands per semester in order to get a piece of paper to prove to a future employer that you're capable of following directions.

    My advice is focus on learning something specific like Quikbooks (example), something that would actually help a business. Just know those types of things are already online for free or extremely low prices compared to school prices.

    No doubt this forum is full of shit & losers peddling scams but IM itself has nothing to do with those people. There's thousands of legit ways to earn money online & build solid businesses.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    I think Yukon is on the right track.

    Getting a degree these days can be a waste of time and money, depending upon
    where you are in your career. I've known MBA's whose career and pay it did enhance.

    Get skills and knowledge that are in demand is what I would tell my kids to do.
    (Unless they had a calling to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or accountant...,
    which is getting a skill and knowledge set. So is plumbing or being an auto mechanic.)

    As for the questions you asked in your original post, you should already know some
    of the answers and can look them up for more study - such as how to find a market...

    That said, take as an example, an auto mechanic who starts his own shop. The one
    who also knows how to market will have a much better chance of staying in business in
    most markets. (In my small town, some of these trade guys stay in business just because there
    is nobody else around.)

    Do you have a marketable skill now?


    Dan
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    "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I have never regretted going to college and never regretted the experience in my field of interest in real world jobs. You will never do anything better for your career than continue to learn.

    Hard to believe to me but there are many people who want to build an online business that can't upload a file or build a wordpress site... and they refuse to learn to do it. Whether in college or online ... never stop learning.

    Take some classes that are related to business. One thing college teaches you is "how to learn." If you learn that, you don't even need the degree.
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  • Profile picture of the author objectiveman
    Focus on getting skills not credentials. If getting marketable skills leads to you getting a credential then so be it.

    Don't be another one of the MBA's working as a part time "manager" at Sears.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Did he go to McSchool yet?
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  • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
    Suck in what you can, blow out what you must, cream off what you will.

    Works for dolphins.
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    • Profile picture of the author David Beroff
      Originally Posted by Princess Balestra View Post

      Suck in what you can, blow out what you must, cream off what you will.
      What were you saying about modeling boots?
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