Entrepreneurship in and of itself is a broad and sometimes ill-defined concept that seems to encompass different things depending on who you ask. That being said, we should all agree on the benefits of pursuing an education at an institution like the École d’entrepreneuriat de Québec or another entrepreneurship school. If you consider yourself an entrepreneur or aspire to be one and are not yet convinced of the relevance of entrepreneurship schools, here are a few of their benefits that you should keep in mind while assessing the value of this type of education.
The Value of the Paper
Let’s face it: unless you have some pretty solid connections or had amazing accomplishments early in your life, having a legitimate degree can only improve your prospects whether you’re looking for a job or an opportunity to start your own business. Now, you may think that you’ll be part of the minority of hyper successful entrepreneurs that reached the top with no formal (or an uncomplete) formal education. It’s possible, like many things in this world, but the truth is that the value of a formal degree is something you don’t want to miss on if you can afford it. You know, just to be sure.
The Access to Great Teachers and Mentors
Having an entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t mean that you don’t need to learn from like-minded and more experienced individuals. We could argue that the background of your mentors and teachers is one of the main differences between a business school and a real entrepreneurship school. Having access to experienced entrepreneurs is probably the biggest intangible asset that comes with an entrepreneurship education. Even if you’ve been blessed with solid connections, you can certainly benefit from having real-world experiences brought in your classroom.
The Network You’ll Build
This point is the second benefit of going to school alongside like-minded individuals: if your teachers can play the part of great mentors in your education, it’s also more than likely that you’ll meet interesting students and form long lasting relationship with these fascinating peers. One of the greatest benefits of formal educations in general is the opportunity they provide to meet new people, and you should take full advantage of it.
A Broader Perspective On Pretty Much Everything
Even if you already have a clear idea of the type of business you intend to run and the skill set you’ll need in order to do so effectively, the truth is you can’t possibly know that, or at least not in a sufficient level of details. That’s the reason why you should consider getting an entrepreneurship degree. While some of the classes you’ll have to take may seem unrelated to your entrepreneurial endeavor (or even irrelevant), they’ll expand your horizons and provide you with tools that could come in very handy in an unforeseeable future.
What You’ll Learn Nowhere Else
The last and certainly not the least item on this list is the actual content of an entrepreneurship degree curriculum. Indeed, the whole point of this type of education is to provide you with classes you’ll get nowhere else. Of course, classes in accounting, marketing and management (which are obviously crucial for an entrepreneur), are taught in mainstream business school, but where will you get the opportunity to learn how to do a business plan, get some capital to lift off the ground, or develop a client base? At an entrepreneurship school.
The myth that “real” entrepreneurs are the ones that don’t have to go to school because they already “have it” in them is just that, a myth. Having a lot of potential and awesome ideas is good and everything, but it’s not a reason to turn your back on the great value of an entrepreneurship education.
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