• You Don't Need A College Degree With These Entrepreneurial Goals

Many self-starters are finding that a college degree is not the only way to reach success in business. With hard work and a few key tools, anyone can become an entrepreneur, and it starts with a few essential steps. The Northville Chamber of Commerce has put together this guide to provide foundational advice on how to start your own business without having to attend college.

Start With A Home-Based Business

For those just starting out, it’s often best to begin with a home-based business. This allows you to test the waters without committing too much money upfront. You can also take this time to get comfortable with the day-to-day operations of your business as well as build out any strategies or connections necessary for long-term success.

Form An LLC Entity

Once you have decided on the type of business you want to run, it’s important to set up your business structure correctly from the beginning. An LLC designation is recommended for many new entrepreneurs, as it provides limited liability protection for owners and helps keep personal assets separate from the business. It is also important to make sure that you register your company properly so that you are in compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations.

Use PDF Tools To Manage Paperwork

Properly organizing digital documents is a major aspect of staying on top of some of the most important aspects of a business. PDFs are the best format for your business’s files, because they’re easy to store, send, and manage, and they can be secured with encryption or password protection. There are several PDF tools available from Adobe Acrobat that make file organization easy and efficient. Use our tools to convert files to PDFs, request or add a digital signature, edit text and graphics, and more.

Learn How To Network

Networking can be invaluable when running a successful business, as it provides access to potential customers, vendors, employees, partners, investors, and more. Take some time each week or month to attend networking events or join online groups related to your field of interest or industry expertise. This will help you build relationships while also providing valuable insight into potential opportunities that could arise in the future.

Take Online Certifications

While college courses may not be possible at the moment due to time constraints or financial reasons, taking online certifications is a great way to stay current in your field and gain knowledge about topics that are relevant to your particular industry without having a formal education background in it. For instance, there are several online certification programs offered by companies like Google which offer comprehensive training in coding languages.

Find The Right Mentor

Having someone who has been through similar experiences and successes (or failures) can provide invaluable guidance throughout the process of starting and running a successful business venture. Finding the right mentor early on should be a top priority when planning any type of entrepreneurial journey. Mentors help provide insight into challenges associated with certain decisions while also offering advice on how they handled similar situations when they were starting their businesses — something no college course could ever teach.

Starting your own business doesn't require a college degree, but rather planning ahead coupled with risk assessment along the way. Think of some skills you'd like to learn that might be beneficial as an entrepreneur — like speaking a second language, conducting basic accounting skills, or coding — and look for online certifications that will help you reach your goals. You can also use online PDF tools to manage important documents and stay organized. With these moves, you won't need a formal education to bring your dreams to life.