The Top 5 Things That Business School Did Not Teach Me

Guest Post by Rob Stretch

 As a recent college graduate of a state land-grant university, I thought it would be beneficial to share what they aren’t teaching in the classroom today. I have learned more in my short year of real-world employment and entrepreneurial experience than I have in my four years of schooling without a doubt. Here is my top five list of what business schools should be teaching:

1. The business world is gray, not black and white.
When a competitor changes their strategy and starts impeding on your market share, usually you don’t get to respond with a multiple choice answer. Furthermore, the principles of marketing and management you memorized may act as a frame of reference, but the business world is dynamic and always changing.

2. Read blogs, not textbooks.
In the Web 2.0 era, information can be overwhelming.  But if you can sort all of this information out and keep on top of it, you have a distinct advantage over your competitors. I have learned that an RSS feed is my best friend. To be successful in the online marketing field, I look at others are blogging about. This includes following people on Twitter. Some people are hesitant to join social networks. But if used correctly they can truly streamline the information gathering process.

3. Get to know successful people.
Thinking about starting a business? Who better to meet than people who have stood in your shoes before? Get networking! This can include social networks, angel groups, local entrepreneurship clubs, local college groups, or simply reaching out and contacting people. You never know how much one lunch with a successful entrepreneur can change your perception of a business or industry.

4. E-marketing is the language of successful retail today.
Ok, so maybe there are some exceptions. But by far the easiest way to break into retail today is picking a niche and marketing it online. With globalization on the rise, e-marketing is the way to go. What used to be limited by geography is now available to millions of people all over the world. Take advantage of technology!

5. Getting your hands dirty is better than reading 100 textbooks.
You can have 100 business ideas but if you never go out and try them then why does it matter? The only way to really learn a business is to go out and get it started. This is the best advice I could give any budding entrepreneur.

About the author: Rob Stretch is a blogger and search engine optimizer for VA Mortgage Center.com.  His main personal interests are e-marketing, small business, and entrepreneurship.