With Entrepreneurial and Small Business Training, You Could Start the Next Google

Every successful entrepreneur starts with a bright idea. Two college students invented Google. Mrs. Fields baked her first cookies at home. If you've always wanted to be your own boss, business training can help you become a successful entrepreneur.

Classes and courses in running a business could eventually lead to a certificate or diploma, or even a bachelor's or master's degree--but most importantly, they can help you avoid common business pitfalls. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), "Most new businesses fail because their owners do not look far enough beyond their dreams." Look beyond your dream: take advantage of courses and degrees available at a vocational school, community college, or university near you. You don't necessarily need a master's degree to be a successful entrepreneur, but the classes leading to that degree may be invaluable.

Entrepreneurs Have More Degrees than Non-entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurial businesses are growing at an astonishing rate.

• In 1998, there were about 2 million entrepreneurs and small-business owners. In 2006, there were more than 20 million--a 900 percent increase in eight years.
• Between 1997 and 2004, microbusinesses (businesses with few or no employees other than the owner) increased by 27 percent, to 19.5 million, while the number of larger businesses with employees grew by only 7.3 percent.

And statistically, entrepreneurs have higher-than-average education.

• In 1998, about 87 percent of all workers, but 96 percent of all entrepreneurs, finished high school.
• In the same year, about 27 percent of all workers, but almost 40 percent of entrepreneurs, had earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

Clearly, entrepreneurs with business training should have a better chance of growing their company. The training may turn into a certificate, diploma, or degree, but it can definitely eliminate obstacles from the road to entrepreneurial success.