In order for an entrepreneur to stay triumphant, they need to stay at the top of their game, which means that they need to constantly invest in their own education. The very act of running an enterprise will give you more than enough opportunities to test your newly-acquired knowledge in practice but, for this to work, you first need to find a sustainable model of self-education. When it comes to this, e-learning remains as, perhaps, the greatest tool that a modern entrepreneur has on their disposal. Here are several reasons why, as well as some tips on how this can be easily turned even more in your favor.
1. Much more flexible learning model
The first massive advantage that comes from the option of e-learning is the opportunity to completely customize your learning experience. Most entrepreneurs are already quite busy and it would be impossible for them to adjust to the pre-existent schedule of a traditional course that they aim to enlist on. With e-learning, they get to choose their own learning schedule, as well as pick mediums that fit this model the best. Learning materials like e-books can allow one to get educated while driving to work or sitting in a waiting room. Also, a flexible course model can give one all the freedom they need to simultaneously expand their business and their knowledge.
This is particularly important for those who are struggling to create a better work-life balance. Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of time on its own. Now add to this the idea of being a spouse and a parent, as well as maintaining at least somewhat active social life and you’ll see just how much effort you would have to invest in making it all work. With the use of the e-learning model, such a thing becomes substantially easier to achieve.
2. Better adjusted for introverts
One of the biggest mistakes about the business world is the idea that only extroverts make for great entrepreneurs. This is due to the assumption that charisma, people skills and great rhetorical skills are all that it takes for a person to make it in the business world. Fortunately, these three skills are not exclusive to extroverts and even if they were, the business world of the 21st century doesn’t necessarily revolve around them. This is especially true for online businesses and this is what makes introverts incredibly skilled to deal with all that comes ahead. You see, introverts are much less distracted by immediate rewards, which makes them great at interpreting the bigger picture and adjusting to it, thus making them into great leaders, as well.
When it comes to e-learning, introvert entrepreneurs are really the ones getting the most out of it. First of all, it provides them with an approach that’s more similar to one-on-one learning than a model resting on a crowded classroom. Second, it gives introverts a chance to pick their own pace, their own learning materials and figure out patterns that they want to focus on. Overall, it can help introverts develop essential leadership skills and entrepreneurial traits under their own terms.
3. Greater focus on specific skills
The biggest problem with a traditional learning model lies in the fact that it’s often not specific enough for what you need. Namely, if you need to acquire a specific skill, in order for a course to be financially sustainable, there needs to be a big enough number of people who are interested in that particular course in a certain area. This means that the majority of these educational institutions are forced to combine skills and topics in order to get enough audience for their course to be financially sustainable.
With the concept of e-learning, however, the entire world is a potential audience, which means that focusing on the most specific skills and narrow niches may still be a viable idea. From the learner’s standpoint, this gives on a chance to access courses all over the globe, instead of having to look for ones that are available in their vicinity.
4. Cost-efficiency
One of the concepts that get overlooked most often is one of cost-efficiency. First of all, these courses usually work with digital resources, which, most often, don’t have so high month-to-month overhead. This means that, on average, these courses are more affordable than their traditional counterparts. Other than this, learning materials are also digital, which means that it’s much easier to acquire them. With physical learning materials, the one possessing the physical copy would be able to dictate the price, which means that the market isn’t as well regulated as online. This is especially true when looking for study materials via platforms specializing in VCE notes.
Other than this, you also get to save the money on commute, which is not a small issue. As for the additional materials like notebooks, ballpoint pens and other trifles, while it is true that expenses surrounding this are minimal, put together it definitely adds up.
5. Teaching quality
When trying to learn a specific skill, you would be restricted to the experts that are active in your area. Online, however, you can handpick your tutors amongst niche experts. This would allow you to get a much higher quality of education and learn from the best. For employees, this would create a scenario where you get something impressive to put in your resume but for an entrepreneur, this also brings a lot of prestige. A mention of a renowned tutor will give you a no small degree of respect from people in your industry, which might serve as an amazing ice-breaker for any business meeting. In other words, other than just receiving an outstanding education, you also gain a massive reputation boost.
6. Regular updates
In a lot of fields, updates take place on a daily basis, which would make a previous learning model or curriculum somewhat outdated. Think about where medical science was 20 years ago and try to get a grasp of the fact that there are some, currently active, physicians who finished med-school about 30 years ago. With e-learning, materials, concepts and facts get regularly updated and it’s incredibly easy for you to catch up with all that’s new in the field.
7. So much you should learn
They say that it takes roughly 10.000 hours to master a single skill, which should make some people quite skeptical about their ability to master all processes that their company is engaging in. Fortunately, sometimes it’s enough for you to just understand what your teams are doing, which is something that even a 101 course should provide you with.
Think about it, you’ll need to hire a professional accountant, IT expert and an HR expert either way. However, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t learn a thing or two about corporate finance, IT security and staff management while you’re at it. This will help you understand your business as a whole, become better at hiring suitable experts and becoming better at outsourcing your processes.
8. Learning styles
One of the things that a lot of people are unaware of is the fact that there are several different learning styles according to a person’s preferences and predispositions. For instance, some people are visual learners, which means that they acquire the most knowledge by engaging in visual learning resources like videos. Others are aural, which means that they learn the best by listening to a lecture. There are also verbal, logical and kinesthetic learners, all with their own sets of preferences. By turning towards e-learning you’ll get a chance to acquire knowledge in a way that suits you the best, thus maximizing the efficiency of your efforts. In other words, your education will become both more comfortable and more efficient.
9. Setting a good example
As an entrepreneur, you’ll expect your employees to keep self-improving and keep investing in their own education. How can you expect them to do so if you’re not following this rule yourself? By using all the benefits of e-learning, you’ll get to seamlessly transition from one course to another, honing your skills, improving your leadership abilities and setting the right example for your employees. This way, once you decide to suggest some of your employees enlist on a course, you’ll have a full moral right to do so. Speaking of which…
10. A systemic upgrade for your enterprise
Previously, we’ve talked about the importance of education not just for you but for your employees, as well. Once you get involved in the world of online courses and e-learning, you’ll have a much better understanding of this concept and this system in general. This means that you’ll be able to provide your employees with proper guidance and advice. This will not only strengthen the bond between you and your employees but also establish you as an even greater authority. This will only give a boost to your image as office authority. Even better, you’ll be able to achieve this without being too authoritarian.
The very last thing you need to bear in mind is the fact that this model is incredibly flexible and reliable, meaning that you get to use and reuse it any number of times you see fit. Also, in a digital world, the majority of learning resources can be accessed from any given device, which means that all of these materials can also be used as active business assets. All in all, it’s a trend that can definitely provide you with a consistent competitive edge.