Business Owner here, whats the best way to learn about business? (sales, CPA)

[FreshFresh]

I'm college grad with no business background. Whats the best way to obtain business knowledge an owner should have?

Some schooling?

A book?

A website?


Please share.

[NJBest]

If you mean the basics of running a business, then schooling is the way to go. See if you can study under Brockner at Columbia.

[user_id]

Assuming you have already have the necessary underlying skills, then books should be sufficient.

I'd start with the more interesting stuff and then move on to the more boring topics (i.e., accounting, etc).

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by FreshFresh

Whats the best way to obtain business knowledge an owner should have?

Dive in with both feet using someone else's money.

after a while you'll see about 3 basic categories to it:
the skills related to starting a business
the skills related to operating a business
the bookkeeping skills

you'll need to know all three

[harry chickpea]

It all depends on the business. If you are a goat herder, you need to know different things than if you are running an escort service... maybe.


Get a CPA to guide you through the financial basics, dot your "i"s and cross your "t"s.

[Rich_CD]

Originally Posted by FreshFresh

Whats the best way to obtain business knowledge an owner should have?

That depends on what role you're going to play in business.

A general knowledge (and proper knowledge for a leader) of business can be gained from "Management - Revised Edition" by Peter Drucker.

The best way to obtain knowledge about business is by doing. Another *very* important point to keep in mind is that as owner/leader of a business it is your task to "apply the best resource to the problem". So, if you need accounting done. You don't learn accounting. You hire an accountant because an accountant is going to be way better than yourself at accounting.

As owner/leader a few musts are:
1) Knowing your market.
2) Knowing how to reach your market.
3) Knowing how to find funding!!!
4) Knowing how to find competent employees!!!

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by FreshFresh

I'm college grad with no business background. Whats the best way to obtain business knowledge an owner should have?

Some schooling?

A book?

A website?


Please share.

Anyone in business has to be a good salesperson otherwise, how are you A) going to get the word out about your business and B) going to be able to sell your product or service?

It also helps to know how to write and research and be creative.

Brian Tracy's books and tapes are great to read. He is an expert in sales and became that way just via working his way up. He was obsessed with learning what makes people successful and while he was finding out, he did the same. He consults with Fortune 50 companies and lectures everywhere. He's great!

[user_id]

Originally Posted by emilybh

Anyone in business has to be a good salesperson otherwise, how are you A) going to get the word out about your business and B) going to be able to sell your product or service?

You hire someone to do it....

[Rich_CD]

Originally Posted by user_id

You hire someone to do it....

That is true. You hire sales people because the business leader can't spend all their time selling.

But, the business leader must be able to sell "the business" to investors, bankers, potential executives, etc.

It's difficult, but for some people it's the only way to live.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by Rich_CD

But, the business leader must be able to sell "the business" to investors, bankers, potential executives, etc.

A successful business will sell itself, but certainly being able to "sell the business" well can make up for other shortcomings.