What is Entrepreneurship?
An entrepreneur is someone that creates or expands a business or venture. Entrepreneurs can be owners or employees within an organization that work to do this. As business owners, entrepreneurs take on the risk of success or failure. Important entrepreneurial skill areas include business administration, finance, computer science, and specific knowledge, such as industrial engineering, if you plan to start a business that requires technical know-how.
Entrepreneurs are people that create new business and work to expand existing businesses with new ideas, products, services, etc. While many new businesses come from creative ideas, some successful models remake existing firms. Entrepreneurs can create productive arrangements of business and technology and leverage business connections. Business development requires leadership skills and the ability to realize a vision through tools like marketing, analytics, and negotiation.
Business ownership can be a rewarding experience. However, the same ideal, enthusiasm, and drive can work in existing corporate settings as it does in startups. The modern corporation often behaves as an entrepreneur and develops new ventures and enterprises by leveraging corporate resources.
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Online Entrepreneurship Education in Mississippi
The Mississippi economy has a near equal balance of manufacturing and agriculture at the top of its revenue categories. The state is a leader in some important agricultural categories such as catfish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and cotton. The shift from primary agricultural economy to diverse manufacturing began in the mid-1930sdue to New Deal programs. The historically abundant labor, low costs of land, and low cost of living have attracted industrial development to this day. Today, Mississippi is well-positioned to attract individual and organizational entrepreneurship.
Due to decades of improvements and government effort, Mississippi is an excellent place to initiate businesses as an entrepreneur. Mississippi has the nation’s lowest cost of living and its location is proximate to major east coast markets, the Gulf of Mexico, and the high-growth markets of the Sunbelt. The state government provides active levels of support for new businesses. The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) promotes the diversity of available skilled labor, low costs of doing business, and provides a quick and easy business set-up to comply with state registration and licensing regulations.
Entrepreneurship is a vital force in the US economy. Business owners account for important levels of employment, economic activity, and innovation. Small businesses are important sources of local goods and services as well as stable employment. It’s not necessary to have a specific type of education to become an entrepreneur. Students seeking careers in business or as business owners can benefit from a business-focused learning experience. Mississippi schools offer all degree levels of entrepreneurship education.
The best entrepreneurship schools in Mississippi have accreditation from regional accreditors that assess the quality of education in the overall institution. An entrepreneurship degree in Mississippi can also have program accreditation from agencies that specialize in business and business administration.
Mississippi’s government and business community is focused on economic growth for the state and the region. The tech sector is emerging as vital to the state moving forward, as are leisure and travel. The state also welcomes entrepreneurs and innovators with technical and financial assistance.
Online Associate (AS)
An associate degree in entrepreneurship requires about 60 credit hours of study. Full-time students can complete the degree in two years, while part-time students can take much longer. A college or university might offer a business degree with a concentration in entrepreneurship.
Students can pursue an associate degree in a two-year institution, such as a school of business and technology or a community college. The curriculum at these institutions provides a foundation in English, statistics, and social sciences.
Entrepreneurship coursework can help creators and innovators succeed in business by providing them with foundational knowledge, even at this lower educational level. Topics can include funding, bringing innovations to market, E-commerce, product testing, and more. Schools prepare students for potential opportunities in small business resources for development including public funding and government contracting.
An associate degree works well for entrepreneurs as the coursework teaches business fundamentals. The business core consists of accounting, marketing, and business law. Hands-on courses may include popular office software like spreadsheets and presentation software.
An associate degree in entrepreneurship can open career paths in business at the entry-level and as assistants. Experience added to an associate degree can qualify graduates for rewarding positions and an associate degree is a stepping stone to a four-year degree if you decide to continue your education.
Online Bachelors (BS)
A four-year business program will provide a core of useful knowledge for a business owner or executive. This includes traditional areas like finance, economics, management, and marketing. Students can use business electives to add depth or concentrate learning in a particular field. Students study a core of business courses including accounting, marketing, business ethics, and management.
Students will select from courses in retail management, business analytics, and small business management. They can also focus on areas of interest like supply management, information technology, and E-commerce. Mississippi schools and colleges can offer internships and events to connect students with alumni. Networking and practical experience are valuable additions to the business and entrepreneurship coursework.
An entrepreneurship bachelor’s degree is an entry-level educational level for a range of business roles. Corporations and public organizations need management analysts, and marketing professionals can find roles in nearly every type of for-profit business. A bachelor’s degree is also the prerequisite for a master’s degree in entrepreneurship or MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship.
Online Masters (MS)
The master’s degree in entrepreneurship requires about 32-45 credit hours be completed, depending on the institution and requirements for internships. The masters of business administration, or MBA, requires about 30 to 35 credit hours and can offer students access to a concentration in entrepreneurship. Students can complete either degree in one to two years of full-time study.
Example coursework for entrepreneurship includes Business Leadership, Entrepreneurial Innovation, Strategic Planning, and Business Operations. Students will cover essential topics like finance, risk management, business organizations, and business law.
An MBA with an entrepreneurship focus is an ideal learning situation for experienced business professionals. Graduates can combine experience in a field with the entrepreneurial skills learned to launch a new career or shift to a new career direction.
A Master of Science in Management can also be completed with a focus on entrepreneurship. The MS or MA is designed for students seeking a broad and theory-based foundation in business. Entrepreneurship can be a field of research and study as well as a field of practice. The master’s level opens opportunities in government, corporations, non-profits, and other organizational settings.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
Entrepreneurship is an emerging field of study at the doctoral level. Many programs are doctoral level degrees in business or business administration with concentrations in entrepreneurship. A PhD program requires about 90 or more credit hours of advanced coursework. Candidates must sit for exams, perform research projects, and develop and defend a doctoral thesis.
In addition to the core coursework in traditional business subjects, students must complete a core of entrepreneur education. Example coursework includes Lean Startups, Operations, Information and Decisions, Finance, and Applied Economics. A PhD is a critical resource for higher education. PhDs teach business majors, graduate students, and mentor doctoral candidates.
A Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree with an entrepreneurship focus is a theory-based degree that permits a depth of knowledge in one or more subject areas of entrepreneurial study. DBAs make contributions in the operations environments of industry, commerce, and business technology. A DBA can be a shorter term of study than a PhD. With no thesis requirement, student can complete the DBA in three-to-four years.
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Become an Entrepreneur in Mississippi
Education is an excellent way to become an entrepreneur in Mississippi. The state's entrepreneurship degree programs equip graduates to succeed as business owners and to lead ventures within corporate structures. Mississippi students can complete an entrepreneurship program through on-campus or online classes.
Entrepreneurship can appeal to students of all ages and backgrounds. Older and non-traditional students can return to school to add entrepreneurship education if they are looking to shift their career or open a business within an industry that they are particularly familiar with. Aspiring experienced business professionals, older students that did not complete degrees, and young tech-oriented students are among the largest emerging groups of entrepreneurial scholars at colleges and universities.
Students that take an entrepreneurship major will get a well-rounded education with social sciences, traditional business topics like management, marketing, and courses in accounting, among others. Entrepreneurship focuses on entrepreneurial leadership, and students can take advantage of real-world learning opportunities. Internships provide experiential learning and valuable exposures to working in a business environment.
Corporations and other organizations use entrepreneurial talent to lead projects and activities that resemble business ventures because they focus on creating something new. Entrepreneurship degree holders can pursue business and venture development within public and private organizational structures. Mississippi government dedicates substantial levels of resources including funding, grants, and financial incentives to encourage new businesses and new ventures in the state.
Organizational and life experience can combine with formal education to provides a solid base for business leadership. Business owners are also ideal candidates for further entrepreneur education. Business owners may their enterprises as a source of income. Like having a job, these owners plan to sustain or increase business income. Entrepreneurs may be slightly different; they have a desire to grow and create.
There are significant differences between an educational approach to business administration as compared to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneur education equips graduates to work with practical tools and real-world situations. Business education can focus on theory, management tools, and broad business principles.
Entrepreneurship studies might take an idea and study ways to convert it into a venture or initiative using real-world scenarios. Students can assess the entire life cycle that might involve testing, development, and funding. The final stage of a business launch is really the beginning of guiding the enterprise.
Potential Careers for Graduates
- A Business Owner is the single point of control for the finance and operation of a business. Businesses can be one person, a proprietorship, or a large organization. The owner is the person responsible for the conduct of business and the obligations of the business including debts an agreements. Some business owners take on broader visions and efforts and they may be called entrepreneurs that use change and innovation to create or develop a business.
- A Public Administrator is a business professional that helps an organization build awareness and brand identification. The manger develops assessments of the existing levels of public or market awareness and image. They plan strategies to align with organizational goals.
- Appraisers are business professionals with training and experience that qualifies them to value property and other things. Appraisers use research, knowledge, and insight to develop an opinion on the market value of a thing. Typical examples of things which might have their value appraised include art, real estate, and jewelry. Appraisers can be business consultants, employees, or managers depending on the type of organization.
- Social Media Managers are skilled professionals that operate in the digital business environment on social media platforms. The Internet today is a powerful tool for commerce image and branding. Social media managers work to increase awareness of their organizations, products, services, and favorable identification or brand. Social media managers assess status, plan campaign, and oversee staff and budgets.
- A Marketing Manager aligns the organizations products and services to consumer needs and preferences to maximize the organizations goals. In for-profit companies, marketing seeks to increase profits. Managers assess markets and market trends, they develop marketing budgets, and they oversee staff operations to carry out the marketing plans and strategies. Managers must work with analytics and determine the best results for funds invested.
- Systems Analysts are business professionals that work to improve user experiences with a range of computer programs. Systems analysts are resources for selecting software, implementing software solutions, and maintaining contact to ensure the process works well. They can help carry out change and function as internal or outside experts and support management decisions.
- Management Analysts use expertise to help organizations improve effectiveness and efficiency. In for-profit companies, they advise on ways to increase profits and reduce costs. Analysts help identify and resolve problems, recommend new systems, or suggest ways to improve existing processes. Analysts can be part of an organization's staff or work as an external advisor or consultant.
- Investment and Acquisition professionals work on transactions in which companies join together to form larger entities (mergers) or buy control of another company (acquisition). In modern business, mergers and acquisitions can involve immense amounts of capital and value. Merger and acquisitions professionals operate in a multidisciplinary field that is also heavily regulated by federal and state securities and antitrust authorities.
- Business Consultants are experts that work inside and outside of the organizations they assist. External experts offer valuable diversity of views as well as technical expertise and experience. Internal management consultants work across organizational lines to improve operations, increase efficiency, and reduce barriers to effectiveness.
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