Is Online The Best Way To Study Business?

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Want to get a business degree? Getting ready to boost your career by studying business? But are you ready to bear the heavy weight of student loans? If not, then you need to consider online business studies. Today you can find numerous quality business management courses online that help you acquire necessary skills and earn an accredited degree. In fact, with growing demand for online courses, opportunities for studying online are increasing exponentially. Take a look..

Why go online

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Many experts believe that eLearning can prove to be an effective tool for college and business education as over 39 per cent of learners in the UNC system pursued at least a single online course during the 2013-14 academic year. Although online learning primarily helps those learners who are unable to pursue traditional classroom based courses due to various reasons like financial and geographical obstacles, still female learners and African-American students are mostly overrepresented in eLearning.

Marty Kotis, chairperson of the Online Education Working Committee and member of the UNC-system Board of Governors, said “It serves people that are trying to balance their lives. They’re trying to balance work and family and going to school. It also serves people that are in rural areas as well.”

He believes that by studying online learners can avoid students debts and other costs like housing and travel expenses costs related with a traditional B-school or university experience.

Kotis added “In online ed, you don’t have all those extra fees sitting in. So if you look at it that way, it’s about half the cost — not to mention the opportunity cost.”

He spoke about a female learner at the Winston-Salem State University, who utilised online courses to earn a recognised degree as her existing job prevented her from studying a traditional course.

He added “I think the flexibility is critical — the asynchronous nature of the education — so they can choose when they’re learning is key.”

So if you are also planning to earn a business degree then accredited online diploma in management courses can be certainly beneficial for you.

Best way to study business

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By studying business online you will be able to understand the core business concepts as well as develop required management and leadership skills in the most flexible and convenient way.

Moreover, you will also develop a thorough understanding of how a business works and will be able to lead your company towards success. By pursuing an online business diploma you will be able to become an effective manager and business leader in a flexible and affordable way. This will allow you to work and study simultaneously and land the next big promotion.

But do online business courses offer you adequate interaction opportunities?

Jenna A. Robinson, president of the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, said “You can set up online forums or opportunities for chatting online, but it’s not the same as having a Socratic discussion in a classroom together.”

An exciting way to learn

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However, Marty Kotis believes restricted interaction can actually be beneficial for online learners.

He said “Think about in a lecture class how much you actually communicate with other people. You don’t really.”

Moreover, with the utilisation of gamifcation, use of digital games for learning, online business education can reach the next level.

Kotis added “This is really an exciting time for students and the opportunities they’re going to have because of online ed. We are just at the starting point of this.”

What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with us by commenting below.

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6 Common Online Learning Mistakes That You Must Know About

Are you planning on pursuing an online business course? Gearing up to build your career with a business diploma? Then you are at the right path my friend. Studying a postgraduate business diploma can help you to boost your career and steer it towards success in the long run. But if you think that studying online is going to be an easy task, then you need to think again.

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If you want to study an online postgraduate diploma then you cannot afford to take it for granted. It is imperative that you are serious about your studies and remain dedicated, disciplined and self-motivated throughout your course. One of the biggest challenges you will face while studying online is time management. If you are unable to balance your time effectively, you will feel like you have gotten entangled in a mess and will soon lose interest in your course.


To help you out, here are some common mistakes that you will encounter while pursuing an online postgraduate diploma in business-

1.Keep your family out :

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Before you begin your online course, you need to discuss with your family and make them understand that you will need to invest a lot of time to focus on your studies properly and also need the necessary space to complete your assignments, according to Jennifer Fraone, associate director of marketing and communications at the Boston College Center for Work & Family.

2.Not following your schedule :

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If you are an online learner and are unable to prepare and stick to a specific schedule for your courses work, whether in early morning or night or in the weekend, then you will be surely doomed for failure. Christina Robinson Grochett, former territory vice president for the Gulf Coast for University of Phoenix, claims online learners require structure as well as study calendar.

3.Waiting for the final moments :

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Do wait till the last minute to complete your assignments and projects? Are you on the brink of missing submission deadlines? Then you need to change this right now. You must stay focused on managing your time better.

4.Wasting time on social networks :

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If you wish to utilise your time the best then you need to keep only those tabs open on your browser which are necessary. Wasting your time on Facebook, Twitter or online shopping sites will not get your projects done.

5.Missing out on classes regularly :

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If you think you can catch up to your studies even without logging in to your classes frequently, then you will end up way off track. Tamara Popovich, former associate director of student services for ASU Online says it is important that you check your classes daily to avoid any pressure related to studies and missing out on changes in curriculum.

6.Studying in a distracting atmosphere :

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Make sure you keep yourself away from distractions if you wish to spend your time effectively on studies. So you need to find a peaceful and quiet place where no one will bother you while studying.


Now that you know what pitfalls you must avoid, make sure you utilise your time best to make the most out of your postgraduate diploma in business management course and earn an accredited qualification to give your career the right push.


What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us by commenting below.

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Is Skipping College For Your Start-Up A Good Idea?

Do you dream of becoming an entrepreneur? Are planning to start a business? Can a college degree help in your start-up? Or should you skip college and start your business right away? Let’s find out....

Is College Worth It?

Several college graduates are now becoming entrepreneurs and most of them are wondering whether college was worth it. Although there are some graduates who believe the skills and knowledge they gained from college make them better entrepreneurs, there are many others who think college was a waste of time and money and they should have dropped out and started their business sooner. 

Should You Skip College?

According to a 2013 study by Hiscox, a small business insurer, almost 50 per cent of small business owners in US claim that the national education system fails to identify and inspire individual dreams and ideas, 2 crucial elements in entrepreneurship. Moreover skipping college for starting a business becomes more appealing when you consider that entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates did not earn any formal college degree.

However for every successful entrepreneur without a formal education, there is one college dropout who wishes he completed college before starting business. The fact is there are several factors that you must consider before you take such an important step. 

Don’t Miss Out On Opportunities

However, when you have a great idea, then it simply does not make sense to spend 4 years in college and miss out on excellent opportunities. So if you wish to start your business as soon as possible and yet earn a higher education qualification, then the best option for you is going online. Online programmes are designed in such a way that enables you to work full time and yet acquire essential skills without investing excessive time and money. 

Pursuing an online diploma in business can help you to gain necessary business skills and knowledge that will enable you to lead your start-up towards success. Moreover as you will be able to work while you study, you can gain relevant and real-world work experience to have a better understanding of the business and the sector you are in.

Get Some Real-World Experience

Skyler Slade, co-founder of automated customer research app Coefficient, believes work experience is crucial to being a better entrepreneur. Initially he worked with Grooveshark, a music-streaming website, to gather experience and knowledge about how to run a business. He says, “Working at someone else's startup for five years prepared me to start my own company more than any college degree could have. It's one thing to take classes on entrepreneurship, and to read about management, but it's another thing entirely to actually be in the thick of it, to be thrown in headfirst and have to sink or swim.”

Slade believes that you need to gain some experience with a startup or an established company before thinking about skipping college and starting your own business. However, it is also important for you to have a college degree if you wish to get a job.

Can College Degree Guarantee A Job?

A new study by Burning Glass Technologies, a labour analytics firm, reveals that most employers worldwide are now treating a college degree as basic eligibility criteria for their screening process to hire better employees. Matt Sigelman, CEO of Burning Glass Technologies, said “For an individual employer, that may be an understandable step. When everybody does it, however, this becomes a trend that could shut millions of Americans out of middle-skill, middle-class jobs.”

The trend has been rather significant in fields where college degree was not traditionally required for employment. In fact, many organisations are looking for the right candidates with a bachelor’s degree even if that makes the recruitment process more challenging and difficult. According to the authors of the research, employers are depending on college degree as a recruitment filter which may or may not be related to the specific skills required for the role.

So What Should You Do?

In this scenario, earning a bachelor’s degree becomes more important for you even if you wish to become an entrepreneur. Pursuing an online diploma in business will not only help you to earn a recognised qualification, but it will provide you ample scope to do a full time job at a start-up or an established organisation in your chosen field. Once you have acquired adequate experience and feel you are ready to head out on your own, you can rely on your business education to establish your own business.

The truth is skipping college might be a good idea for you if you wish to be an entrepreneur, but skipping higher education altogether can cost you dearly. I would suggest that you enrol for an online higher education programme and earn some relevant experience simultaneously. This will provide you a firm platform for your future start-up.

What Do You Think? 

Would you opt for college or do you think starting your business now is a better idea? Let us know your views, concerns and opinions. We would love to hear from you.

How is an Online Business Diploma a better and cheaper option?

Are you set to study MBA from a reputed business school? Pursuing an MBA can be an excellent career choice, but you just might have to empty your bank account as tuition fees in recognised B-schools worldwide are increasing constantly. So what should you do? Let’s find out....

MBA is certainly among the most pursued education programmes across the globe. I believe that a degree in business can undoubtedly help you to gain leadership and managerial skills and broaden your networking. But as most brick and mortar B-schools and universities are charging excessively high tuitions, does it really make sense to pursue an on-campus MBA programme? I don’t think so. But don’t take my advice.

Why Go Online?

A new study conducted by Wharton School, one of the foremost US business schools, shows that online programmes, including diplomas and MOOCs, are more cost-effective and resourceful than traditional programmes. Karl Ulrich and Christian Terwiesch, the authors of the new report, believe that online courses like MOOCs are more productive when compared to the cost of tuition in on-campus MBA courses. The study goes on to say that online business diplomas offer you greater flexibility so that you can study at any time you want, which is a boon for most learners.

Moreover as these programmes divide study materials into different segments and deliver them through short videos/audio presentations, a process identified as “SuperText” in the study, it offers you a better learning experience.

The researchers said, “It is SuperText that poses the threat and the opportunity. The MOOC . . . is a Trojan horse: while public attention was focused on the massive and open characteristics of the courses, the SuperText technology quietly proved highly effective as a learning technology.”

Online Education...The Current Rage

Whether you admit it or not, online learning programmes have presently become a rage among learners and professionals alike. As online diplomas are affordable, you will be able to learn the core and advanced elements of business management without emptying your pockets. Perhaps the greatest advantage of pursuing an online diploma in business is that it gives you the opportunity to learn while you earn. You can easily work a full-time job and also pursue your online business programme at the same time. It gives you the scope to balance your personal, academic and professional life effectively.

Fast Track to a Better Future

What’s more, you will also have the option to top up your online postgraduate diploma in business management and fast track to the final year of an accredited MBA programme from a recognised business school or university. Thus online business diplomas are definitely a cheaper and better alternative to traditional MBA. Not only will you learn essential knowledge, abilities and skills, but you will also be able to earn a recognised qualification at minimal cost. Moreover, as online diplomas are now accepted by employers all across the world, you can easily get employed in a managerial role at a multinational organisation.

Online programmes like business diplomas and MOOCs teach you to apply business management knowledge to solve business-related problems at your workplace. With a recognised business diploma, you can increase your income, transform your career and accomplish your targets successfully.

What Can Online Business Diploma Courses Do For You?

Are you planning for a rewarding career in business? Do want to study a postgraduate business programme but don’t have the budget or time for college? Then an online business diploma is undoubtedly your best possible option. Read on to find out more....

As MBA and other business degrees from brick-and-mortar colleges and universities are becoming more and more expensive, increasing numbers of students are now going for recognised online business diploma programmes as these are more affordable and flexible than traditional business degrees. Diplomas are certainly a great alternative to degree programmes as they offer concentrated classes with a practical approach.

Why go online?

Why not? For starters, an online level 7 diploma will enable you to effectively juggle your work and your personal life. You will also learn about the key aspects of management and become eligible for the next big promotion. A study conducted by the Sloan Consortium reveals that student enrolment for online programmes is escalating more rapidly than the number of students getting enrolled in colleges.

In 2012 around 25% college students attended at least one online course, as per the recent federal report by the US Department of Education. Reports also show that among 21.1 million college students in the United States, 2.6 million students pursued only online programmes. So more students like you, who are bound by budget and time restrictions but still want to earn widely accepted qualification, are opting for online postgraduate diploma in management programmes.

But will an online diploma be beneficial for your career in the long run? 

Of course it will be. We all know that currently there is cut-throat competition in the corporate world and getting a rewarding job is getting increasingly tougher. If you want to stand out of the crowd then you must acquire the essential management skills...else you will simply be a part of the growing crowd.

Here comes the necessity of a business management diploma as it will enhance your employability and your career prospects. Today going to college has become a highly expensive affair. Unless you have a lot of money lying around, it only makes sense to go online and earn yourself an accredited qualification. Irrespective of your professional background, business diploma courses online can help you in many ways to make your dreams come true. So if you are a student who wants to start his career or a business owner looking to grow his company or a professional aiming for the next promotion, online diploma in management is for you.

What does an online diploma offer that a college degree cant?

Where should I start? The convenience, affordability, flexibility and excellent employment opportunities offered by online business diplomas are unique to these programmes, which traditional degrees can only dream about. Have no doubt that online postgraduate diplomas are way more economic and flexible than your typical college degree. Moreover with increasing acceptance amongst prominent employers across the globe, diplomas are now offering unmatched career prospects.

Let’s look at some of the benefits you can expect from an online postgraduate diploma in business- 

Time Effective

Online postgraduate diploma in management programmes are much more time effective than your typical 4-year college degree. In most cases, you can earn your qualification in just one year or 18 months. Some programmes also offer courses that last for only 6-8 weeks or just a few months. It completely depends on you how quickly you want to earn your management diploma.

Flexible

With online diplomas, you are in charge of setting the pace of your studies. You can study at whatever time you want as the contents are available online 24/7. You can choose to study late at night after returning from your work or complete your coursework early in morning before you start your day. You may also choose to go through the content on your tablet whenever you get some spare time. The amount of time you invest in your studies depends solely on you and your lifestyle.

Cost Effective 

Online diploma courses are usually much less expensive than a master’s degree or an MBA from a reputed college. In addition to the low tuition fees, you can save loads of cash on travelling and other living expenses related to college education. What’s more? As the entire programme is online, you can keep your job (or get a new job if you are still a student) and keep earning your pay cheques.

Here are some additional benefits of business diploma courses online -

• Variety of Online Courses
• Flexible Schedules
• Minimum Educational Requirements
• Networking Opportunities
• Internship/Apprenticeship Opportunities
• Develop Practical Skills

As you will find in my earlier post, studies from the Babson Survey Research Group show that in the year 2012 more than 7.1 million higher education students have attended at least one course online. This goes to show the growing popularity of online business management diplomas and how it can help you to learn the essentials of becoming a successful corporate manager.

What Can Strategic Planning and Management do for Your Business?

Every organisation stresses on the need of strategic management for organisational development. But why? Is strategic management really so important for a business? What will it do for your business? And would a diploma in strategic management help you?

Why is Strategic Management needed?

Strategic management is essential for the expansion and growth of an organization. It helps to establish the mission and vision of the business. Strategic management is imperative as it enables you to set business goals, analyse resources, evaluate external and internal environment and understand the views of clients and stakeholders. An effective strategic management procedure is essential for proper corporate governance.

Strategic planning and management is essential as it gives your business a direction and formulates measurable and practical goals. It helps you in your regular business operations and decisions and helps to assess progress and modify approaches. As a manager with an Online Postgraduate Diploma in Management, you will need to ensure that your strategic planning is effective. You also need to give adequate importance to the outlined objectives and goals and then evaluate results with quantifiable and well researched benchmarks.

It is important that as a manager you learn about every aspect of strategic management. An online postgraduate diploma will help you to learn the core concepts. Moreover as online programmes are highly flexible, you will be able to pursue your education and continue your day job at the same time. A postgraduate diploma in strategic management online can help you in understanding the strategic planning process and ensure that the plan is implemented effectively.

What can strategic management do for your company?

However, here I have mentioned some of the most important aspects of strategic management and why is it essential for the growth of your company. To find out keep on reading....

Setting the Company Mission

The first step of effective strategic planning is defining a well formed mission for your company. Setting a mission is imperative for your business as it creates, blends and refines comprehensive ideas that links realistic strategies. It also enables the employees and the management to align the details of their decisions and actions with a clear direction and vision. Your strategic mission should be defined in such a way that it is narrow enough to highlight the efforts of employees and management and enough broad to guide them.

Here comes the importance of an online Postgraduate Diploma in Management. A management course will help you to gain comprehensive knowledge about strategic planning. Thus you will be able to decide the mission of your company better.

Setting Business Goals

Strategic planning and management is essential for setting practical and measurable goals for your organisation. These goals will help you to determine concrete and specific objectives that can be measured in timelines and quantities. Measurable objectives and goals will enable the management and the staff to assess development and evaluate the pace of growth.

Evaluating Development

Your company will gain a lot from the strategic planning process if you include a stage which will assess objectives, goals and development of your business. This assessment should be long term as it will help to evaluate the success of the organisation after an elapsed time period. With the help of an ATHE diploma, you will be able to judge the effectiveness of your strategic management efforts by evaluating progress and achievement of business goals.

Process of Strategic Planning

The strategic planning process is perhaps as significant for your company as the targets. If you wish to make the process efficient and helpful then including employees from different departments and levels is a great idea. You need decide how their responsibilities and activities would contribute towards the achievement of your business goals. An online Diploma in Business can surely help you to gain expertise and understanding about the strategic planning process.

With the training and knowledge from your postgraduate diploma in strategicmanagement online, you will have a proper understanding about the concepts and processes of strategic planning and management. As a result you will realise the importance of strategic management in your business and guide your organisation towards advancement and progress.