You just can’t run a business these days without using a computer, and business computing isn’t just about creating invoices, keeping records, and performing basic accounting tasks anymore. Modern business computing involves creating a website, managing content, developing and running social media marketing campaigns, running online storefronts, collecting and analyzing user data, and more. As a result, today’s entrepreneurs need web development, SEO, data analysis, graphic design, programming, and other tech skills to succeed.
But entrepreneurs already have enough on their plates, especially in the early days of getting a business off the ground. How can business owners learn the computer science skills they need to succeed in business? Online learning may provide the answer.
Computer Science Courses Give You the Skills You Need
Here’s a shortlist of the computer skills you might need in order to succeed at running your own business:
- Wireframing for sketching out the structure and function of a website prior to development
- Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for website development
- Javascript to make your website more interactive
- Structured Query Language (SQL) for managing database systems and interacting with the data therein
- Online bookkeeping, including billing, payroll, and receipt recordkeeping. The bookkeeper business launch is a great resource page to look at
- Online accounting
- Data collection and analysis
- Graphic design
- Email management
- Social media engagement and marketing
- Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM)
- Mobile marketing
As an entrepreneur, you may not be able to afford to hire people to do all of these things. You may need to tackle some of them yourself, and that puts you at a distinct disadvantage if your computer skills aren’t up to snuff. Even if you decide you can afford to hire a web developer or a graphic designer, having some knowledge of what he or she does will help you communicate and collaborate better, so you can get better results from your employee. The employee in question will also appreciate that you have some background in his or her area of expertise so that you’ll understand the challenges he or she faces in completing a project, and you’ll be able to understand his or her jargon. Plus, if there’s anything you decide don’t like about your developer’s code or your designer’s logo, you’ll have the background to tweak it yourself so that your employee can move on to the next project without breaking his or her flow.
You may think that you don’t need computer skills because you’re not in the tech industry. Just because you’re not in the business of developing and marketing apps or online services, doesn’t mean that you don’t need to build and maintain a mobile-responsive business website, interact with customers on social media, launch and manage Google ad campaigns, build your online presence, manage your email inbox, navigate cloud computing apps like Dropbox or Google Drive, and more. You’ll need to know your way around a computer, and you’ll need to keep on top of current developments in technology and business computing.
Build Your Skills With Online Classes
It’s hard for a business owner to drop everything and go back to school, but thanks to the Internet, you can earn a bachelor’s in computer science online in your own time. Most online degree programs these days offer the same classes, taught by the same professors, as those offered to traditional, on-campus students. That means you’ll get the same high-quality education you’d get if you attended classes the old-fashioned way. With an online degree in computer science, you can learn everything you need to know about computers, including web development, coding, cloud computing, graphic design, and data collection and analysis.
Online learning allows you to engage with course material on your own schedule. Most online courses are asynchronous, meaning that students don’t have to log on at the same time as one another and the professor in order to complete the work. That means you’ll be free to tackle your coursework early in the morning, late at night, or whenever you have time during your busy schedule. You won’t have to move to an on-campus apartment, or pay for transportation to and from classes. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll be able to keep running your business full-time while you take the computer courses that will help you get ahead.
Entrepreneurs these days need more computer skills than ever before. From building up and running your business’s website, to engaging with customers on social media, to collecting and analyzing data, even entrepreneurs who aren’t in the tech industry need some web development, cloud computing, online bookkeeping, and other computer skills. Don’t let your business suffer; earn a bachelor’s in computer science online, and learn the skills you need to guide your business to success.
