Why Graduate School is the Best Time to Start a Business
Many students go to business school with entrepreneurial aspirations. But why wait until you graduate to start turning your goals into reality? Graduate school is a great time to start a business! Here’s a closer look at five reasons to launch your startup while working toward your MBA.
1. You’ll have freedom and flexibility you won’t have after you graduate
Unless you’re able to pull off starting your own company straight out of your MBA program, you are likely to end up with a corporate job. But corporate jobs come with corporate commitments, including long hours, limited vacation time, and other constraints. While MBA programs are demanding, they also have more flexible schedules with built-in time off during the weekends as well as throughout the year.
MBA graduate Sanjay Patel told Business Insider, “There is, of course, a lot going on during business school. With all the classes, group meetings, clubs, and socializing, time to work on an idea can be short. But in reality, you can make a lot of free time for yourself if you actively want to. I probably took a nap 4-5 times a week, went out to dinner/drinks 3-4 times a week, and watched almost as much TV as when I was 10 years old.”
While Patel waited until after business school to start his business, he urges others to take a more proactive approach. “Don’t make the same mistake I did – use this free time to work on your business,” he urged.
Furthermore, if you’ve got a corporate job, you will likely have to tread carefully when it comes to using company time and resources. These concerns won’t be factors when you’re in graduate school — especially if you choose an entrepreneur-friendly program.
And then there’s the fact that the longer you stay within the safety of a high-paying corporate job, the less likely you will be to break out alone, with all of the risk (as well as freedom) that comes with it. Conversely, starting a business while in business school typically involves far less risk. Ultimately, the phrase “now or never” applies!
2. You’ll have an abundance of expertise at your fingertips
Faculty and staff, guest visitors and speakers, alumni, and fellow classmates are all invaluable resources. While these resources may not be easily accessible in the real world, they’re all readily available for students. Whether or not you have class with a particular professor, it’s always possible to seek advice and feedback. A robust alumni network, meanwhile, can further increase the number of doors that open in front of you.
Patel adds, “The combination of your peers and professors makes up a once-in-a-lifetime pool of resources. Your classmates will always be more than happy to bounce ideas back and forth and help you develop your business model. Most of your professors, who often charge large sums of money to consult to companies, will be excited to work with you for free (let’s ignore the cost of tuition for now) to develop your sales strategy, marketing plan, revenue model, financial projections; they’ll even put you in touch with investors. These are all services that you would pay tons of money for in the real world, so put your tuition dollars to work and take advantage while you can.”
And who knows? You may even find your future business partner sitting next to you in class! After all, huge companies such as Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Reddit, Wordpress, Google, Time Magazine, and Dell all trace their beginnings back to university.
3. You’ll be able to capitalize on connections
Starting a business in business school isn’t just about gaining access to knowledge; it’s also about gaining access to real opportunities. In addition to theoretical coursework, many contemporary MBA programs are increasingly focused on helping students learn to apply the topics learned in the ‘real world’. Additionally, many 21st-century business schools offer other programs aimed at further supporting entrepreneurship, such as incubators and startup labs.
4. You’ll be ready to hit the ground running when you graduate
Not only does starting a business in business school allow you to immediately start using what you learn, but it also gives you a serious jumpstart when you do graduate and enter the real world. Plus, you will have had the chance to work out any kinks within a supportive and nurturing environment designed specifically to help you move forward.
And then there’s the fact that, if your business does succeed, you’ll be spared from the job-hunting process while positioning yourself to work for the best person in the world for the job: yourself! “The recruiting process is miserable. Yes, I said it. Countless cocktail receptions, company presentations, and interview prep all to get a job that, based on what my peers are telling me, most people don’t like. So start your own business, and if it’s good enough to get some funding, you’ve got yourself a job by the time you graduate – a job where you are the boss and control your own destiny,” said Patel.
Even if your business doesn’t take off, it’s likely you won’t really be worse off than if you had not given it a go. You can still get a job — and with your new, entrepreneurial skills showcased on your resume.
5. Some business school programs are uniquely ripe for innovation and entrepreneurship
At Mantissa College, we deliver the part-time EMBA Programme and MBA programmes Master of Business Administration programme, a programme in collaboration with Paris Graduate School of Management, France case studies comprise an impressive 50 per cent of assessments while the remaining 50 per cent is designated for assignments. The takeaway? When it comes to an active, engaging and hands-on business degree, you’d be hard-pressed to find one better than this MBA.
Mantissa College’s MBA program boasts a dynamic global network of more than 80,000 alumni. One recent alumnus, Harrison Jub, says, “I took the 15-month Master of Business Administration course and in the first week, I was discussing the Real Case Study with groups of working professionals from different fields. And so I was learning from real people with real problems. Thanks to the case study based learning approach I am now capable of taking up more projects because I had been exposed to a wider perspective on handling matters from my learning experience.”
Certainly, evidence attests to the tremendous value of case studies in business education. Between its focus on this learning style and many other desirable attributes, Mantissa College’s Master of Business Administration offers an invaluable inside edge for aspiring business leaders.
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