Business
How To Navigate Today’s
Entrepreneurial Landmines
Without An MBA
The ‘Meat & Potatoes’ Approach
To Efficiency And Success, From
A Veteran Businessman
S
teve Jobs. Bill Gates. Richard
Branson. Marc Zuckerberg. Ted
Turner. They are just some of
the world’s business giants who’ve
never earned a college degree.
“Higher education certainly has its
benefits; but based on experience,
the data that’s out there and what
others have told me, there can be
better ways of preparing for a life
in business than beginning one’s
earning years tens of thousands of
dollars in debt from college,” says Ed
Basler, a veteran entrepreneur and
CEO of E.J. Basler Co.
“Hard work, working smart, listening
and abiding in the examples of those
who’ve been successful are the
keys to success in business. College
doesn’t necessarily impart those
attributes to students. The price
of an MBA is certain, but its value
is not.”
Nearly 70 percent of seniors who
graduated from public and nonprofit
colleges in 2013 had student loan
debt, which averaged $28,400 per
borrower, according to The Institute
for College Access and Success.
If a costly college degree doesn’t
necessarily deliver the goods on
what works in business, then what
does? Basler, author of “The Meat
& Potatoes Guide to Business
Survival: A Handbook for Non-MBA’s
& College Dropouts,” briefly explains
key principles.
Respect the power
of your vision
It may sound hokey to some, but
not to dreamers like Walt Disney –
another giant who succeeded
without a degree. In fact, those
who criticize the dreams of
visionaries are those who’ve either
failed or never dared to dream in
the first place. To put it simply, big
vision = big results; small vision =
small results; no vision = no results.
Never mind the naysayers. Listen
to those who have something to say,
including those who fully support
your dream, and those who offer
constructive criticism. Talk it out
with anyone who’ll listen. Be open
to improvement.
Fly with eagles
You don’t have to reinvent
the wheel. Join your industry’s
trade association. It is a wealth of
ideas, information and networking
opportunities. Meet the leaders in
your fields. Join your local Chamber
of Commerce and find a seasoned
experienced mentor. They can
be found.
Never pay retail
In some ways, a college degree is
retail. There’s no guarantee that
you’ll get the expected result, such
as a good job, but you certainly
pay a financial price. In business,
frugality pays. The easiest and most
frequently cited price is usually one
that can be improved. You can buy
office furniture at a store, or you
can cut those prices by half or more
by going to an auction. Always be
on the lookout for a more costefficient way.
Use a checklist
No, this is not an app or a new way
of thinking about business. Instead,
it’s an old, tried, tested and true
way of accounting for the most
important things that need to be
done. As the leader of your business,
you need it, but you should also
encourage everyone under you to
keep a list, too. If something is
worth doing at work, then it’s worth
the extra daily reminder. Put the
most important item at the top and
then check it off once done. This lets
you know with certainty that the
task has been accomplished and
clearly indicates what’s needed next.
Deadlines orient your attention
to goals with each passing hour
What if President John F. Kennedy
did not announce his ambitious
deadline on May 25, 1961, to safely
send a man to the moon by the end
of the 1960s? We may never have
made it. Ambitious deadlines foster
excitement for
accomplishment.
Our attention
as human beings
is prone to
wandering.
Deadlines guide
us back to our
ambition.
provides precision-machined
parts and solutions to companies
worldwide. He is a sought-after
motivational speaker and president
of Fresh Eyes Coaching, a firm that
helps small businesses identify profit
opportunities and obstacles. Ed and
his wife, Cathi, also founded and ran
a nationally reco