• Paul
• On July 9, 2020

Do you really need a degree to start and run your own business? Technically, no. Or at least, not always. If you’re running a business that doesn’t require any particular qualifications, for example, and you’re happy to learn how to do it as you go along, then a degree is not going to be strictly necessary.

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t study for a degree as well. It will always be useful to have some additional education, and when it comes to computer science, you can learn a lot that will help you in your business and in your life. Read on to find out exactly how your business can benefit from having a computer science degree.

Your ‘What If?’ Plan

No one starts a business thinking of what might happen if it fails; everyone wants to succeed and that is what they will be thinking of. However, many businesses do fail, as sad as it is to say, and if you don’t have a contingency plan in place with a ‘what if?’ plan created for such an eventuality, then you could run into problems, especially if you have financial responsibilities to think about.

When you start a business you don’t know what the future will hold, and being optimistic is a good thing, but having this back up plan is always going to mean you can move forward if your businesses doesn’t go as well as you had hoped. If you choose to study for an online masters in computer science then not only can you help your business because you know about IT and everything it entails, but should the worst happen and your business fails (or you simply decide that running your own business is not for you) then you have an excellent career to fall back on.

Alternatively, if your business is not something that can sustain a full-time salary right from the start, you may have to work at it part time until it can pay you what you need it to. In this case, having a good degree in computer science means you can be working at a well-paid job in that sector while you build up your business in your spare time.

Having the Right Computing Knowledge

No matter what kind of business you have set up and how it is run, there are going to be some aspects that are related to computing. It might be solely for business admin tasks such as bookkeeping and invoicing or answering emails, but it might be much more than that — you could even go as far as creating your own app to help your customers engage more with you and your products or services.

If you have a good amount of knowledge in computing, you can certainly help your business out. You won’t have to look for a third party to assist you when you run into IT issues; you should be able to do it yourself (plus, if you took a degree in computer science it is likely to be something you are interested in, so it won’t feel like a chore). This means you will be saving money and you won’t have to wait for an appointment. You can make the fixes as soon as possible.

You Will Have Transferable Skills

You will learn a lot more than ‘just’ computer science when you take this kind of degree, no matter if it is taken in a physical college or online. Having a degree gives you plenty of knowledge in your chosen subject, but it also teaches you much more besides. The skills you will pick up as you go through your studies are what are known as ‘transferable skills’ and this means you can use them in many different areas of your life and work, even if they’re not related to IT and computing.

Some of the skills you might develop include:

• Being able to research information
• Distilling complicated information into easy to understand papers
• Time management
• Social skills
• Being able to prioritize tasks
• Working in a team and working alone
• Public speaking and presenting
• Critical thinking
• Being well organized

Show You Are the Expert

When you start a business there will be a lot of competition. This is always the case no matter what you choose to do and what sector your business is in. It is important, therefore, to show that you are different to your competition and to get ahead of them in any way you can. One way to do this is to position yourself as an expert — people will be more likely to trust you and spend their money with you if you can do this.

Among the variety of ways this can be done (including writing a blog, self-publishing a book or eBook, and giving talks and lectures) your qualifications are a good way to help you stand out. If you can gain as many accreditations as possible, not only will you be learning more and therefore you will become more confident in what you are doing, but you will also instill confidence in your potential customers.

The Chance to Network

When you study a degree in computer science, you are going to meet all kinds of people. You might even make some extremely close friends. If you are able to, networking is going to help you to run your business, and this is something that earning a degree can offer you the chance to do. Networking means you can get to know people who have complementary skills to yours, for example. It is entirely possible you will meet a business partner, or at the very least someone who is able to help you when it comes to your business, whether that’s through marketing, mentoring, or putting you in touch with someone else who can assist you.

In business, it is crucial that you network even if it’s not something you really enjoy. However, if you start it when you are studying for your degree, it will become much easier over time, and you might find that you actually look forward to it, not least because it means your business is going to get a boost.