Sharpen up those pencils and hit the books — you’re going back to school! By back to school, we mean that you’re seeking out opportunities to grow your knowledge and expand your abilities as a business owner with continuing education. While it isn’t necessary to head to the nearest university and enroll in their business degree — though it doesn’t hurt to do so if you were contemplating returning to school — continuing education can help you stay up to date on the latest marketing trends, best practices for growing your small business or franchise, and even can help you develop new skills or gain new qualifications. Learning something new is an investment in your business, but it’s something many business owners tend to forget. Here’s why it matters.

The Benefits of Continuing Education

You will never stop learning, whether it’s figuring out how to use your new smartphone or teaching yourself to play an instrument, so why not devote some time to learning skills and strategies that can boost your business? Even the most competent, confident business owners know that it’s important to keep track of changes in their market, learn about new services they can offer, and even discover new technology that can make their business run better.

Continuing education is necessary for many fields, such as nursing, crime scene investigation, and teaching. While “men’s grooming franchise owner” may not seem like a job that needs to be up-to-date on cutting-edge technologies, you still should make it a point to follow changes in this rapidly growing industry so you can be an expert your clients know they can trust.

In addition to supporting your business, continuing education is an investment in your marketability. Think about continuing education as a way to make yourself stand out. Your continuing education doesn’t even need to be directly related to your business or industry to still be effective. Learning a second language can not only make you look good on paper, but it can help you relate to your customers who speak that language. That doesn’t mean you have to drop your pottery course to take Spanish 101, however. There are dozens of soft skills that can translate between your interests and your business. Communication, teamwork, focus, patience, and creativity are all valuable skills that often are overlooked when it comes to running a business.

What is Continuing Education?

In some industries or states, you may be required to take continuing education (CE) units to maintain licenses or certifications. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any CE requirements that may affect you or your staff. Continuing education doesn’t only have to mean an online course to renew a license, however.

Do you subscribe to (and actually read) any publications in your industry or for small business owners? Do you attend seminars, conferences, presentations, or even small-business events in your community? Have you taken a course or two at the local community college to strengthen your bookkeeping or social media skills? Then congratulations—you’re engaging in continuing education. By actively seeking to learn new information about your industry, working to improve your business skills, or even connecting and exchanging ideas with other franchisees and small business owners, you’re developing the knowledge and skills you need to make your business thrive. Keep up the good work!

At The Gents Place, our team is dedicated to bringing premier men’s grooming services to gentlemen everywhere. We simply couldn’t do it without the help of our Strategic-Partners. Think you have what it takes to become one? Learn more about the process of our men’s grooming franchise opportunities today.

Contact our team at (888) 463-2145. We’re here to answer your questions!