University of Phoenix on How an MBA Can Enhance Your Small Business Goals
Jun 17, 2021
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Those who choose to continue their education draw from several motivating factors when deciding to enroll. Some may have changed their area of professional interest since completing their former degree or certificate program. Other professionals may want to explore new opportunities in their existing field or may seek new inspiration in the field that they already adore.
Alternatively, some graduate students return to the classroom to forge a path all their own. For this reason, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program appeals to professionals who aspire to become their own boss. Both Felicia Evans Long and Nindi Wadhwa, two University of Phoenix MBA program graduates, turned their passion for entrepreneurship into new careers after completing their degree programs. Today, each runs a small business of their very own. If the high-risk, high-reward lifestyle of entrepreneurship appeals to you, keep reading for tips and strategies on how an MBA could help you with your small business goals.
How Felicia Evans Long Built a Career as Sweet as Candy
The best decisions are rarely the easiest. For Felicia Evans Long, the founder and owner of Sweet Candy Café, adversity prepared her for the trials and tribulations of creating and running a business of her own. Long grew up in low-income housing and has survived the damaging effects of two hurricanes in her lifetime. Four years after completing her MBA, Felicia opened Sweet Candy Café, a 92-variety-strong candy shop located in downtown Lumberton, North Carolina. The store also includes an event space available to customers for hosting parties and receptions.
When asked about how she learned the ins and outs of small business ownership, Long credited her University of Phoenix MBA degree program as the “springboard” to her entrepreneurial endeavors. Her education empowered her “never to be afraid to look for and lean on professional resources and remain positive, even in the most difficult times.” Making Long’s story even more impressive is the fact that she also owns a salon next door to the Sweet Candy Café. Long is a force to be reckoned with in her community as she also plans to buy the entire block to create even more businesses.
The MBA degree program at the University of Phoenix can be an incredible option for adult learners looking to earn a business education on their chosen terms. Although she struggled with the transition into student life after a decade out of school, Long weathered the storm and came out on top. She wants others with similar goals to realize that they are capable of the very same achievements. When asked to give future business degree students a word of advice, Long affirmed that an MBA program “will be an adjustment, especially if you have been absent from academia for years, but stick with it.”
The Scoop on Nindi Wadhwa’s Multi-Faceted Education and Entrepreneurship
Nindi Wadhwa completed his MBA degree program at the University of Phoenix in 2010. During the program’s final course, Wadhwa developed a business plan that later provided the framework for Scooptacular, his ice cream shop. Wadhwa later brought Scooptacular to life in Laveen, Arizona, alongside his wife, Carissa.
Wadhwa currently works behind the scenes at Scooptacular, a change of pace from his initial role at the front of the store. Focusing on the store’s operations, he found himself depending on lessons learned from his MBA degree program. For example, to expand the shop’s local outreach, Scooptacular partnered with several businesses throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area to get the word out about their homemade products. In renegotiating the shop’s lease, Wadhwa also leveraged his background in business law.
By turning his final MBA course into his first post-grad entrepreneurial endeavor, Wadhwa saw his business education come full circle. He said, “Opening up Scooptacular was a great way to apply what I had learned, and it enabled me to see firsthand different principles” taught in the University of Phoenix business curriculum. Launching the new business ushered in a wave of professional development and personal growth for Wadhwa. He specifically recalled how “initially, anything negative - reviews, custom issues, etc. - would really bother me on a personal level. As time goes on, you start to realize that they can be worked through and every opportunity is a learning opportunity.”
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix provides higher education opportunities that can empower adult learners to complete an education on their chosen terms. The University offers flexible scheduling and online programs that meet the unique needs of students who often must manage coursework with other professional and personal obligations. University of Phoenix offers over one hundred certificate and degree programs tailored to over 300 potential professional occupations.
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