As you can tell from my previous blog, I am somewhat familiar with the pizza business, as I should be considering I worked for a pizza restaurant for nine years prior to owning and operating it for three years.  During my three years as owner, I determined that as operator I was topnotch, but when it came to “paper work” I was lost.  I decided that in order to take my next step forward I would have to take one step back, so I put my restaurant up for sale and signed up for college.  Some of the business struggles I had were due to a lack of understanding QuickBooks and other computer software programs.  During my first semester of college I took ITEC 1001.  At first I felt that this class was pointless, I knew Microsoft Word and Excel, or at least I thought I did.  I could not believe how much I really did not know about Microsoft Word, seriously, I could have made the best looking pizza restaurant procedural manual had I have known what I know now about Microsoft Word.  The next thing that was really awesome was learning how to make a website, cough cough, like this one.  Believe it or not I actually paid someone, with pizza, to create a website for my restaurant.  It is so amazing to me, how much I have already learned from one class that I did not even think would be useful.  Prior to taking this class I thought all I really needed to help me as a business owner, was a few marketing and accounting classes, but now I will add to this list, ITEC 1001.  None of these classes are required to become an entrepreneur, but I will personally recommend these classes to any prospective business owner.   As far as salary goes, for a sole proprietor or partnership, well the sky is the limit; losing money is also a possibility and when you do it is your own.  I cannot testify that education will make you rich, as an entrepreneur, but I can truly say it will help.  We must all remember one thing, “In the end you can lose your business, but no one and nothing can take your education.”

A great site to visit for information and classes on entrepreneurship is the Gainesville SBDC website.  If you are specifically interested in the pizza industry, check out Pizza Today for helpful articles and product information.