I was having a conversation with an educator on New Year's Day about several different articles I had read lately regarding the value of education.  One said it was power.  Another said it was not power but freedom.  Another said it was money.  The educator said that it is all of those things and more.  Education gives you the opportunity to choose which one you want to have or you can have them all.  Education is opportunity. 

 
When I graduated from High School all I wanted was to work a cash register at a dime store.  My father would not hear of it.  Today they call that 'tough love'.  I will be forever grateful to my father for being a control freak.  He taught me the value of education.

I would not have had the powerful experience of MCI Long Distance without that degree. I was able to take more than 70 day long continuing education courses while I was with them, covering areas like 'Day to Day Feedback', Implementing Policies and Procedures, Team Management, Etc.  Education does not stop with a degree.  I was not taught how to manage people, numbers or customers at college.  I learned this after I graduated by attending as many free classes and seminars as possible.  Networking in the city of Austin also offered me a lot of free or reasonable lunches with guest speakers and seminars on management skills, marketing skills, people skills and money management.   I attended as many as I could.  By the way, to this day I have never run a cash register.  Even at my volunteer events they won't let me run them.  I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

I received the ultimate pay back for my investment in education when I returned to college at Austin Community College in 2000 and took 16 credits of Spanish so that I could communicate with ALL of my employees.  I knew it would be a good thing but I never dreamed it would pay me back with a new respect from my Hispanic employees.  They were overwhelmed with gratitude and respect for the fact that I would take the time to learn their language.  End result was a banner revenue year with little employee turnover.

Our recent survey results from owners who were asked "How often do you attend training classes?"  was far less than 1 per month.   18 % attended one per year, 20.4 % attended 2-3 per year, 18.1 %  attended 4-6 per year,  6.8% attended 7-10 per year, 9% attended more than 10 per year and an astounding 27.2% have never attended training classes before.  To those owners I must say "Try it, you'll like it!"   There is simply no better time to add a New Year's Resolution of one continuing education course a month than right now.  We are offering webinars that are convenient and affordable.  For $19.95 you will participate in a 30 minute interactive presentation followed by 15 minutes of questions and answers.  Less than a $20 dollar bill.  Get all of the education you can at this price and convenience.  If you do not attend our webinars please attend someone's.  Never never never stop learning.  Education is opportunity and opportunity is anything you want it to be.

Sharon Tinberg
Rags to Riches Owner