PMI’s e-learning curriculum is designed to give you the knowledge you need to build a business from square one.  As you’ve probably noticed from looking at the coursework, there’s a lot that goes into building a great business.  Enrolling in PMI’s courses is just like going back to school – there are quizzes, workbooks, and homework.  Learning how to build a future for yourself in real estate or on the internet is exhilarating, but it’s can also be overwhelming.  One of the best ways to help yourself learn and remember the things covered in the coursework is with mnemonic devices.

Mnemonic devices are psychological tools you can use to help yourself remember things you have learned.  You probably already know and use several mnemonics on a regular basis.  If you’ve ever tied a string around your finger to help you remember to run an errand, or made a grocery list to remember what to buy, you’ve used mnemonic devices.  Creating external reminders for yourself is a great way to remember lists of items like to-do’s, keywords to test, or property bidding criteria.  Lists and other physical reminders are the most basic form of mnemonic device, but they are effective and easy to create.

Any child that has taken music courses has learned how to use acrostics and acronyms.  Acrostics are sentences in which each word is indicative of an item to be remembered.  Acronyms are words in which each letter signifies something to be remembered.  The acrostic “every good boy does fine” is one that music students learn to remember the lined notes on the treble clef.  The acronym “FACE” signifies the space notes on the treble clef.  With a little creativity, you can create acronyms and acrostics to remember any series of items you like.

If you need to remember a person’s name that you’ve just met, a great mnemonic device is to create wordplay with their name.  If you meet someone named Courtney Brown, you could imagine her spilling a quart of chocolate (brown) milk on her knee – quart, knee, brown.  It sounds silly, but the sillier the better if you want to really remember something on the fly.  Then, it’s important to review the names and wordplays you’ve made within a few minutes of creating them to make sure they really stick.

Learning new information is always challenging, but mnemonic devices can help you recall and retain information easily.  The brain is like a muscle, the more you use it and challenge it, the stronger it gets.  The more you use mnemonic devices, the easier it will be to create them on the spot and to retain information in the long run.

One of the quickest ways to diminish your professionalism is to leave misspelled words and poor grammar in your writing. It doesn’t matter if the errors are on your website or in a business email; they send a message to the reader that you don’t care enough about the content to present it properly. While many entrepreneurs struggle with their writing skills, modern spelling and grammar checkers make it easy to identify and correct errors. Even proficient writers benefit from these resources, because everyone makes mistakes from time to time. Failing to revise important business text is simply unacceptable. Take the time to correct any errors, so your writing receives attention for the right reasons. 

There are over one billion computer users in the world and the majority of them use Microsoft Word. Unfortunately, not nearly enough of them utilize its easy-to-use spelling and grammar checking. It’s certainly not perfect, but it has the capabilities to greatly enhance your writing. Visit the Microsoft Office blog for the latest news regarding this helpful tool. You’ll be surprised by its wide range of functions. Using it every time you use Word is a convenient way to boost your professionalism and avoid embarrassing mistakes. 

There are many additional spelling and grammar checkers available online. PMI Education recommends you take a moment to check out these three sites to get a better idea of what options exist: 

• Spellchecker.net: this handy site lets you copy and paste your text directly into a checking box. It quickly and accurately identifies errors.
• Language Tool: this open source grammar checker specializes in picking out the most common grammatical mistakes in the English language.
• AbiWord: this is another open source checker. It has an interface similar to Word, making it one of the more accessible tools out there. 

The moment you stop learning is the moment you become old. As you become static, the rest of the world moves past you, leaving you with old ideas, old habits, and old information. We all want to stay young, both mentally and physically; one of the best ways to do that is to continually be learning new skills and trying new things.

There are plenty of tips out there on how to stay physically young, which correctly recommend eating right, exercising, and various other suggestions. However, let’s discuss some out-of-the-box ways to stay young.

• Video Games There are plenty of mindless, brain-softening video games out there which you should certainly avoid. However, there are also plenty of educational, reflex-building, mind-stimulating games as well. Even your typical cell phone either come with such a game or can be purchased for a few dollars.
• Learn A New Skill Preferably, something marketable. Learn how to build a website or sew doll clothes or fix washing machines. Learning these new skills will help keep your mind and body active, and applying these new skills may bring in a few extra dollars each month.
• Expand Your Hobby Or get a new one altogether. Learn how to garden or paint or ice skate, but not just by doing. Or learn about the history of your current hobby and think about possible market applications. Again, you may be able to turn something you love and have become an expert in into some extra money.
• Join a Class/Group Whether it’s a formal setting or just a group of friends who gather together occasionally, learning together can be a great experience. While it’s okay to do it just for fun, there’s no reason not to keep in mind some different possibilities on how to best apply what you’re learning into business. If you’re taking the time to learn it, then someone else may be willing to spend the money to use it.

Keep learning and keep growing, and keep thinking about how to apply what you’re learning – to an online business, to help a non-profit organization, or maybe to expand other people’s knowledge. Keep your eyes and ears open and you’ll be able to do more than just learn and stay young.

“Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.”
–Henry Ford

Entrepreneurs are often required to learn new skills and strategies, but unless they believe they can accomplish the task, they’ll never grow. A defeatist attitude is truly a killer when it comes to learning. It boils down to belief and the only way to do something is to first believe you can. Henry Ford epitomizes this principle. He grew up on a rural farm in Michigan and relied on this learning method to master mechanisms and create an automobile empire. 

It is often easier to believe in something when you can see it in action. For this reason, mentors are extremely important for entrepreneurs. They remove the ambiguity from the learning and demonstrate how things are done. Henry Ford himself relied on many mentors in his career, most notably the legendary Thomas Edison. Mr. Edison supported the young Henry Ford in some of his earliest automobile experiments and provided a blueprint for success. 

While most entrepreneurs won’t have the opportunity to work with an icon of Thomas Edison’s stature, there are many mentors available to first time entrepreneurs. For example, the mentors from Professional Marketing International all run successful businesses and have navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship. Advice from individuals like this is a priceless resource for someone looking to either start a business or expand an existing one. The important thing is to find someone who possesses the skills and strategies necessary for a task. Nothing expedites success better than the knowledge of a mentor.

Starting any type of business involves an undeniable learning curve. The experts at PMI have all endured the challenges associated with this and know what it’s like to start a business from scratch, which helps them as they work with their clients. While the breadth of knowledge necessary to run a business may seem intimidating, it comes incrementally and entrepreneurs learn as they go. For this reason, it’s important to not fear the learning curve. 

The initial start-up of a business is actually simpler than it seems. There are definitely some strategies that will help, but the only way to learn and grow in business is to get started. Hours of class work can’t prepare you for the idiosyncrasies you’ll encounter on the first day of business. 

The life of an entrepreneur is challenging and exciting. Each success leads to more opportunities for growth. By dedicating yourself to your business, you’ll be setting yourself up for the future. It is important to keep this perspective and not get overwhelmed by what you don’t know. There will always be new areas to discover and they shouldn’t be dreaded. 

One of the best ways to navigate the challenges of starting a business is to lean on the support of a mentor. Pick someone who has not only started a business, but shown the type of longevity that defines true success. Your mentor will serve as a guide and provide you with solutions to the challenges you’ll face. Prepared in this way, the learning curve is something to be anticipated, not feared.

First, let’s define the differences between digital and physical products. Digital products are goods and services that a customer receives directly to their computer or other electronic device. Common examples include e-books and downloadable software. Physical products, on the other hand, are tangible items which are delivered through traditional shipping services. Examples include shoes, mirrors and wakeboards. Both types of products offer unique benefits to entrepreneurs, with digital products gaining more and more popularity each year. The following are just a few of the benefits to digital products to consider: 

Easy customer service. Because there is no shipping involved with digital products, you’ll never have to deal with an inventory, delays and returns. If a customer expresses displeasure with your product, you simply refund their money and there is no hassle with a return. While there will be questions about downloading from time to time, digital products require much less customer service. 

Nonstop business opportunities. With a traditional brick and mortar store, there are closing hours and times when services are unavailable. Digital products are sold online, meaning they are available anytime, 365 days a year. You can make money while you sleep or are away on vacation.

Unlimited product availability. After you create a digital product it can be sold as many times as you like. You’ll never have to deal with inventory or shipping issues, because your product will be downloaded straight to your customers’ computers.

Larger profit margins. The profit margins with digital products are significantly higher than with physical products. It’s easier to reach profitability and if your product isn’t a success, your losses are much smaller because you won’t be stuck with unsold inventory.

According to national statistics, 15% of the U.S. population has some type of learning disability. A large portion of these disabilities are related to basic reading and language skills, making school extremely difficult for thousands of individuals. Many famous people through history have dealt with such disabilities and risen to phenomenal levels of success in their respective fields. Here is a quick look at six notable figures that have successfully dealt with multiple learning disabilities:

Thomas Edison: Unable to read as a child, he was removed from school because his teachers didn’t think he could handle the curriculum. He struggled with his writing skills throughout his life.

Albert Einstein: Dealing with dysgraphia and dyslexia, he always struggled with language and writing. Math was another stumbling block early on and he flunked the course in high school math and was thought by his teachers to be simple-minded.

Woodrow Wilson: Severely dyslexic, Wilson received a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University and later served as President of the United States.

Paul Orfalea: The founder of Kinko’s has struggled with dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder his entire life.

Tom Cruise: Has severe dyslexia and finds reading nearly impossible.

George S. Patton: Legendary general struggled with dysgraphia.

Gaining knowledge is all about reciprocity – you learn by asking as many questions as you possibly can, then solidify that knowledge by sharing it with others. Vocalizing information has always been a powerful way to internalize it, which is why the asker and the informer both benefit from the arrangement. This open exchange of information allows a savvy entrepreneur to be a teacher-student, learning and sharing with their colleagues.

While the benefits of asking questions are undeniable, we are often afraid to do it. Some fear that their questions will be perceived as a sign of weakness or lack of preparation. Successful entrepreneurs know how crucial it is to sharpen their skills and broaden their knowledge, and sharing information with others is the best way to accomplish this. When you understand this fact, the reciprocity of learning becomes fun. It’s exciting to find opportunities to learn from mentors who can impart their wisdom. When someone sincerely seeks knowledge, it comes across as ambitious rather than amateurish. Likewise, when someone genuinely wants to help someone else by sharing their experience, it comes across as kindness, not arrogance.

Try putting this concept into action. Think of a challenge that is currently troubling you and then identify someone you know who has experience in that specific area. Seek out their opinion and thank them for their assistance. Even if they aren’t able to give you an exact solution, their ideas will spur your own thoughts and provide helpful background. In order to reciprocate the favor, look for someone that you can help. As you share your ideas and experiences with them, you’ll be perpetuating the wonderful process of being an entrepreneurial teacher-student.

Education is a fascinating journey lacking a clear destination. While it’s true that you might receive diplomas and certificates at various points in your educational pursuits, they’re more like train tickets allowing you to journey further than indications of an arrival. Just as a small business owner proudly display his “first dollar” in a frame on the wall, your education can become a vast fortune, comprised of thousands of “first dollar” moments. We must remember not to disregard the small experiences, because without them there could be no culmination.

It can be tempting to think it’s too late to learn. Or that you’re not cut out for an education. But the beauty of learning is that it knows no bounds. You can enhance your mind and enlarge your experience from any spot on Earth at any given time. The constraints of a formal education don’t apply to the life-learning process. The credits of your past experiences can transfer anywhere you want them to. Each epiphany you receive qualifies as a course final and every problem solved earns you the right to be valedictorian.

The learning path of life is strewn with pitfalls and no one is immune to failure. Rather than earning you a dreaded “F,” these moments of realization are some of the most important we can experience. The greatest leaders in the world fail often. They set goals that go unreached. What sets them apart is their ability to find solutions and plug onward. So don’t worry if your learning journey has stalled before your desired destination. Life has presented you an alternate route and it is guaranteed to be filled with wonder.

None of them graduated from college! A recent article featured on Businessweek.com profiles sixteen famous CEOs who never received an undergraduate degree. The point of the article is not to discredit the benefits of a college degree, but rather to highlight alternative ways of obtaining an education. The CEOs featured on this list learned crucial skills from mentors and through personal experience, not in a classroom. They aggressively studied the specialized strategies related to their fields and reached elite status in the process. In the words of Phillip Ruffin, “You get the most experience from the business of life.”

The current job market has not been kind to new college grads. Thousands struggle to find jobs their first year out of school and it’s no coincidence that the rate of student loan defaults is the highest it’s been in a decade. As the Businessweek article expresses: “The thousands of wait-listed would-be MBAs who may not get the chance to go to their dream business school might want to draw inspiration from the following group of CEOs.” Given the difficult economy, learning from business mentors and on-the-job training is more appealing than ever. Here are six prominent names from Businessweek’s “no college” list that may surprise you:

1. Bill Gates
   Co-founder and chairman, Microsoft
   Type of Business: Software
   Education: Dropped out of college
2. Paul Allen
   Founder and chairman, Vulcan
   Type of Business: Media, telecommunications
   Education: Dropped out of college
3. Richard Branson
   CEO, Virgin Group
   Type of Business: Travel, radio, TV, music, venture capital
   Education: No college
4. Michael Dell
   Founder and CEO, Dell
   Type of Business: Computers
   Education: Dropped out of college
5. Phillip Ruffin
   Owner, Treasure Island
   Type of Business: Casinos
   Education: Dropped out of college
6. Ty Warner
   Founder, Ty, Inc.
   Type of Business: Toys (Beanie Babies)
   Education: Dropped out of college to try acting