what program?

[Anonymous Poster]

What program would be useful to major in to help me eventually start my own excavation business? Construction Management or something like Business and Marketing? Thanks.

Blake
WA

 

[MossRoad]

I don't think business courses could ever hurt. I wish I had taken some when I was your age. Even though I don't do anything related to that, it would help me if I understood things like depreciation.

 

[Gfranklin]

I agree with MossRoad . My guess is that most businesses fail from poor management decisions. They either grow too fast or make poor tax decisions or any of the other gazillion reasons. My guess is you'll do just fine from the operatin' the backhoe point of view but your challenge will come from understanding and navigating the financial, legal, tax, employee and curve ball issues. A college foundation in business would prepare you for a lot of things, just one of which could be an excavation business.

Since it sounds like college is in your future, what about Civil Engineering? My advice is cram in all the college you can in anything you can while you can.

Greg

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I have a bachelors in business economics. If all you were to take for courses I would highly recommend taking micro economics. Just understanding the graphing part, and one can use that the rest of their lives.

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

I agree with others on some general business courses and maybe there's a way to find some tech school courses on diesel mechanics also that might come in handy. Or heck maybe find out what courses are required for a General Contractor's license and just take a few without getting the license.
but hey what do i know? I'm sitting here with a Master's degree in education and a new Kubota tractor that I can't get out of the woods to even make any money!
ya just never know.

 

[frank_f15]

a little late to this thread, but u seem to have a good grasp on what is needed to accomplish your desires. u don't have a problem asking a question, which is very important. i am no businessman, but i would imagine that THINKING is very imprtant. good luck in all u do

 

[Bird]

Blake, I'll agree with the other guys on their recommendations, but will ramble with a few of my own thoughts. I'm sure there are people your age who know what profession or occupation they want to pursue and stay with that decision, but I think many of them start with one thing in mind and then change their mind, sometimes more than once, before they finish college (yep, I was one of those and I've know many others). So . . ., unless colleges have changed a great deal since I was involved (which of course is a good possibility), certain "basic" courses are required for any degree, without regard to what your major may be. I recommend that anyone starting in college begin with English, Math, and American History classes. First reason is that I think those classes will be required no matter what degree you eventually pursue, so get them out of the way early. Second reason is that if you master "reading, writing, and arithmetic" then it'll be easier to learn anything else you want to know.

 

[MossRoad]

<font color=blue>if you master "reading, writing, and arithmetic" then it'll be easier to learn anything else you want to know. </font color=blue>

Ahh, the 3 Rs.... readin', ritin', and 'rithmetic... /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

You got that right! One of the main problems that I run into in life is my lacking math skills. I've got down add, subtract, multiply and divide. Those are easy. Geometry and trigonometry, that's where I fail to excel. I've found that there are a surprising numbers of angles in real life /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I've tried several times to memorize the formulas, but they just don't click. Fortunately, I can find the formulas rather quickly, if needed, but it sure would be handy if I knew them by heart and knew which ones to apply to different situations.

Hmmm... sounds like I should go back to school. Maybe I'll buy some of those Math Blaster programs for the PC. Couldn't hurt.

 

[Surge]

The program that teaches you to seek guidance, assistance, asking questions and getting help which is what you are doing with this thread... but you will have to go farther.....

Go to the Small Business Association office..even if it means taking a day trip somewhere...

Most small business fail because the are "underfunded" meaning not enough working capital to get going until there is enough income stream to sustain it.... also, a "cushion" for the slow or hard times...

Put together a good "business plan" to seek funding - so a course in doing this would be beneficial... then make sure you have an accountant to help with equipment depreciation, expenses etc...

Again, unless you also have a regular job or other income, you will have to have it layed out properly....

 

[cowboydoc]

I would go with the construction management. My brother got this degree and he said it was very helpful in his business. He worked for one of the biggest contractors in the nation through school and then started his own. Because he was in school alot of the upper management guys would take him under his wing and show him the things he was studying. The talks I've had with him the firsthand experience and then the education was invaluable.

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>math skills</font color=blue>

David, I'll never forget learning what overconfidence can do for you. Any kind of math or arithmetic was my easy subjects all the way through high school, and I did the "bookkeeping" for Dad's businesses from the time I was 16 (he knew how, but didn't like the job and I did at the time). So . . ., my first semester in college, I signed up for an algebra course on the assumption that, since algebra was so easy in high school, I wouldn't need to spend any time or effort on it, just show up for the classes and take the tests; right?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Well . . ., I did manage to pull a "C" in that class./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Maybe the most valuable thing I learned was that I wasn't as smart as I thought I was./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Bird, cut yourself a break. I found the opposite to be true. I struggled with math in late high school and early college. In classes that required studying material I could successfully test well by only cramming the night before. Not with math, chemistry, and physics. I tried to cramm in these classes with no success. I didnt think I was smart enough. Then I tried doing homework problems daily and started doing well. Turns out I was smarter than I thought. So, to anyone taking classes that envolve problems, do a little daily. For most people it is a must. It will give you confidence, I promise.

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>do a little daily</font color=blue>

Good advice and I agree. It's when you think you already know it and don't do anything that you get in trouble./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Needless to say, the next math course I took resulted in a grade of "A".

 

[MossRoad]

I went to "normal" college for one year. If I liked your class, I got an A. If I didn't, I got an F. I was working one full time job, two part times and doing 9 credit hours at college, plus dating my future wife. The counselor told me I had too much on my plate, so I quit college /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif..... I went across town and enrolled at the local technical college and got two associates in electronics while still holding the jobs and dating. I came out of school with no debts because I paid as I went and have never looked back.... except for math. I guess I'll have to do something about that, now that I am able. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Cacinok]

I'm a little late here, but that's me.

Blake, I'd major in Construction Management, which will give you business classes, but since you want to own your own company I would also minor in business management or accounting depending on the amount of accounting involved in the business management minor and construction management major. I would also suggest adding in some marketing classes. Construction is often a word of mouth type business but marketing skills always help.

Clint

 

[rdln]

Blake, I would say civil engineering then get a job operating with lots of overtime and expose yourself to all types of work so you have the confidence when you go on your own.
I'll pass the one piece of advice on that I have been told most often:
Find a good accountant.