8 Great Business Education Apps For The Self-Employed

Most people view school as a prerequisite for entering the business world, but the truth is that regardless of the level of formal education you received, you will never be at a point where you can say that you know everything there is to know. The business world is constantly changing and growing, and it takes dedication to keep yourself informed and up-to-date.

Luckily, there’s never been a better time for learning on the go, and there are a number of apps that allow you to educate yourself whenever you have a bit of free time. The following are just a few of our favorites:

Pocket MBA – Pocket MBA takes a book filled with all the knowledge you’d receive getting an actual MBA and places it at your fingertips on your phone. Based on the work of bestselling author and business professor Dr. Jae K. Shim, the pocket MBA app includes digital flashcards and self-tests that will help you make sure you’re absorbing what you read.

SkillPill – SkillPill is a interesting concept in that they’re not attempting to teach you something you don’t know. Instead, each “skill pill” is intended to give you a basic outline of key points that “refresh” your knowledge on a subject, kickstarting your brain into the right frame of mind for whatever task you’re about to participate in.

Sandler – Sandler provides comportate, sales and management training programs both in person and on the web. Their mobile app can be used to supplement their online platform, or can be used as a standalone tool. They also have a free app with limited content available, but enough that you can get a feel for whether or not you like the setup.

Lynda.com – Boasting over 2,000 online courses and more than 100,000 tutorials, with more being added weekly, Lynda.com’s goal is to keep you at the top of your game no matter where you go. With topics ranging from 3D Animation and CAD to Online Marketing, Ecommerce and Time Management, Lynda.com not only allows you to keep on the cutting edge of your own fields, but also to expand your horizons into other fields as well.

American Express – American Express OPEN Forum lets you connect with industry leaders and read articles, take part in discussions, watch videos, and much more. It also offers many tools that can benefit small businesses. While there are certain features that are available only to American Express cardholders, much of the content is accessible by anyone.

Cisco – On the surface, this may just appear to be an app that lets you access Cisco’s web conferencing platform, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a wealth of knowledge. WebEx lets you access educational webinars, create open discussions, and use Expert Q&A to crowdsource answers to any problems you may find yourself having trouble with.

CellCast – CellCast allows businesses to make all of their educational and training materials available to their employees from a central network that can be accessed from a cell phone or tablet. It also allows you to attend live-streamed events and access an online library of related materials. This app is not only a great way to educate, but also a great tool for making sure everyone in your business is on the same page.

Learnable – Learnable is a membership-based program from the creators of the SitePoint book series that lets you access courses on a number of web development and design topics. While the site isn’t technically an “app,” each month you are given two credits, which can be used to download SitePoint books in ereader format, so you can still use it to make your phone or tablet a source of education. You also have the option of downloading videos from classes to watch in places where you may have limited access to the Internet.

 
These are just a few of the many apps out there that can help you continually build on your education and keep yourself ahead of the pack. In an industry that is constantly evolving, immediate access to knowledge can be a business owner’s greatest tool.