A Business Degree Has Taken A Sacramento Franchise Owner All Over The Country

Nic Wilkinson has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Trinity Western University, BC, Canada. He is currently a small business owner and runs a franchise for paint and scratch repair for cars at dealerships.

You were raised in California, how did you end up in DC? How did you get started in your field?

"My friend runs a franchise on his own in northern California, and he had great success with it. Nobody was doing it in the DC metro area, so I did some market research, opened a loan and got started in DC doing the same thing."

Do you feel that your degree has helped you achieve success in your franchise?

"Definitely. At the very least, it instilled confidence in my ability to get started. I've been able to apply some academic knowledge to my marketing approach. It's been challenging, and rewarding as well."

As a franchise owner, what is your advice to recent college graduates?

"Running a business takes a big toll on your personal life. I can't overstate that. On the flip side, success is extremely rewarding and on par with discovering how to make fire."

What kind of job prospects are out there for business administration majors?

"I like this analogy: it's a vanilla degree, but remember that vanilla is a base for a huge variety of ice creams. It's all dependent on what you add to it. Never expect to get a degree in business administration and get hired on the degree alone. Add in internships, work experience, etc. to boost your unique qualities. Every company has people with degrees in business, but it takes more than a business degree to stand out in today's market. Business majors fit well in management, sales, marketing, accounting, technical services, account management, contract management and more. Have a focus on your major and specialize in two things. For example, majoring in business administration and then doing an accounting internship plus getting involved in a school-sponsored marketing project."

Megan Bowyer is a freelance writer in search of the best food and drinks that Sacramento has to offer. You can find her at any number of dive bars or trendy restaurants; just look for the short blonde feeding the jukebox. Her work can be found at "Examiner.com"