Why Being an Intern Can Boost Your Own Business

Internships are commonly associated with college students. They become interns to earn college credit and to gain experience that will help them start their careers once they have graduated. But did you know that more and more small business owners are expressing an interest in becoming interns?

It may sound strange, but it really makes a lot of sense if you think about it. By definition, an intern is someone who works in a temporary position for the purpose of gaining skills and experience rather than making money. It's not so far-fetched for a budding entrepreneur to want to do that.

Small business owners sometimes seek out internship opportunities that focus on things that they want to learn more about for use in their businesses. For example, an Internet marketer might want to add podcasting to his repertoire. So he could look for an internship that would give him the opportunity to work on someone else's podcast. He could learn about the technical aspects of it and then apply it when creating his own podcasts.

Being an intern can help small business owners expand their offerings to clients. For example, a web designer might want to offer more services to her clients. So she might seek out an internship opportunity in copywriting. Once she has gained some experience through the internship, she can apply what she has learned to writing and designing sales pages.

Internships can also help you network with others in related fields. While this is not usually the primary purpose for becoming an intern, it is certainly a welcome bonus. It could lead to joint ventures, partnerships, or referrals. All of these things have the potential to grow your business and increase your earnings.

Finally, an internship can give you ideas about starting your own internship program. Interns can really come in handy when you have large projects to work on, such as product launches or special events. They can also help you get everyday tasks done so that you can concentrate on more lucrative pursuits. By being an intern yourself, you can see things from the intern's point of view while also taking note of how the company you're interning for runs its program. Both of these things can be a big help if you decide to take on interns of your own.

You don't have to be trying to break into a new career to be an intern. As a small business owner, being an intern can enhance what you're already doing. An internship does not have to take up a large amount of your time, so you can keep your business going while you're participating. If you can set aside just a few hours a week, you can benefit from being an intern.