Entrepreneurship Leads To Success In Baltimore For VP Of Business Development
In an article titled "4 Questions You Must Think Critically About Before Starting a Business," entrepreneur.com writer Stephen Key gives invaluable advice to anyone thinking of taking their idea and turning it into a business. He advises one to consider the direction in which the industry is heading, as well as evaluating cost and demand for making an entrepreneurial dream a reality. Similarly, in her article "From Dreaming to Succeeding, the 12 Phases of Entrepreneurship," Sarah Vermunt describes the different phases of entrepreneurship, and how to plan one's next steps.
SpotHero is a great example of how a small idea can expand into a huge customer base. Created in Chicago to provide discounted parking prices throughout the downtown area, the company has expanded to include numerous cities throughout the U.S. Alex Kruger, VP of Business Development in Baltimore, offers some insight into how his bachelor's degree in business administration has helped in his role with SpotHero.
How does your experience in formal education relate to your current role?
"A huge amount of my undergraduate education focused on working in teams and managing multiple projects at once. I juggled many hats, from being a team member on a group project for a class to managing extracurricular clubs and activities without letting anything fall. Currently, that's what I'm doing at SpotHero. As the VP of Business Development, I oversee the supply and business development teams, manage expansion in new cities and growth of current cities, along with building out expansion based partnerships with operators."
How has your education helped to further your career and contribute to your success?
"My education gave me a huge leg up in understanding a lot of the financial aspects of the industry. During my undergraduate studies, I spent a lot of time with the entrepreneurship department which paid off since it helped me to evaluate opportunities with my career. After graduation, I built out a sales team for one organization and afterwards I left to manage the Business Development and Supply team at SpotHero."
What is some advice you can offer others looking to go into this field?
"Knowledge is power. Take the time to learn computer science while in school."
Sara Lugardo is a professional writer out of Chicago, Illinois. She has a bachelor's in communication and is currently working on her master's. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.