One of the most common questions I receive is, "Can I use professional business skills to improve my career as an employee, or do I have to own my own business to be successful?"

That is a particularly awesome question, so let me dig right into it. The short answer is that professional business skills are universal. You can use them to become a better employee, spouse, parent, parent, teacher or volunteer.

The first 10 years of my career I worked for the Sav-on drug company in Southern California in a variety of capacities. I used these techniques to get promoted several times and to advance my career. I would have stayed with Sav-on drugs my entire career if they had not dramatically changed their business philosophy after they were purchased multiple times.

So understanding how value is created does not mean that you have to go out and invent your own product or service to be successful. The product can be you. And your service can be developing your self to be a more valuable employee.

The key question we all face in the global economy is, "What are we going to do to be worth the money we want to get paid?" Hospitals are consolidating. Retail chains are not growing as fast as they were.

The move to the federal government as the payer will bring with it many challenges to traditional business models. Therefore, even if you have a great job right now, there is no guarantee that the job is going to remain or remain great.

If you learn skills like business planning, financial planning, basic accounting, human resource management, operations management, economics and value creation, then you will be putting your self into a position to remain employed when staff cuts take place, to get promoted when the opportunity arises, or to do something so valuable that another employer offers you more money or opportunity to come to work for them.

All of those things I think would be cool for you to learn. I look forward to your success.