California Miramar University

This year employers expect to hire 17.4% new MBAs, up from 11.7% in 2011 according to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s (GMAC) 2012 Survey of Corporate Recruiters. And are overwhelmingly interested in hiring MBA candidates that have recently graduated and are ready to put their new degree to use. Because many graduates of online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs have gained work experience during business school, they have had the benefit of applying their studies to their jobs and now have the confidence to really advance their careers.

MBA programs give you an advantage in both your personal and career development. You learn invaluable leadership skills as you fulfill course requirements, like group projects and presentations, which are meant to mimic real business situations. A second strong advantage to a traditional, hybrid or online business degree is the business connections and relationships you form with classmates and professors. Alumni networks from business schools help you build your career by offering services that aid in relocating if necessary, or give advice on a corporation’s strengths when you are on the job market or looking to change positions.

With an online MBA, however, you will likely be recruited while still in school at a salary that averages $90,000 per annum upon graduation, depending on location. With students who chose a specialty, job offer opportunities are slightly higher, as are those in manufacturing. Further, if you are interested in pursuing a career in either the services or products sector you may earn an impressive 75% higher salary than your fellow graduates.

If you are still working full-time, then the online MBA programs or Hybrid MBA programs are definitely great options that allow you to take advantage of the freedom they entail. The costs overall are less than traditional MBA programs; but the important aspects of MBA training, like group work, are included via online technologies like video chatting and/or conference calls. You will keep in close contact with professors and classmates, ensuring that you continue to reap all of the benefits of traditional programs, while gaining the valuable work experience to really propel yourself into the upper echelon of whatever career path you embark on.

Simply put, the Doctor of Business Administration is the driving force behind growth and change in the dynamic world of business administration theory and practice. DBAs contribute to the body of professional knowledge and to the development of actual business practice by putting business theory to work on practical business problems. Students working on their Doctor of Business Administration study a wealth of advanced, practical and theoretical knowledge and literature in their field, and utilize sophisticated research methods and problem solving skills to complete their assignments. Many students prepare for DBA courses with online MBA programs.

Online MBA students may be wondering whether to go for a PhD in Business Administration or a Doctor of Business Administration when the time comes, and although the difference between the two is subtle, it is where the importance of a DBA really shows. PhDs typically only work in the field of academia, focusing on teaching and researching theory; DBAs, on the other hand, take this theory into their own personal practices and consulting jobs to actively shape the way business works. They keep their fingers on the pulse of new and emerging strategic management techniques, market research and both local and global financial theory, and then use this broad scope of knowledge to improve every aspect of the business world. The efficiency and innovativeness of the industry rely on these bright and pioneering professionals.

One of the reasons Doctors of Business Administration are so successful is the flexibility and range of opportunities that their training offers. DBAs can be found making a difference on all levels of business, from office management to foreign relations. Due to their strong academic background, DBAs can also be found influencing the academic world as some of the most prestigious professors at schools like the Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan School of Management, and Stanford University.

A Doctor of Business Administration needs many attributes to succeed: focus, passion and tenacity, to name a few. But for the committed, a wide world of satisfying praxis and a chance to make a difference awaits.

So far we’ve put the Spotlight on FortuneBuilders Inc. because of their innovation in the real estate industry, and Ludus Sports for their ceaseless passion and commitment to providing a community-based model for customer service. This week we are shining the CalMU Business Spotlight on the Karl Strauss Brewing Company for two major reasons: vision and innovation.

I’m not going to go over the history of their rise to the top of the San Diego brewing scene, as you can find that on their website or Wikipedia, but I will tell you this: entrepreneurial-spirited founders Chris Cramer and Matt Rattner started with a very unique and maybe even “crazy” idea; did their homework and spent countless hours turning back the hands of time in the 1980s to fight Prohibition-era liquor laws; and eventually risked everything they had to turn their initial idea into a profound vision.

You see, when they started in the late 1980s, San Diego County was still entrenched in a Prohibition mindset when it came to beer. Their vision was to create a completely new beer culture in San Diego and open a microbrewery that specialized in local handcrafted beer. (They also enlisted the help of Chris’ cousin and master brewer with over 50 years experience, none other than… you guessed it… Karl M. Strauss.) When they opened up shop on February 1, 1989, they had absolutely no idea how San Diegans would receive their innovative concept. They had invested so much time, money and effort into this vision they had that their microbrewery’s ‘Opening Day’ was essentially a make-or-break deal. But on that fateful day when they opened their doors (*cue inspirational music*), they found locals already lined up to get the first taste of their original 3 beers.

It has now been 23 years since their founding and their business has skyrocketed. Starting with just three beers, they now offer 10x that at 30, including a 6 year-round beers and a variety of highly reputed seasonals and specialties. In 2010 Draft Magazine voted the Karl Strauss Endless Summer Light brew as the best light craft beer in the US. Later in the year their Red Trolley Ale, an Irish red ale, received gold medals in said category at both the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival. They also received a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival for their winter seasonal Two Tortugas Belgian Quad in the Belgian-style Abbey category.

Karl Strauss Brewing Company provides their beloved brews to over 2,500 liquor stores, grocery stores, bars and restaurants in California and now has 6 prime locations across Southern California. (And when I say prime, I mean PRIME… Downtown San Diego, La Jolla, Sorrento Mesa, Costa Mesa and the Universal CityWalk… try that for real estate.) Unlike other craft breweries across they nation, they have limited their scope and distribution to Southern California, but plan to slowly expanding both north and east.

The brewing company holds many events to benefit myriad charities and also strives to be eco-friendly by donating its used ethanol for fuel use. Management is committed to their employees with progressive benefits/compensation, bonuses for those who demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit that got them to where they are today and help the company grow, and a 401(k) plan. Karl Strauss brews over 30,000 barrels every year in their state-of-the-art 2-story main brewery, bottling 250 bottles every minute. They currently have over 400 employees working from them in their main office, brewery and microbrewery restaurants, and grosses over $20 million every year. They have also been ranked 40th on the list of Top US Craft Breweries.

So thank you Karl Strauss Brewing Company, and especially Chris Cramer and Matt Rattner, for serving as the perfect example of how entrepreneurs can turn some “crazy” idea into a very successful operation. When you think about it, one of the key ingredients for success is being unique and adding a unique value proposition. If you stand out from the field, put in countless hours of hard work and cultivate your vision, you can really do great things in the world. And it doesn’t hurt when you’re brewing beer because, let’s face it, it never hurts to sip on a cold brewsky on a hot San Diego spring day.

So again, thank you gentlemen for teaching us all a lesson on how to build and grow a successful business; thank you for your vision and innovation in redefining the San Diego beer scene and reinventing local craft brews; thank you for inspiring our students in our on-campus, hybrid and online MBA programs; and thank you for giving me some ideas of things I need to try this weekend. We are honored to shine the CalMU Business Spotlight on you.

Whether a prospective student is looking to spend time at the beach or just wants to study hard, they may want to start searching for a school in Southern California. Southern California has many strong academic institutions, including several prominent and esteemed ones that lead the nation. Southern California colleges come in all shapes and sizes, with several of these schools offering online degrees. Some of these schools, in addition, offer accredited online business programs and part time MBA programs. Each Southern California School is distinctive, with strengths that include everything from academics and athletics to outreach and alumni networks.

There are many benefits and features of attending one of the many academic institutions in this part of the country. Southern California has the best climate in the United States. An obvious appeal of attending school here is the summer; it is endless with year-round warm weather. Additionally, attendance at one of the many excellent schools offers access to a large number of educational and cultural benefits. There are a large number of museums and cultural amenities available to benefit from and enjoy, along with rich cultural nooks in cities that allow you to be entrenched in and truly experience a different way of life.

Going to school in Southern California also provides access to business and industrial opportunities that flourish in the larger cities like San Diego and Los Angles. The job opportunities are much more abundant than many other parts of the nation, which is particularly beneficial both while in school and after graduation. Additionally living in a thriving city is the ideal place to find a job, establish career contacts or receive an internship.

In Southern California, the lifestyle is highly active and extremely healthy; it is an exciting place to live and learn. Going to classes at a school in Southern California also offers access to a multitude of social recreational outdoor activities, from numerous beaches where surfing, swimming, boating and scuba diving are extremely popular, to rock climbing and hiking.