The Commerce Department’s Census recently reported that a master’s degree will bring in $1.3 million more in lifetime earnings than a high school diploma. Across your working life, your educational credentials will, on average, get you:

• High school diploma, $1.2 million
• A bachelor’s degree, $2.1 million
• A master’s degree, $2.5 million

But Why Business Training?

Obtaining any degree will likely add substantially to your income. A business degree in particular will give you the training you need to excel in the world of modern commerce. With business training, you will gain communication skills and experience with technology. You will learn about theories of management and global economies. You will give your resume a competitive edge.

With a business education, you can create an area of expertise by choosing to focus your studies with an area of specialization, such as:

• Human resource management
• Retail management
• Accounting
• Finance
• Business Administration

What Doors Will a Business Degree Open?

You’re much more likely to find yourself sitting behind the desk once you finish your education. Jobweb projects that employers will retain 17.4 percent more new college grads from the upcoming class of 2007 than they did from last year’s class.

What’s more, employers may soon be able to demand more than a BA. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has recently reported that 21.1 percent of the 2005 BA grads pursued an advanced degree rather than take on the increasingly competitive job market.

Certainly, any degree you take the time and energy to obtain will likely stand to you in the long run.

This year more than $30 billion dollars in free government grants money will awarded by federal agencies, as reported by the International Chamber of E-Commerce. But very little of that amount will be handed out for small business grants.

Business Grants for Starting Up

Most government business grants are given to non-profit organizations for programs and services that profit the entire community. The majority of U.S. government departments, including the Department of Commerce, do not give any grants for small business start-ups.

But state programs and other groups do have grant programs available. About.com reports that the most common award areas are medicine and education and that the eligibility criteria can be quite narrow. Eligibility may be based on:

* Location
* Sales revenue to date
* Years in business
* Sex
* Race
* Purpose of funding

Business Loan Grants from Federal Agencies

Comprising ten federal agencies, the Small Business Innovation Research program reserves 2.5% of their monies to award small business loan grants. You can compete for these annually.

You can also check out the Small Business Technological Transfer (SBTT) program. Five different agencies combine to keep aside .15% of their funds to recognize collaborative endeavours between smaller businesses and non-profit research institutions.

You will have to do quite a bit of legwork, especially research, to obtain a grant. Some reputable web sites can help, such as GrantsWeb. Do keep in mind though, that grant money is seldom bestowed to for-profit ventures with the intention of gaining capital.

Artists who work with computers to produce digital art and animation are known as media artists.  They use sketches, coloring, and software applications to work on animation projects, character design, story development, background design, scenic layout and special effects for the motion picture industry and graphic design firms.

In the motion picture industry, media artists help create the “magic” we see on the Big Screen –from talking animals to post-apocalypse Earth.

Media Arts Education

A variety of colleges and technical schools offer a media arts education.  Good programs will include classes that ensure students acquire technological competence with computers, as well as specific software like Adobe Photoshop and After Effects.

Classes also teach the basics of graphic design including layout, color and font.  Quality programs will require students to develop a digital portfolio that can help them land a job.

Careers in Media Arts

With sufficient Media Art education and training, students can start a new career in:

• Storyboard creation
• Computer models
• Computer-generated Special Effects
• Broadcast graphics artists
• Video post-production

Media Arts Job Forecast

There are roughly 230,000 graphic design artists in the US right now—and in the next decade, graphic design positions will increase more than other design jobs. A solid media arts education that emphasizes animation and Web design will best prepare students for the job market.

This field attracts talented artists and so competition for the available positions will be keen.  Students with a bachelor’s degree or other formal training will be the most competitive applicants.