Most people are familiar with the story of how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak launched the world famous Apple computer from a garage in the 1970s, but few understand what it took to get from there to Silicon Valley.

With an AA degree from Laurus College in Professional Business Systems, Information Technologies (IT) and Network Systems or Web Design, you’ll receive the information and training you need to embark on your own successful journey, but a little advice from Steve Jobs might help along the way.

In an interview shortly before his passing, Steve Jobs had several tips to offer the entrepreneur. Here are the top 3:

Find Your Passion: Making the decision to launch your career as a freelancer or an entrepreneur allows you to be the boss, but the road to success can be bumpy and include many obstacles. Without the passion for what you do, Jobs warned that it would be hard to stay the course. Passion helps you weather the storms and stay committed to reaching your goals.

Make Connections: Jobs was a deep believer in surrounding himself with the best people. While it could take years before you can hire employees or find partners, being connected to the best people in your industry, the people who you admire and who can help you, will ultimately help you to build your brand. Connect with others both in person and through your social media network.

Communicate Effectively: Nothing matters more than communicating your ideas effectively. Spend the time to craft your message and edit and proofread it until it’s the best it can be. Take a few moments to think before you speak, say something worthwhile and most importantly, don’t forget that the most important part of communicating with others is listening.

Launching Apple and making it the multi-billion dollar company that it is today required a great deal of technical knowledge, but Apple’s real success came from what Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak knew mattered most: passion, connections and communication.

Melanie Bryant is the Professional Business Systems Department Chair at Laurus College.

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