Knowledge is power, but in Canada that knowledge usually comes with a heavy price tag! Here are some tips for gaining the same knowledge for free, and in some cases even get paid for it! This is a must read for a struggling early entrepreneur or those who just generally seek knowledge.

I work in the technology industry, and what a fickle industry she is! One can excel simply by proving themselves, without any formal degrees or certifications. In such industries like this, a self employed person could easily also be self educated.

Below I will list the avenues of free and paid education I have experienced first hand:

1. The most common I would have to say is the internet, yahoo and wikipedia.

2. Most colleges and universities will allow walk in guests to listen in on some lectures. This does not work with private schools.

3. The government will put on free programs from time to time. I took the same class two years in a row because of the networking it provided, which lead to paid jobs.

4. Volunteer for an established individual or company that can mentor you. They will give you more one on one training than most schools could.

5. This one is a little sneaky, but it will pay off. Seek out a job at a large department store relative to your work, for me that was Futureshop. The corporation will pay you to go through their 1-4 week training, I decided to go with a sales program. Once the training is finished, quit and get paid.

This 5 simple tips are how I got started… however yes I did pay for a 3 year multimedia certification as well.