Business Owners: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of business owners about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for business owners to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of business owners expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for business owners.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Business Owners?
Do business owners need a degree? What kind of experience do business owners typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for business owners to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Business Owners
Jobs Postings for Business Owners By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 50,090 (43%)
- No Education Listed: 23,984 (21%)
- Master's degree: 19,746 (17%)
- High School or GED: 16,235 (14%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 5,415 (5%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of business owners. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 43% of positions. In 21% of job listings no education level was listed and in 17% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Business Owners
Jobs Postings for Business Owners By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 7,723 (12%)
- 2-3 Years: 18,740 (28%)
- 4-6 Years: 22,202 (34%)
- 7-9 Years: 8,746 (13%)
- 10+ Years: 8,684 (13%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for business owners. In 34% of job postings for Business Owners, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 28% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 13% of job postings for business owners.
What Kind of Degree Do Business Owners Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for business owners, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 17 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective business owners, and in 2021 a total of 173,173 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective business owners.
Top Degree Programs for Business Owners
Top 5 Degree Programs for Business Owners (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General. | 55,970 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 31,252 |
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. | 18,408 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,128 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General. | 55,970 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 31,252 |
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. | 18,408 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,128 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other. | 4,791 |
| Public Health Education and Promotion. | 4,550 |
| Project Management. | 4,155 |
| Medical Office Management/Administration. | 3,543 |
| Public Health, Other. | 3,404 |
| Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling. | 2,516 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other. | 2,200 |
| Accounting and Business/Management. | 1,537 |
| Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist. | 1,099 |
| Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management. | 1,058 |
| Accounting and Related Services, Other. | 814 |
| Veterinary Office Management/Administration. | 71 |
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What Skills Do Business Owners Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by business owners to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for business owners, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Business Owners
Based on 94,242 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Business Owners
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 18,054 | 19% |
| Office Management | 15,775 | 17% |
| Project Management | 15,586 | 17% |
| Finance | 14,149 | 15% |
| Marketing | 11,723 | 12% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Business Owners
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Management | 46,388 | 49% |
| Communications | 46,137 | 49% |
| Operations | 37,578 | 40% |
| Leadership | 34,223 | 36% |
| Planning | 24,364 | 26% |
Based on 94,242 job postings related to business owners, accounting was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 19% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for office management, project management, finance, marketing and billing were also highly sought.
As for common skills, management was the most desired skill found in job postings for business owners, followed by communications, operations, leadership, planning and customer service.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 18,054 | 19% |
| Office Management | 15,775 | 17% |
| Project Management | 15,586 | 17% |
| Finance | 14,149 | 15% |
| Marketing | 11,723 | 12% |
| Billing | 11,511 | 12% |
| Auditing | 10,361 | 11% |
| Accounts Receivable | 9,164 | 10% |
| Accounts Payable | 9,130 | 10% |
| Invoicing | 8,310 | 9% |
| Administrative Support | 6,768 | 7% |
| Purchasing | 6,141 | 7% |
| Data Analysis | 6,019 | 6% |
| Medicaid | 5,923 | 6% |
| Financial Statements | 5,581 | 6% |
| Process Improvement | 5,473 | 6% |
| Workflow Management | 5,449 | 6% |
| Procurement | 5,271 | 6% |
| Performance Management | 5,177 | 5% |
| Medicare | 5,097 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Management | 46,388 | 49% |
| Communications | 46,137 | 49% |
| Operations | 37,578 | 40% |
| Leadership | 34,223 | 36% |
| Planning | 24,364 | 26% |
| Customer Service | 23,401 | 25% |
| Writing | 18,369 | 19% |
| Problem Solving | 18,208 | 19% |
| Microsoft Excel | 15,884 | 17% |
| Coordinating | 15,751 | 17% |
| Microsoft Office | 15,304 | 16% |
| Detail Oriented | 14,588 | 15% |
| Research | 14,378 | 15% |
| Presentations | 13,698 | 15% |
| Sales | 12,992 | 14% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 11,976 | 13% |
| Budgeting | 11,698 | 12% |
| Organizational Skills | 10,785 | 11% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 10,672 | 11% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 10,307 | 11% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about business owners? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for business owners.
What do business owners do?
How much do business owners make?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.