What Do Business Owners Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for business owners?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what business owners do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Business Owners Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about business owners by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Business Owners plan, direct, or coordinate one or more administrative services of an organization, such as records and information management, mail distribution, and other office support services. Medical records administrators are included in Medical and Health Services Managers (11-9111).
Popular Job Titles For Business Owners
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Business Office Managers
- Facilities Managers
- Associate Directors
- Administrators
- Administrative Officers
- Administrative Managers
- Facilities Coordinators
- Business Office Directors
- Management Specialists
- Administrative Analysts
- Facilities Maintenance Managers
- Associate Strategy Directors
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for business owners can be found.
Best Industries for Business Owners
Business Owners Jobs By Industry
- Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 8.3%
- Management of Companies and Enterprises: 5.7%
- State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 5.1%
- Education and Hospitals (State Government): 4.2%
- Education and Hospitals (Local Government): 3.6%
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools: 3.3%
- Other: 69.8%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of business owners can be found working in the Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals sector. In 2022, about 8.3% of all jobs for business owners were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Management of Companies and Enterprises (5.7%), State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (5.1%), Education and Hospitals (State Government) (4.2%), Education and Hospitals (Local Government) (3.6%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (3.3%).
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What Do Business Owners Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what business owners do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work business owners do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that business owners tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for business owners, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - 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% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Business Owners
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Business Office Managers | 28,867 | 28.3% |
| Facilities Managers | 10,471 | 10.3% |
| Associate Directors | 8,268 | 8.1% |
| Administrators | 10,435 | 10.2% |
| Administrative Officers | 7,203 | 7.1% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2021 and August 2022, the top job sought by employers was business office managers, with 9,783 unique job postings. Facilities managers were second, with 3,393 postings, followed by associate directors, administrators and administrative officers.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to business owners.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Business Office Managers | 28,867 | 28.3% |
| Facilities Managers | 10,471 | 10.3% |
| Associate Directors | 8,268 | 8.1% |
| Administrators | 10,435 | 10.2% |
| Administrative Officers | 7,203 | 7.1% |
| Administrative Managers | 5,790 | 5.7% |
| Facilities Coordinators | 3,597 | 3.5% |
| Business Office Directors | 2,377 | 2.3% |
| Management Specialists | 2,146 | 2.1% |
| Administrative Analysts | 3,607 | 3.5% |
| Facilities Maintenance Managers | 2,867 | 2.8% |
| Associate Strategy Directors | 1,691 | 1.7% |
| Facilities Assistants | 2,158 | 2.1% |
| Associate Directors of Analytics | 1,529 | 1.5% |
| Assistant Business Office Managers | 3,038 | 3% |
| Facility Operations Supervisors | 1,767 | 1.7% |
| Business Owners | 1,218 | 1.2% |
| Building Supervisors | 1,452 | 1.4% |
| Merchandising Assistant Team Leaders | 1,716 | 1.7% |
| Administrative Directors | 1,737 | 1.7% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for business owners? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for business owners.
How much do business owners make?
Business Owners: How do you become one?
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.