Do you dream of starting and owning your own business one day? Do you believe your creative business idea will change the world? Are you passionate about finding solutions to current problems?
If you answered yes, you likely want to become an entrepreneur.
But it’s also likely that you are asking yourself if you need a college degree in the first place.
Furthermore, what degree do you need to become an entrepreneur?
In this guide, we’ll answer both questions and share the qualities candidates should look for in Business and Entrepreneurship degree programs.
What is an Entrepreneur?
First things first, students should understand what an entrepreneur is. Entrepreneurs are skilled individuals who start or operate their businesses.
They are the ones who come up with the idea, secure the necessary funding, hire team members, and manage the overall and day-to-day operations of the business. Additionally, they are constantly reevaluating and evolving their business through sound strategy to mitigate risk and succeed in bringing new ideas to a modern market.
Entrepreneurs also benefit from being knowledgeable and skilled in the following areas:
- Branding: Successful branding and marketing will grab the attention of consumers and make onlookers into loyal customers.
- Budgeting: Entrepreneurs should understand and keep a detailed eye on their businesses’ cash flow to ensure they stay profitable and sustainable and support their business decisions.
- Management: The most successful entrepreneurs are competent business managers who understand how to create and enact five-year plans and financial proposals and monitor and elevate employee hiring processes and productivity measures.
- Data analytics: By analyzing data and recognizing trends, entrepreneurs can understand their customer’s habits and preferences and make bold business decisions.
- User experience (UX) design: A basic knowledge of user experience design allows businesses and business owners to optimize their interactions with customers and their products or services. This skill lets companies turn their website and mobile applications into easy-to-use information.
- Search engine optimization (SEO) and digital marketing: Used correctly, search engine optimization enables entrepreneurs to uncover specific trends in their industry. This allows them to direct their marketing efforts to the content their customers desire.
Do I Need a Degree to Start a Business?
While there are rare individuals, like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, who have made their mark on the world without a college degree, they are few and far between.
Plus, with the amount of business and technical skills required to be a successful entrepreneur, it’s no surprise that many seek out entrepreneurship-focused business programs. Not to mention the goal-setting, networking, and additional educational opportunities that these degree programs offer.
In higher education settings, entrepreneur candidates gain technical skills, elevate their professional abilities to start their own businesses, create and launch a business plan, and ensure that their company can survive, prosper, and thrive.
What Degree Do I Need to Become an Entrepreneur?
While it largely depends on your interests, personal responsibilities, and career goals, quite a few degree programs are well-suited to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Examples of these business-focused degree programs include:
- Associate or Bachelor’s in Business Administration, often with an entrepreneurial focus
- Bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies
- Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership
These programs are all designed to build upon the fundamentals of planning, leadership, and development and teach students how to be successful in start-ups, small businesses, and nonprofits. Additionally, these programs instill students’ confidence in managing people, accessing resources, and processing information in any business environment.
Ready to crush your career goals? Download our Business Administration Get Started Guide to explore our degree offerings and pick the one that best fits your needs!
Qualities Students Should Look For in an Entrepreneurship Degree
Students interested in becoming entrepreneurs should look into degree programs focusing on entrepreneurship. In these programs, students learn the fundamentals of planning, leadership, and organizational development and strengthen their personal leadership skills and qualities.
Strongly consider programs that offer courses and skills training in the following areas:
- Accounting and financial management
- Business planning and development
- Communication
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Developing products
- Maintaining a competitive edge
Additionally, by enrolling in college courses and a business degree program, you are making connections with your professors and fellow like-minded peers. Plus, most programs require candidates to gain real-life experience in their desired field through internships.
These early connections often become one of a candidate’s greatest assets and keep them inspired and motivated long after graduation.
At Goodwin University, we take networking opportunities a step further through our entrepreneurial network (ENet), an eighteen-college credit small business start-up certification for underserved populations and those currently and formerly incarcerated. This enables us to positively impact our communities by providing students with a quality educational experience.
Start Your Entrepreneurial Journey at Goodwin University
Being a business owner takes a passionate, creative, and skilled individual. This is why it’s no surprise that most entrepreneurs set themselves up for the utmost success by earning an Associate’s degree in Business Administration – Entrepreneurship Concentration.
In our flexible and customizable program, students synthesize the skills and knowledge gained in their courses to build their business plans based on their career aspirations. Classes are offered on-campus, online, and in a hybrid format on days, evenings, and weekends to fit your schedule and cater to your needs. Plus, students can choose between an accelerated seven-week or fifteen-week format.
Lastly, our innovative, hands-on business practice and small business management approach aims to provide students with the entrepreneurial knowledge and ability to launch, operate, and grow their businesses.
The next step toward starting your business? Learn about Goodwin University’s Business Administration programs by visiting us online today!
It’s time to crush your career goals!