Best Degrees For Entrepreneurship

As an entrepreneur, your success will depend on your drive, business idea, funding, smarts, business acumen, and so much more. One thing it will not depend on is your degree. In the end of the day, if you are able to make money and grow your business, you will succeed despite what you studied in college.

So, if you want to become a successful entrepreneur and you are considering what to study in college, consider the skills you must possess as an entrepreneur and then consider what degrees will give you those skills. In other words, no single degree will teach you everything you need to know about becoming an entrepreneur. On the other hand, there are some degrees that will help you develop the skills you need to succeed in the real world.

This article will first discuss the skills you need as an entrepreneur and then what degrees will help you develop those skills.

Skills You Need as an Entrepreneur:

Building a business involves a wide range of skills. The following are some of the most important skills you must possess to be a successful entrepreneur:

• Excellent Communication: Communication is key for just about anything, especially starting a business. After all, the success of your startup will depend on getting funding, forming partnerships, and marketing your ideas, all of which require communicating with other people and selling a message. You could have the best idea in the world, but if you can’t communicate it properly, nobody will buy into it. Moreover, part of having excellent communication skills is being a good listener. You must be able to listen to others around you, listen to your target audience, and listen to experts in the field. You won’t have all the answers, so being able to listen to others and process their information is crucial.

• Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills: As an entrepreneur, you must be able to analyze your business, industry, and more to ensure you take all important variables into account while making decisions. You will need to make tough decisions all the time, so you better know how to think critically and make logical choices.

• Motivation and Drive: Starting a business means working long hours and enduring mounds of stress and anxiety. Because of this, you must have the motivation and drive to keep going even during the most difficult times. In other words, you better love what you do and really be passionate about what you are trying to build.

Best Degrees for Becoming an Entrepreneur:

While deciding what to study in college if you want to become an entrepreneur, try to find a degree that will help you master the skills discussed above. The following are three examples of degrees that will help you do just that:

• Marketing: Marketing will teach you how to analyze a target audience and deliver a tailored and effective marketing message. By studying marketing, you will learn how to communicate in a variety of forms, while also learning how to critically analyze a situation to make effective business decisions.

• Data Analysis: If you train to become a data analyst, you will not only learn how to think critically and analyze tough situations, but you will also learn how to communicate your findings in a clear and concise way. This combination will help you communicate your startup idea in an appropriate manner based on quantitative and qualitative analysis.

• Theater: This may seem a bit odd and is not related to the two majors above. However, a degree in theater is an excellent thing to have going into the business world for one key reason: it teaches you how to master communication for just about any circumstance. Communication is arguably the most important aspect of the business world, so if you can communicate effectively and sell an idea, you’re in good shape. A degree in theater will teach you just that.

About the Author -- Joshua Ferdman

Joshua Ferdman is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, specializing in technology, finance, and real estate. He started working in the mortgage business at the age of 16 and hasn't stopped since. Joshua always said that the most important job you can ever have is phone sales. He writes about entrepreneurship, leadership, and succeeding in the professional world.