If your goal is to start a tech start-up or a start-up of any sort in the future, you have to prepare to contend with people with years of experience and very specialized skills. The idea of the dropout entrepreneur was largely fabricated, and the vast majority of successful start-up entrepreneurs today have at least one post-graduate degree, and unless you up your credentials, you will have a lot of trouble competing with them. Let’s take a look at some of the best degrees for aspiring start-up entrepreneurs.
Best Degrees for Start-up Entrepreneurs
Doctor in Business Administration
If you already have a master’s and are working as an executive but would like to round up your skill set, then we suggest you take a look at DBA programs. A DBA will make you a formidable force in the start-up world, no matter what field you’re in.
You’ll be much better at managing and predicting trends, managing your employees, and making your processes as efficient as possible. You’ll be able to save time on research and development while being more efficient with supply chain management and manufacturing. You’ll also be able to fill all sorts of roles and sit in multiple chairs while you form your team.
Business Management
If all you have is a bachelor’s, however, then you could go for a master’s degree in business management. This is really all that you need to start building a business from the ground up. You’ll be able to add people to your team, know where and how to delegate, and have a solid foundation in human resources.
Another thing that makes business management majors such great start-up entrepreneurs is that they know how to build a company culture. They are also experts at identifying the strength and weaknesses of team members and assigning people to the proper roles. This is also a perfect degree for people coming from backgrounds like engineering or data analytics that want to be able to use their skills and run a business efficiently.
If this is something that would interest you and you want a convenient way to get your degree, we suggest you check out this online masters in business management degree from Aston University.
Engineering
We’ve just mentioned engineering, and engineers are running a large portion of the top tech start-ups today. This is because they can understand the technical side of things and can directly provide insight at different stages of a product’s development. They can also directly assist with manufacturing and can identify inefficiencies in processes and designs fast.
Engineering also teaches students to solve very complex problems fast and work as part of a team. These are all things that will directly benefit you as a start-up owner.
It would of course be a good idea to pick an engineering degree that aligns with your target industry. If you want to work on software, then software engineering is the right option. If you want to work on machinery, then mechanical or electronic engineering is a good option. You could also become a systems engineer if you want to become an expert at identifying ways to run an operation more efficiently or a civil engineer if you want to work on large-scale construction projects.
Marketing
Marketing is another program that you should consider if your goal is to become an entrepreneur in this day and age. Marketing techniques are getting more sophisticated by the minute, and someone with a marketing background will be able to use them to their full potential. People with a marketing degree are also better at identifying which marketing methods would be the best for their budget, product, and specific objectives. They are better at integrating and monitoring different methods as well.
Data Analytics
While data has always been very important in business, data is king in today’s business world. There are so many ways to mine data nowadays and so many datasets to compile, and all of them can help you run a better operation and increase your bottom line.
Data can be used to gauge the efficiency of your marketing campaigns. It can be used to assess spikes and dips in demand and adjust accordingly. It can be used to identify bottlenecks in a production chain and see exactly who and what is the cause of them. They can also be used to gauge things like employee morale and engagement while reducing turnover.
Those without an understanding of data are basically walking in the dark while those with a solid grasp of data can run extremely efficient operations on a shoestring. This is why data analytics makes perfect sense as a degree for a start-up entrepreneur.
Accounting
A lot of people see accounting as boring and only one part of business, but nothing is boring or limiting about it when you understand what accounting is truly about. At the end of the day, no one has a clearer view of a business’s health than its accountant(s). Accountants have an edge when it comes to managing and balancing budgets. They can also quickly identify waste in an operation.
But one of the most understated skills that accountants possess is their ability to forecast. Someone with an accounting background can easily see in which direction a business is headed and where they should make corrections.
They’ll also be able to predict things like the effect of expansion on their business and when it would be a good idea to seek financing. Accountants are highly regarded in the finance sector and investors and having an accounting background will bring respect. This means that you’ll have less of a hard time getting financing or bringing investors in.
Computer Science
Computer science is another great degree for start-up entrepreneurs, especially those in tech. One of the biggest benefits of having a computer science degree is that you’ll have a deep understanding of cybersecurity. Not only will you be able to build and manage your whole network, but you’ll ensure its safety as well. This could come in very handy if you’re trying to start something in the fintech field, for instance.
Conclusion
These are all degrees that you could consider if your goal is to become a start-up entrepreneur one day. All of them have something different to offer, so look at them in detail and see which ones could benefit you the most.
