What is business?
Business is usually a commercial enterprise in which those involved provide services or goods in exchange for profit. Some businesses, however, can be non-profit or governmental. The term business can also sometimes be used to refer to industry in general.
What should I look for in an online business school?
The best online business schools should either possess regional or national accreditation from an accrediting body that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
In addition, you can often recognize top online business schools based on:
The school’s history
Teacher credentials
Alumni network
In choosing the best online business school for you, you should consider the following factors:
Admission requirements
Residency requirements
Class and teaching style
Testing methods used
Course content and presentation
Program length
Class size
Student-teacher interaction
Technology use
Tuition and financial aid
Transferability of credits
Availability of a dedicated administration team and resources
What levels of online business programs are available?
The following levels of business degree online programs are available:
Online Business Certificate Programs
Online Associates in Business
Online Bachelor in Business
Online Masters in Business
Online MBA
Online PhD in Business
How long does it take to get an online business degree?
The amount of time it takes a student to earn an accredited online business degree depends on the level of business degree being pursued and the pace of the student.
Typically, the breakdown is as follows:
Online business Certification Programs – 6 months to 1 year
Online business Associates Degree– 2 years
Online business Bachelor Degree– 4 years
Online business Masters – 2 years
Online business PhD – 2 to 5 years
What are some examples of online business courses?
Business courses will become more specialized the more advanced the level of education. Here are five common subjects that reoccur at all levels in top online business degrees:
Marketing
A marketing class equips students with research skills for identifying markets and trends as well as strategies for appealing to target audiences.
Accounting
Accounting courses teach students about the accounting cycle and how to interpret, record and summarize financial data.
Economics
An economics course teaches students about the production, transportation and consumption of products and services, different kinds of economies, employment and income distribution.
Operations Management
Students in operation's management courses learn about warehousing, logistics and quality management of the manufacturing process.
Human Resource Management
Human resource management courses prepare students with strategies applicable to maintaining a happy and productive workforce, getting the most out of workers and their talents.
What areas of business specialization are available?
Most businessmen and businesswomen today find some degree of specialization to be necessary to forge successful careers. The best online business degrees offer tailored online business courses to provide specializations, including:
Marketing
Information Systems
Human Resources
Accounting
Logistics/Supply Chain
What can I do with a business degree?
Business is the backbone of any market economy and there are many areas in which to be involved. Here is a sampling of the many business job titles that may be available for graduates of accredited online business schools:
Business Analyst
Commercial Banker
Supervisor
Human Resources Assistant
Investment Banker
Quality Assurance Specialist
Buyer
Accountant
Auditor
Public Relations Specialist
The standard qualification on a business resume today is a bachelor's degree in business or a closely related discipline. More specialised jobs, and higher-paying ones, will often require attendance in traditional or online business certificate programs in specialized areas or master’s degrees. The Master of Business Administration (MBA) has become mainly widely-requested academic qualification for top management positions and is thus among the most degrees. An accredited online business school will normally offer online business degree programs with the opportunity to specialize in a variety of concentrations. A holder of a specialized MBA from a top online business school will find it easier than most to gain access to the following business jobs:
Executive Manager
Regional Manager
Departmental Manager
General Manager
Director of Advertising
Logistics Manager
Human Resource Manager
What is a businessperson?
A businessperson is someone whose work involves commercial transactions and/or organizing the activities within a business. The term is most frequently applied to people in administrative or proprietary positions.
What does a businessperson do?
A businessperson contributes to the success to an enterprise. Businesspeople may work as organizers and planners or as research specialists providing decision-makers with necessary data. They are commonly full-time employees within an organization, but may also be owners or contracted freelancers.
How much does a businessperson earn?
The best online business degree students are naturally gifted with strong organizational and leadership skills. A business major will find that, by honing these skills throughout their studies; they have a very high earning potential. Earnings will depend very much on the particular business career one follows. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that a consultant earns from $54,890 to $99,700 on average per annum, whereas top executives make from $62,900 to $137,020 and auditors earn between about $45,900 and $78,210.
The amount of opportunities and the strength of job prospects also vary based on the branch of business in which one is seeking employment. According to the BLS, auditors can expect faster than average growth in their profession through to 2018. Consultants and top executives will continue to have excellent opportunities in terms of the availability of high-paying positions, but will need to be competitive with remarkably strong experiential and academic backgrounds. The BLS predicts that advertising and public relations professionals can also expect competition for well-paid jobs to be particularly keen. The reasons for this expected level of competition are clear: payment and prestige.
Overall, however, it is important to keep in mind that the majority of the population works in professions somehow related to business and so business degrees remain very popular and are not only applicable to high paying executive management roles or publicity work, but to a wide-range of other challenging and rewarding careers across all sectors.
How do I become a businessperson?
There are many paths to becoming a businessperson. There are cases of successful businesspeople who have either made their way as entrepreneurs or who have climbed a corporate ladder based upon the merits of their work, without post-secondary education. Some famous examples of businesspeople that made it without academic preparation include: Simon Cowell (executive for Sony BMG and television producer/personality), Richard Branson (Virgin brand owner) and Ty Warner, Walt Disney, and Mary Kay Ash (all of whom started the companies which bear their famous names). While it is easy to be inspired by these legendary stories of succeeding against the odds, it is important to remember that their success was just that – against the odds. The sort of education one receives from online business certification programs, online business training programs, and most of all, accredited online business degrees, can both prepare students to deal with the complexities of the modern business world and provide them with the necessary academic credentials.
