While many would argue that an entrepreneur does not need a degree, the case remains that a college degree can give aspiring entrepreneurs the knowledge that they need to succeed or to live up to their highest expectations. The sad truth is that according to CEO BlogNation, many entrepreneurs fail within the first two years after start-up. This is typically not due to lack of knowledge about their product or service but rather a lack of knowledge about how to run their business.
Another word of caution should be noted regarding business degrees. While these may be the first degrees that come to mind for aspiring entrepreneurs, business degrees may not be as great as they seem initially. In fact, some entrepreneurs looking to hire undergraduates say no to those with business degrees, looking instead for someone with a more specific degree. Those who do decide on business degrees should be sure to have minors that focus on a specific area, such as accounting, economics or communication. On the other hand, aspiring entrepreneurs can do even more to better their futures by focusing on one of the following three majors in the first place.
Communications
A communications major can help aspiring entrepreneurs learn how to get their ideas across in a non-threatening yet powerful way. Effective communication skills are great to have because they can easily transfer across jobs and career platforms. It doesn’t matter what career path you choose, it is imperative that you be able to effectively communicate. This is especially true for individuals who want to pursue entrepreneurship as they will need to effectively communicate with employees, suppliers, and customers as they are starting their own business. In their futures, these individuals may need to pitch their ideas to companies or investors or may need to communicate with employees or the media. A communications degree may specialize in a certain area, such as journalism, public speaking or something else, but each option will help the individual learn how to phrase his written and oral speech in a clear, concise way.
Computer Science
While computer science may not seem like an obvious choice, it can help individuals learn their way around computers, which can be imperative for those who will be working in front of their desks in their business. So many start-ups nowadays deal with building online programs, apps or other technical services. Some additional options underneath computer science could include programming and Web design. Thankfully, there are major helps available to aspiring entrepreneurs who may not have this type of knowledge from college. Services like Adobe’s banner maker make it easy for those without the technical knowledge to create gorgeous websites.
Finance
Having major finance knowledge can help aspiring entrepreneurs know their way around numbers. Sadly, many entrepreneurs fail due to lack of money management skills. Having a sound knowledge of business finance will help entrepreneurs get off to a good start. In addition, finance skills can help individuals with statistics, estimations and measurements of progress, all of which are vital for new companies. Finance majors, including accounting and economics, can help entrepreneurs be wise with their resources.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great degrees for entrepreneurs to have under their belts. Nearly any major will work if it has something to do with the entrepreneur’s area of interest. For example, graphic design, marketing, journalism or even theater are all excellent options depending on the entrepreneur’s desired area of expertise. Having the knowledge that a college degree brings can help aspiring entrepreneurs truly succeed with their businesses throughout their lives.