How long does it take to become a Business Owner?

It takes 6 years of professional experience to become a business owner. That is the time it takes to learn specific business owner skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 9 to 11 years years to become a business owner.

What are the best gifts for a small business owner?

The best gifts for small business owners are practical gifts, such as plants, planners, and books. It is important to consider several factors when purchasing a gift for a small business owner, including:

How To Become A Business Owner: What It Is and Career Path

What is a business owner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Kim Roberts

Congrats! You opened your own business. Now what? Now, you get to sit back, relax and let everyone else do the hard work, right? Wrong. During the beginning stages of a new business it is so important that the boss is around for the day-to-day operations.

Typically, business owners put in well-above the regular 40-hour week. In fact, you might even have to put in 60 hours a week. At least until your business is extremely successful and can continue to survive without you around all the time. It's hard work as a business owner, but at least you get to be the boss.

Speaking of being the boss, don't forget to hire some people so you don't have to boss yourself around. Once your business starts to take off, you'll want to hire employees to help out. You'll find out quickly that you, indeed, cannot be everywhere all at once.

What general advice would you give to a Business Owner?

Dr. Kim Roberts

Professor of Operations Management, Website

Business-related occupations offer attractive salaries and offer a variety of disciplines, such as accounting, contract management, cybersecurity, finance, human resources, logistics, marketing, management, operations, sales, and more. However, business careers are often demanding, requiring long work weeks and travel.

Skills
leadership
communication
innovation
adaptation
critical thinking
problem solving
emotional intelligence
empathy
teamwork
cultural competence
conflict management
ethics and social responsibility

ScoreBusiness OwnerUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,934

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.44%

Black or African American 6.27%

Hispanic or Latino 15.48%

Unknown 4.35%

White 66.99%

Gender

female 48.63%

male 51.37%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Business Owner in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a business owner

Explore business owner education requirements

Most common business owner degrees

Bachelor's

52.2 %

Associate

21.4 %

High School Diploma

10.3 %

Start to develop specific business owner skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	30.63%
Payroll	11.52%
Financial Statements	9.45%
Business Plan	6.67%
Business Model	3.20%

Complete relevant business owner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New business owners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a business owner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real business owner resumes.

Gain additional business owner certifications

Business owner certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific business owner certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for business owners include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

More About Certifications

Research business owner duties and responsibilities

Manage the budget and insure operations run smoothly.
Create, own and manage a LLC for grind pet transportation.
Establish and manage a beading boutique via the Internet by utilizing Photoshop to post designs on a personal website.
Manage sales, customer service, billing, A/P, A/R, vendor relations, negotiations, repairs, and maintenance.

Prepare your business owner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business owner resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a business owner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Business Owner Resume templates

Build a professional Business Owner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Business Owner resume.

Apply for business owner jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a business owner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do business owners rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Business Owner reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

Meeting achieving and surpassing any goals needed to catipult a company that I can stand behind.

Cons

Lazy Phonies

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

As a person who checks gauges for anything

Cons

Unprofessionalism and people who are not customer-oriented

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

I am able to stay organized and able to help other do there job correctly and ask questions when needed

Cons

People lacking an not doing what they are told to do and when they don't show up on time

What is a business owner and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Business Owner?

Newest jobs for Business Owner in Columbus, OH

Business Owner career paths

Key steps to become a business owner

Explore business owner education requirements

Most common business owner degrees

Start to develop specific business owner skills

Complete relevant business owner training and internships

Gain additional business owner certifications

Research business owner duties and responsibilities

Prepare your business owner resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Business Owner Resume templates

Apply for business owner jobs

How Did You Land Your First Business Owner Job

Average business owner salary

How do business owners rate their job?

Business Owner reviews

Business Owner FAQs

How long does it take to become a Business Owner?

What are the best gifts for a small business owner?

Search for business owner jobs

Business Owner jobs by state