An individual who is interested in becoming a business administrator needs to know precisely what the role entails. A business administrator is primarily responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a particular organization.
This role could be held by the owner of a company, or a professional business administrator could be hired to work for an employer. Business administrators are needed in a variety of settings, including non-profit organizations, healthcare, education, small businesses, and government agencies.
A formal education in business administration will have to cover a wide array of topics, including economics, finances, management, marketing and human resources management.
What duties does a business administrator perform?
The role of business administrator involves overseeing all functions related to business management that will ensure all operational goals are successfully achieved. Among the primary managerial functions that a business administrator is expected to carry out are:
- Controlling
- Directing business operations
- Ensuring financial goals are reached
- Organizing
- Planning
- Staffing
The importance of people skills
A business administrator will have to deal with a lot of other individuals, making people skills vital for anyone hoping to succeed in this position. As an overall manager of a business, you will be working closely with many people in almost every other managerial department in your organization and will likely also be required to build business relationships with professionals from outside the business when managing the business network as well as operations.
A business administrator will be expected to work with professionals from departments such as finance, human resources, accounting, operations, legal and marketing.
A business administrator represents their organization
Business administrators are becoming increasingly responsible for recognizing new business opportunities and securing the resources required to help their business make the most of these new opportunities. A business administrator is often required to represent their organization in professional settings such as conferences, presentations and meetings with clients.
Business administrators will also be expected to take part in community networking events to inspire goodwill around their business and help the organization perform to its optimum level.
Skills required for becoming a business administrator
A business administrator acts as a liaison between ordinary staff members and the top level of their organization. Therefore, they need to have the ability to translate executive goals into productive strategies. A business administrator has to set up realistic work goals for company departments that will actually be achievable.
There are also several other tasks that are entrusted to business administrators, including setting meeting schedules and timelines, planning goals and implementing strategies.
There are therefore a variety of skills that are needed to serve as a business administrator. These skills include:
- Attention to detail
- Creativity and innovation
- Decision making
- Excellent communication
- Flexibility
- Leadership skills
- Multi-tasking skills
- Patience
- Problem solving
Salary
Company budgets, experience and qualifications are some of the factors that can determine the salary a business administrator can expect to be paid.
However, on average, the salary of a business administrator in the US was around $63,000 as of November 2022.
Educational requirements
There are some business administrator positions that may not require any formal education or qualifications. However, other positions will require advanced degrees.
This is why there are so many different options for business administration education. Those interested in taking on higher-level roles could benefit from certificate programs, on-the-job training and seminars. Other professionals, however, may decide to earn a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree. It is also possible to study an online DBA at institutions like Aston University to achieve that maximum qualification.
The education you choose to receive will depend on where you want your career as a business administrator to go. Those who are happy to begin at an entry-level position will be able to do so while they are still studying, but those who wish to begin in a supervisory or management position will almost certainly require some type of formal education before they will be given such an appointment.
Business administration careers
The career options that are open to business administrators will depend on their education level and qualifications as well as factors such as skills, previous work experience and any record of proven performance. There are, however, still a number of different positions that can be open to those in the field.
Accounting is one career option for a business administrator. This field includes tax preparation, bookkeeping services, accounting management, insurance accounting, payroll accounting, financial accounting and government accounting.
Working as a business manager is another option. These professionals are employed by large and small businesses alike, with many opportunities ranging throughout all management levels from operations manager to department supervisor.
Another possible career for a business administrator is finance officer, who can be employed by any business that uses money. A business administrator could gain an entry-level position as a finance officer or go into management depending on their experience and education.
In some lines of work, self-employment is the norm, so this may be a viable career option for business administrators who would like to work for themselves. However, some management analysts work for large or small consulting firms, and they can also be found in the insurance and finance industries as well as in government departments.
Human resources manager is another possible career. Many HR managers work for the government, but there are also positions available in company management, technical and professional services, social service agencies, manufacturing and healthcare.
A business administrator can play a variety of important roles in many different settings in the business world, making this a potentially exciting and lucrative career choice.
