How To Become a Business Manager

The material contained in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not to be interpreted as advice or guidance.

If you're interested in a role that spans operations, strategy, and people management, a career as a business manager may be worth exploring. Business managers may help guide how organizations run day to day, overseeing teams, managing resources, and supporting the decisions that keep a business moving toward its goals.¹

People may be drawn to this type of role because it brings together leadership, problem-solving, and a broad view of how a business operates. In this article, we'll look at how people commonly prepare for the role, what business managers tend to do, the skills the work may call for, and the kinds of industries where business management skills may apply.

Steps to Become a Business Manager

There may be no single route into business management, but many people follow a similar general path. Common steps may include:

1. Earn a business-related degree
2. Build leadership and communication skills
3. Gain experience in business operations
4. Develop expertise in areas like finance, marketing, or project management
5. Pursue advancement opportunities into management roles

The sections below look more closely at what the role may involve and how each of these steps may fit into the bigger picture.

What Does a Business Manager Do?

Business managers may oversee many aspects of business operations and may contribute to strategic decision-making that helps guide the direction of an organization. Their day-to-day focus may involve balancing responsibilities across people management, financial oversight, and operational coordination, and exactly what that looks like may vary depending on the size and structure of the organization.¹

Those in the role may also help shape how an organization operates at a broader level, from contributing to the development of internal policies to supporting a workplace environment that may align with organizational goals. Business managers may be responsible for delegating tasks while providing guidance and support to their teams.¹

Responsibilities may typically include:¹

• Overseeing and directing the day-to-day operations of a business or department
• Monitoring staff performance and providing guidance and support to team members
• Setting budgets and managing financial resources
• Establishing long-term objectives and devising strategies to help achieve them
• Developing policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives
• Supporting organizational change and helping maintain alignment with relevant regulations and standards
• Coordinating several initiatives or projects at the same time across different areas of the organization
• Communicating effectively with stakeholders across the organization

What Skills Do Business Managers Need?

Because the role spans so many areas, business managers may rely on a mix of technical knowledge and interpersonal ability. A business management education may help develop transferable skills that may apply across many professional settings, including:²

• Critical thinking
• Digital fluency
• Information literacy
• Communication
• Ethics and professional responsibility

Alongside these, those preparing for the role may build knowledge across key business areas such as business intelligence, data analytics, organizational leadership, project management, digital marketing, business ethics, and process improvement.²

Industries Where Business Management Skills Are Used

One of the appeals of business management may be its versatility. The skills developed in this field may apply across a wide range of industries and settings. Some areas where business management skills may be used include:²

• Banking and finance
• Customer service
• Healthcare administration
• Human resources
• Logistics and manufacturing
• Marketing and sales
• Operations
• Project management
• Supply chain

Why Earn a Business Management Degree?

While there may be more than one way into business management, earning a business-related degree may be a common starting point, and it may be one way to build the leadership, communication, and operational knowledge the role tends to draw on. A degree program may also offer a structured way to develop expertise in specific areas of business practice, such as finance, marketing, or project management.³

For those who decide a degree fits their goals, the sections below outline what a business management program may include, using Rasmussen University's online Bachelor of Science in Business Management as an example.³

Business Management Courses You May Take

Rasmussen University's online Business Management bachelor's degree program includes 23 courses. Courses may be taken fully online with eight start dates a year, and students may have access to project-based learning activities designed to simulate business scenarios. Sample courses may include:³

• Leadership and Management Essentials: Typically explores how to identify individual leadership styles and approaches to creative and effective leadership.
• Emerging Trends, Markets and Technologies in Business: Typically focuses on emerging business technology and trends, including cognitive intelligence and smart technologies.
• Dynamic Team Development: May examine individual skills and competencies that may contribute to team impact, including emotional intelligence and role adaptability.

Business Management Specializations

Students may choose from four tracks, a general Business Management degree or one of three specializations, each designed to help build proficiency in a specific area of business practice:³

Business Management (No Specialization)

Core business functions and methodologies in business technology, accounting, finance, digital marketing and more; strategic approaches to leadership; and human-centered engagement and relationship management.³

Business Intelligence Specialization

Data quality, platforms and scripting; how to plan an end-to-end business intelligence process; and visualizing both quantitative and qualitative data for client needs.³

IT Project Management Specialization

Multiple platforms used for project management, including Microsoft^® Excel^®, Microsoft Project^®, and Visio^®; fundamental concepts defined by the Project Management Institute^® (PMI^®) for the CAPM^® certification; and how to create risk analysis documents for long-term viability and backup solutions.³

Logistics and Operations Specialization

Supply chain and logistics management foundations; procurement, purchasing and sourcing strategy; and quality and risk management.³

Rasmussen University's Online Business Management Bachelor's Degree

With eight start dates a year, 100% online courses, Rasmussen University's Business Management bachelor's degree program is structured with scheduling features that may accommodate working adults. Through projects designed to reflect real-world scenarios, students may support skill development relevant to a range of professional settings.³

If you're interested in building skills commonly associated with business management roles, learn more about Rasmussen University's online Business Management bachelor's degree.³

Earning a degree does not guarantee employment or specific job outcomes. Employment conditions in your area may vary.

¹Association for Computing Machinery, Business Manager Career Overview, at https://careers.cacm.org/career/business-manager-4 (accessed May 4, 2026).
²Rasmussen University, Business Management Degrees, at https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/business/business-management/ (accessed May 4, 2026).
³Rasmussen University, Business Management Bachelor's Degree, at https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/business/business-management/bachelors/ (accessed May 4, 2026).

CAPM^® is a registered trademark of Project Management Institute, Inc., 18 Campus Boulevard, Suite 150, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073-3230.
Microsoft^® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, 255 East Fifth Street, Suite 1900, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
Excel^® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, 255 East Fifth Street, Suite 1900 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
Project^® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, 255 East Fifth Street, Suite 1900 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
Viso^® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, 255 East Fifth Street, Suite 1900 Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202.
Project Management Institute^® is a registered trademark of Project Management Institute, Inc. , 18 Campus Boulevard, Suite 150 Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073.
PMI^® is a registered trademark of Project Management Institute, Inc. , 18 Campus Boulevard, Suite 150 Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.