<p>By business I don't mean something I can run out of my bedroom or garage...in fact if that's the case I'm starting two "businesses" in a few weeks....but for something larger should I get a degree in accounting/marketing or something else?</p>
<p>It would certainly do you a lot of good to learn the basics of business if you are going to do this. Accounting and other such courses have essentials for business owners to know. But in most businesses, the most important thing is the knowledge of the product/services provided, and having a passion and special talent with them. So that’s important too. as well as knowing the nuts and bolts of how a business runs. What kind of business are you thinking of starting?</p>
<p>If you expect to finance your business with a loan or investment, the money people will want evidence that you know what you’re doing. Get some internships in there, too.</p>
<p>I know this post is old now lol, but a business “degree” doesn’t help you AT ALL in creating a successful business, instead, it will help you better “manage” a business that’s already successful (either someone else’s business or your own). </p>
<p>When I say successful, I mean you already have a market, have your products, have your vendor channels and have your mission statement/value proposition. You are already selling your products or services profitably and consistently with a plan for continued growth in the next 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years. You already have figured out how to finance the business, keep expenses down, profits high, how to manage employees, vendors, downturns in the market, how to beat out your competition, how to keep your customers pleased and how to acquire customers in the first place. </p>
<p>All of these things will NOT come from any business degree knowledge. But once you already have these things down, you could use a business degree to better manage the business going forward. I think the best business major hands down is Accounting, because you will get all of the basic generic business administration courses (marketing, operations, risk, strategic management, human resources) and then get into the actual financial, tax and managerial accounting areas within the Accounting courses that would help A LOT in better managing the business going forward.</p>