What skills do business managers need?

Businesses of all sizes need to be administered effectively, managed in ways to grow and maintain success.

Whether operating as a micro or small business, a multinational, large enterprise or global charity, they need people to lead and oversee complex resources and activities, including finance, operations, marketing, development and customer service.

Below are some of the key skills you’ll need to get ahead in business management.  

Business management is a rewarding career which could take you across the globe, working in almost any sector of industry to help organisations work more efficiently. While the specifics of any business manager role may vary, depending on the nature of the business, its corporate culture and individual management styles, there are a number of key skills that are essential to any business manager.  

Communication 

Much of what you do as a business manager is communicate with people – be that employees, managers, clients, partners, suppliers or even media. Excellent listening, verbal and written skills will not only help you get your points across quickly and concisely in contract negotiations, but also enable you to develop the type of trusting relationship that can motivate and retain the best employees.

Studying any form of education will develop your communication skills: you’ll hone your writing skills for academic work and interact regularly (written and verbal) with tutors and peers via email, online forums and social media.

Through a combination of theory and real-life application, our 100% online BA (Hons) Business Management also introduces you to the techniques involved when Managing People and Managing Organisational Change. 

Leadership 

By its very definition, management involves the ‘process of dealing with or controlling things or people’. As such, leadership is arguably the most important skill you’ll need to succeed as a business manager. Capable leadership ensures that all roles and resources within the business are clearly defined and are organised and aligned to achieve business goals.

In our first-year Understanding Organisations and People module, you learn how leadership shapes the ways organisations work and the relationship between leadership and organisational culture. While the third-year Business Innovation and Growth module examines the theory and practice of entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.  

Interested in how our BA Business Management can develop your skills to a higher level?

Decision-making 

Making good business decisions is a critical part of every business manager’s job and fundamental to a leadership role. Having the confidence to make and execute informed decisions quickly can save time and money, increasing productivity and profitability. It’ll also earn you the respect of colleagues.

Our dedicated Business Decision Making for Management module is specifically designed to develop skills that are vital for making good decisions as a manager. You’ll think about business goals and objectives, and the differences between managers, before considering what they do, and what influences their behaviour and impact. 

Financial management 

Running a business effectively and efficiently requires strong budget management. With much-publicised rising energy costs, now more than ever, organisations are looking for business managers who can cut costs, manage and grow income.

From the outset, our BA (Hons) Business Management degree teaches you the basics of accounting and financial reporting. You’ll learn how and why it is important to read, prepare, and evaluate financial information.

As the course progresses, you’ll use increasingly sophisticated financial analysis techniques to mine and interrogate data, enabling you to draw out the insight needed to inform business decision-making and strategy. 

Business acumen 

You hear people talk about the best business managers having good ‘business acumen’ or being ‘business savvy’. This essentially means they understand how business practices work and how to apply them to achieve positive outcomes.

That’s why a large part of our degree curriculum is designed to give you greater commercial awareness. You’ll gain a solid overview of a broad range of topics, such as markets, customers, finance, operations, managing people, communication, information technology, and business strategy.

We’ll also consider contemporary business issues, international business, digital business management, business innovation and growth, and operations and supply management. And, in your final fourth year, you’ll have the chance to put everything you’ve learned into practice, investigating a business issue as part of your Business Project. 

Next steps 

For information about how to apply to our four-year part-time, online BA (Hons) Business Management degree, validated by London South Bank University (LSBU), contact one of our course advisers on +44 (0) 20 7815 7500, email info@cambridgeonlinelearning.com, or fill in the short form below to request a call back.  

You can also explore our other online resources to discover, for example, how studying business management can benefit your career or the role managers play in leading a business to success.