The modern business scene is becoming increasingly competitive and calls for having people with excellent business management skills at the leadership level.

While getting an MBA is vital, equipping yourself with some business administration skills can help you steer a business through the competitive market.

There is no shortcut to gaining business administration skills; you have to make intentional steps towards gaining them.

As your business grows or you want to advance in your career, you may need to get an MBA but, until then, here are some alternatives for gaining business administration skills you may want to consider.

1. Take a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree

If you are thinking of getting an MBA, you will need to start somewhere. The best place to start and put you on the road to getting your MBA will be getting a college degree in a business-related field.

The first step towards getting a college education is finding the right college or university. The hunt for a college can be challenging, and you do not want to get your degree from an unrecognized institution.

Many employers take a keen interest in the college where you earned your Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, so you will want to ensure that your university of choice has a good reputation.

2. Take Short Courses

You may be willing to get some formal education but feel like a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration demands too much. Under such circumstances, you may opt for some short courses to gain some of the must-have skills of a business administrator.

This option works great for entrepreneurs that may not have the time to take three or four-year-long courses because running a business requires getting skills to help solve challenges as they come.

A good rule of thumb is to enroll for as many courses as possible and upgrade on a need-to basis.

Some must-have skills for a business manager that you may want to take a short course for include:

• Leadership skill

  Managing a business means leading. Business leadership may be different from other types of leadership so getting a short course in leadership skills is essential.

• Communication skills

  Communication in a business setting is rapidly changing. Honing your communication skills can help you stay updated on emerging communication channels.

• Time management skills

  Time is a great asset, and good time management can mean the difference between making profits or losses. Short-time management courses can help you manage your workforce to ensure that you get the most out of it.

• Organizational skills

  Traditionally being organized demanded arranging papers and files. But papers are becoming a thing of the past. Most files are now stored digitally.

  Poor organization can mean not accessing critical files that could affect your business, a problem you could solve by taking a short course on digital organizational skills.

There are hundreds of institutions offering short business-related courses. Some offer the courses at a fee, while others offer them for free as an incentive to get people to sign up for more advanced paid courses.

You can take advantage of such offers to learn a thing or two before eventually enrolling for paid classes.

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3. Choose a Mentor

If you are venturing into entrepreneurship or have already established a business, getting academic papers may not be on top of your list.

However, you will still need to learn some business administration skills to take your business to the next level. Finding a mentor is a great way of gaining business administration skills.

Your mentor of choice should be someone that has excelled in business administration and who you can always refer to for guidance on managing your business as you encounter new challenges with business growth.

Even with a mentor, you may need to take a course in business administration at some point or hire someone with a business administration-related degree.

4. Volunteer at A Non-Profit

You can always find openings for volunteers at a local non-profit organization. Volunteering for such positions can be a great way to gain valuable skills. Most non-profit organizations are run like a business. When volunteering, you may want to consider positions at the management level.

You will probably mingle with business management experts who may appreciate your choice to volunteer and may be willing to mentor you in the field. By offering you mentorship, the non-profit benefits from your acquired knowledge, but you also get to apply the knowledge in your business or job.

Volunteering also helps build your resume, which has much significance when hunting for jobs in the future.

5. Offer To Participate in Various Projects and Tasks

If you are working in a business administration-related field, offering to participate in various projects and tasks in the department can be a great way of honing your business administration skills.

Most opportunities may present themselves at company meetings. You may need to be attentive to colleagues in different positions seeking help with new initiatives and offering to help.

Helping in diverse fields is an excellent way of expanding your skillset. You may also offer to help even when it is not sought.

For example, you could realize that your boss is overloaded with some tasks; offering to help can help create an opportunity for learning by seeking help on tasks you may not be familiar with.

Showing interest can also help create opportunities for you in the future. For example, if your boss is looking to get somebody for a higher position, you may be the first person on their mind.

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Final Words

If you are starting a career in business administration, you may not escape joining a college for a Business Administration degree. You could also opt to start with an associate degree and build from there.

If you are already in a business management career and want to grow your business administration skills, the options mentioned above can be an alternative.

However, you may need to consider taking a college degree or advance to an MBA if you intend to use your skills for employment purposes.

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