7 answers
George
Student
3
Questions
Updated
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If I went to college, what degree would I get for taking over a business?
I am 16 years old and in 10th grade. I help my parents when I can during the day. I really enjoy helping them there. But I just don't know what degree I should get.
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7 answers
Vianne Phan
Youth Development Teacher
296
Answers
San Diego, California
Updated
Vianne’s Answer
I totally understand why this feels stressful. You’re 16 and thinking about taking over a business or picking a college degree is a lot to figure out right now. It makes sense that it feels overwhelming, especially since you care so much about helping your parents and want to do well. Feeling unsure doesn’t mean you’re behind, it just means you’re thinking carefully about something important.
A Business Administration degree could be a really good fit if your goal is to run or take over a business. It teaches you about management, finance, marketing, and how different parts of a business work together. You could also specialize later in areas that make sense for your family’s business.
What you’re learning right now by helping out is just as important. Asking questions, noticing how decisions are made, and seeing how things run in real life will give you experience that no classroom can fully teach. You don’t have to have everything figured out today. Taking it step by step and learning as you go will get you really far, and you’re already doing a great job just by being involved and thoughtful.
A Business Administration degree could be a really good fit if your goal is to run or take over a business. It teaches you about management, finance, marketing, and how different parts of a business work together. You could also specialize later in areas that make sense for your family’s business.
What you’re learning right now by helping out is just as important. Asking questions, noticing how decisions are made, and seeing how things run in real life will give you experience that no classroom can fully teach. You don’t have to have everything figured out today. Taking it step by step and learning as you go will get you really far, and you’re already doing a great job just by being involved and thoughtful.
Carolina Undurraga
M&A Advisory
24
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Carolina’s Answer
That's a great question, and it's wonderful that you're already gaining practical experience in your family's business.
Although I didn't grow up planning to take over a family business, I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory's Goizueta Business School. This degree was invaluable because it covered all the essential areas of running a business—like finance, marketing, operations, and management. These skills are crucial when you're leading or helping to run a business, so a business degree like a BBA can be a strong and versatile choice.
But there's no single "right" degree for this path. It really depends on your family's business and what interests you most. For instance, if your family is in construction or manufacturing, focusing on operations and supply chain might be key. If it's a retail or online business, marketing and sales could be more important. Some people also choose to study entrepreneurship, which is all about starting and growing businesses, and that might be a perfect fit for you.
As you consider colleges, look into schools with strong business programs to see what they offer. The experience you're gaining from helping your parents is a huge plus, and when you combine that with a good education, you'll be in an excellent position for success.
Although I didn't grow up planning to take over a family business, I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory's Goizueta Business School. This degree was invaluable because it covered all the essential areas of running a business—like finance, marketing, operations, and management. These skills are crucial when you're leading or helping to run a business, so a business degree like a BBA can be a strong and versatile choice.
But there's no single "right" degree for this path. It really depends on your family's business and what interests you most. For instance, if your family is in construction or manufacturing, focusing on operations and supply chain might be key. If it's a retail or online business, marketing and sales could be more important. Some people also choose to study entrepreneurship, which is all about starting and growing businesses, and that might be a perfect fit for you.
As you consider colleges, look into schools with strong business programs to see what they offer. The experience you're gaining from helping your parents is a huge plus, and when you combine that with a good education, you'll be in an excellent position for success.
Gus S
Consultant
113
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Gus’s Answer
An underrated degree to consider for helping out with your family's business could be accounting. It covers many of the key financial decisions of your business (taxes, inventory, ledger tracking, etc.). While it won't have the full breadth of a business administration degree, it could be a helpful tool as you assist with the finances of the business. Good luck!
Liam Rielly
Data Center Technician
180
Answers
Manassas, Virginia
Updated
Liam’s Answer
A Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is the obvious answer for this one. Most people I know with an MBA are pretty satisfied with their work and usually have some interesting field they work in.
You might not need a masters degree though, you may want to hold off on that as that degree takes some time and dedication. You might just want a degree in business administration. I am going to assume if its a store that it does not have a specialty that requires a degree in itself. If it does like its a computer store and you wanted an IT degree, or its a plant store and you wanted a degree in botany, that might help but is not required. Likely if its general goods you would not need a degree in a different field.
The reason a lot of people go with an MBA is because you can easily translate it into a different field later on. Let's say you run the store for 20 years with an MBA, you make some money with it, serve your family, you did a great job! Its later on though and your parents want to retire, the store is too much, you all decide to sell it and the goods to just move forward without it. When you go for your next job you still have that as your experience and in your next job interview you can tell them what you did to sustain the store for that long and how you used it to provide for your family. A lot of other degrees and areas of study want to know how much time you did specifically that one field and it can count against you if there was time not spent in that field. If you have an MBA the actual business can be flexible when starting to move around.
Let's say you do well well with your family store, everything is running well and almost running itself. At this point you can branch out further and start another business or work with another business at the same time. It would not be too strange for someone to run a general goods store and work with a larger company at the same time. The degree will give you more mobility as opposed to just running a store or trying to be a manager at an existing company.
You might not need a masters degree though, you may want to hold off on that as that degree takes some time and dedication. You might just want a degree in business administration. I am going to assume if its a store that it does not have a specialty that requires a degree in itself. If it does like its a computer store and you wanted an IT degree, or its a plant store and you wanted a degree in botany, that might help but is not required. Likely if its general goods you would not need a degree in a different field.
The reason a lot of people go with an MBA is because you can easily translate it into a different field later on. Let's say you run the store for 20 years with an MBA, you make some money with it, serve your family, you did a great job! Its later on though and your parents want to retire, the store is too much, you all decide to sell it and the goods to just move forward without it. When you go for your next job you still have that as your experience and in your next job interview you can tell them what you did to sustain the store for that long and how you used it to provide for your family. A lot of other degrees and areas of study want to know how much time you did specifically that one field and it can count against you if there was time not spent in that field. If you have an MBA the actual business can be flexible when starting to move around.
Let's say you do well well with your family store, everything is running well and almost running itself. At this point you can branch out further and start another business or work with another business at the same time. It would not be too strange for someone to run a general goods store and work with a larger company at the same time. The degree will give you more mobility as opposed to just running a store or trying to be a manager at an existing company.
I appreciate this, thank you for the advice.
George
Ghada Adel
Service manager
12
Answers
Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Updated
Ghada’s Answer
If you’re thinking about taking over your parents’ business, a degree in Business Administration is probably the best and most practical choice because it teaches you how to manage money, run operations, and understand customers. But honestly, the degree is just part of it—what really matters is the experience you’re already getting by helping your parents. You could also focus on something like accounting or marketing depending on what the business needs, but you don’t have to have everything figured out right now. Just keep learning, stay involved in the business, and choose something that helps you understand how businesses actually work.
Elsa Rodriguez, MBA
3
Answers
Miami, Florida
Updated
Elsa’s Answer
A degree in Business Administration is a great choice if you want to manage, grow, or eventually take over a business.
It gives you a good understanding of important areas like finance, accounting, marketing, operations, strategy, and leadership. This degree helps you see how all parts of a business work together and prepares you to make smart decisions that can improve performance and growth.
If you're planning to take over a family business or start your own, a Business Administration degree is especially helpful. It teaches you practical management skills and strategic thinking. You'll learn how to read financial statements, manage budgets, lead teams, improve processes, negotiate with vendors, and create growth plans. These skills are essential for running day-to-day operations and planning for the future.
The degree is also versatile. It can prepare you for various roles, not just ownership or leadership. You might work in management, business development, operations, sales, consulting, or entrepreneurship. Many programs even let you specialize in areas like international business, entrepreneurship, finance, or supply chain management, depending on what interests you.
Overall, if you want to gain the knowledge and skills to run a business confidently and make smart strategic choices, a Business Administration degree is a great fit.
It gives you a good understanding of important areas like finance, accounting, marketing, operations, strategy, and leadership. This degree helps you see how all parts of a business work together and prepares you to make smart decisions that can improve performance and growth.
If you're planning to take over a family business or start your own, a Business Administration degree is especially helpful. It teaches you practical management skills and strategic thinking. You'll learn how to read financial statements, manage budgets, lead teams, improve processes, negotiate with vendors, and create growth plans. These skills are essential for running day-to-day operations and planning for the future.
The degree is also versatile. It can prepare you for various roles, not just ownership or leadership. You might work in management, business development, operations, sales, consulting, or entrepreneurship. Many programs even let you specialize in areas like international business, entrepreneurship, finance, or supply chain management, depending on what interests you.
Overall, if you want to gain the knowledge and skills to run a business confidently and make smart strategic choices, a Business Administration degree is a great fit.
Rebecca Tang
Banking
2571
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question.
Below are my suggestions:
1. Attend the courses that related to your parents business in the college and management classes
2. Work in similar business or upstream / downstream business for some time to understand others business model
3. Do some analysis on the business, eg competition status, future trend
4. Attend industry related seminars from time to time to keep your industry knowledge up to date and establish people network
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Below are my suggestions:
1. Attend the courses that related to your parents business in the college and management classes
2. Work in similar business or upstream / downstream business for some time to understand others business model
3. Do some analysis on the business, eg competition status, future trend
4. Attend industry related seminars from time to time to keep your industry knowledge up to date and establish people network
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you!