Business Administration

Business Administration Trade Schools

Business administration is the monitoring of a company’s operations. This can involve a variety of tasks, many of them being specific to a company’s niche. When searching for employment, a business administration job description may ask for experience in the following subjects:

Marketing
Project management
Finance
Accounting

What Is Business Administration and Management?

Business administrators work full – time overseeing a company’s operations. Their roles often require shared tasks among groups of team leaders, managers, or CEOs. They handle functional aspects of an organization, by developing strategies and routines that help to achieve the company’s overall goal.

Administrators do anything they can to maintain a smooth-running business. They deal with personnel and finance matters while establishing and refining daily office tasks. These workers make reactive decisions based on opportunities presented to companies. In many cases, administrators determine the processes in which a business generates their products or services.

Associates tend to have more duties while working at smaller companies. Larger companies give business administrators more focused roles, often dealing with accounting, project management, or marketing. All levels of admins should have some experience in office environments, as they supervise staff on a daily basis.

Workers may order office or building supplies for their company. They also perform tasks related to mail distribution and bookkeeping by handling letters and recording financial or logistic data. While assigning tasks to colleagues, administrators create deadlines or set progress milestones.

What Are Business Administration Job Duties?

Workers need to ensure work areas are well maintained and secure. They dictate upkeep cycles for machines and mechanical systems. Other tasks include updating and monitoring company personnel, financials, and business operations records.

Administrative managers must think ahead when it comes to replacing computers or machines. It often takes several months to process these orders, so workers need to be able to project when something will need replaced. While determining room arrangements, office decor, or supply options, administrators must also consider the wants and needs of employees.

Business administrators plan and oversee a wide variety of services and procedures. Some of them may include the following:

Recordkeeping
Building maintenance
Day-to-day operations
Recycling
Printing and copying
Mail
Human resources
Scheduling maintenance
Hiring contactors
Suggesting beneficial policies or services

What Skills Are Associated with Business Management and Administration?

Whether students earn their business administration degree online or in-person, the job requires the same skills. Prospects need to have the capacity to manage either large product supply chains or diverse personnel. This includes building oversight, safety, and grounds duties. This is done through internal inspections as well as ensuring outdoor landscaping routines are performed regularly.

Administrators review facilities to ensure safety and cleanliness, making sure buildings are up to code. During these inspections, they often come up with ways to reduce waste, save energy, or cut costs. They may also suggest refinements to employee routines.

Skills in human resources are useful for administrators, as they may need to hire or train recruits. They should also have knowledge in operational logistics, which is the management of products from pre-production to consumer. These skills are attainable through several means. Some students seek a bachelor’s or doctorate in business administration, while others earn associate’s degrees or attend trade schools.

Depending on the company they work for, associates will prepare and manage projects of varying natures. Business administrators need to make smart decisions on a consistent basis. They oversee important resources and organize workers to optimize output. While setting priorities and focusing on strategic goals, they perform the following activities:

Update executives regarding inventory, personnel, and financials
Manage electronic and physical records
Search for ways to lower energy costs
Carry out activities such as copying, printing, and general office upkeep
Recognize when to maintain machines or other equipment
Work alongside colleagues such as operations personnel and attorneys

Why Do Business Administrators Need the Ability to Troubleshoot?

Solving logistics problems is the main task of a business administrator. Staff members need foresight to stay ahead of issues, such as knowing when equipment will need replaced or serviced. A strong mechanical or engineering background can be very beneficial for those looking to gain business administration careers.

What Are Useful Skills for People in This Field?

Integrity while overseeing personnel
Strong communication with coworkers and clients
Organizational skills to prepare resources and delegate tasks to workers
Leadership qualities to motivate coworkers and other associates in business administration

Decision-making skills for knowing when to order materials
A detail-oriented mindset to spot opportunities or areas in need of improvement
Analytical abilities for finding ways to increase performance and revenue
Curiosity and creativity while searching for ways to improve policies or procedures

Are There Special Requirements for Business Administration Jobs?

Small business administration positions at times are open to candidates with a high school diploma and trade school experience. In these cases, prior work in facilities management or technical positions are preferred. Larger companies usually expect prospects to hold a business administration major or other similar bachelor’s degree.

College-bound prospects take courses in facility management, engineering, and business. They need project management skills along with general knowledge of how a business operates.

Certifications can provide opportunity for increased income. The International Facility Management Association offers two credentials to give prospects an edge over their competition. They include the Facilities Management Professional (FMP) and the Certified Facility Manager (CFM) certificates.

An FMP designation is required in order to take the CFM test. The CFM credential needs renewed every three years. This is done through the completion of certain education and workplace milestones.

What Is the Outlook for
Business Administration Jobs?

There are over 281,000 workers in this industry, collectively making median wages around $96k. An entry-level business administration salary is around $55k per year, while the most experienced associates can earn over $160k annually. Job growth is at an above-average 10 percent, which means many positions should be available in the future.

The following employment benefits are offered to most workers:

Paid vacation
Healthcare coverage
Disability insurance
Life insurance
Dental and vision coverage
Health savings accounts
401(k) retirement plans
Maternity or paternity leave

What Should Workers Expect?

Upon earning a business administration degree, workers will spend lots of time in office settings. Other duties include inspecting facilities or overseeing grounds keeping activities. Prospects must be thoughtful and assertive, as they supervise individuals daily.

Most associates in business administration work full-time, sometimes putting in over 40 hours per week. There could even be issues that requires immediate attention while they are off the clock. These colleagues remain on-call most of the time and must be willing to accept that responsibility.

What Can You Do with a Business Administration Degree?

Qualified candidates can search for business administration internships in nearly every sector of the economy. All companies need skilled people to manage the office and oversee day-to-day clerical operations. Some of the places where prospects find work include:

Healthcare facilities
Government agencies
Social assistance centers
Insurance firms
Schools and universities

Do Business Administrators Have Any Other Options?

A specialized area of the field to consider is records and information management. Workers in this discipline push to increase data security standards by searching for flaws or potential issues with digital equipment. They also maintain databases or other company records in a meaningful and safe fashion. This complex career gives skilled associates the chance to earn over $90k per year.

What Are Alternate Careers for Business Administrators?

Those with good analytical skills should consider careers as cost estimators. These workers look through statistics on a company in order to forecast the amount of money and time a given project will take to complete. They must be familiar with not only the nature of a business but the types of materials and processes they use to create goods or provide services. On average, staff members earn over $60k per year. Duties often include the following:

Prepare estimates by combing through technical documents and blueprints
Make adjustments to estimates when new or updated information becomes available
Think of ways to reduce costs or streamline routine tasks
Come up with bids or estimates for clients while partnering with sales teams
Visit assembly lines and construction sites to access a businesses’ needs
Communicate with contractors, clients, architects, and engineers

Business Administration