The

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

defines a business manager as "a person who manages the business affairs of an individual, institution,

organization An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived fro ...

, or company". Compare

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

. Business managers drive the work of others (if any) in order to operate efficiently and (in the case of for-profit companies) to make a profit. They should have working knowledge of the following areas, and may be a specialist in one or more: finance,

marketing Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to empha ...

and

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

. Other technical areas in which a business manager may have expertise include law,

science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...

, and

computer programming Computer programming is the process of performing a particular computation (or more generally, accomplishing a specific computing result), usually by designing and building an executable computer program. Programming involves tasks such as anal ...

. In some circumstances, business managers even have oversight over

human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ...

Role profile

In many businesses, the role may be established to relieve the owner of responsibility, in order to focus on specific aspects of company expansion. Typically, the business manager and the owner work may work in synergy to ensure successful running of business. Having a specialization in a particular field, such as sales, marketing, public relations or finance aids in efficiency, yet despite the usual academic qualities of a business manager, business managers also develop personal qualities that are helpful in performing the role efficiently. A social skill of a business manager is the ability to understand and know what each of their subordinate employee's tasks are and how to work with each employee in working toward successful completion of such tasks. A business manager should be willing to accept constructive criticism from employees, develop social skills, be organized, honest and able to take good decisions. A good business manager should be willing to work along his or her employees in order to create a better work environment.

Examples in industry

In the

music industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, trai ...

, a business manager is a representative of

musicians A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who ...

recording artists A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who ...

or both, whose main job is to supervise their business affairs and financial matters. The role largely originated from Allen Klein, who represented numerous performers, helping them to both invest their incomes wisely and to recover unpaid (or underpaid) royalties and fees. Business managers commonly have an overlapping presence in both the entertainment and sports industries, as illustrated by business manager

Barry Klarberg Barry J. Klarberg (born March 4, 1961), CPA, is an American businessman. He is a professional business and wealth manager for athletes, entertainers, and high-net-worth individuals.San Francisco Chronicle"Asset Alliance Acquires Equity Interest in ...

, who represents entertainer Justin Timberlake as well professional athletes C. J. Wilson,

Mark Messier Mark John Douglas Messier (; born January 18, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League (NHL). His playing career in the NHL lasted 25 years ( 1979–2004) with the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rang ...

and Anna Kournikova.Sports Business Journal
"Athlete advisors Klarberg, Furst Close to Deal"
April 9, 2012. In government and the military, the equivalent position is

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, ...

or chief of staff.

References

{{Authority control

Manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

Management occupations

Role profile

Examples in industry

See also

References