Preparing Students for Small Business Success: The Perception of Small Business Owners of Required Soft Skills

Abstract

Soft skills are increasingly understood as an underlying indicator of success in the business world. However, there is currently insufficient research available on the soft skills of benefit to small business owners. Based on previous studies analyzing the top soft skills identified by medium to large size businesses, this study asked small business owners to rate their perception of the relative importance of listed soft skills and to rank the skills they considered to be the most important. The study found that work ethic, responsibility, integrity, and professionalism were the top skills identified by small business owners.