Is a DBA a good choice for me?

Hi all

I came across this forum recently when trying to answer this question and I noticed a lot of useful discussion so thought I would try to join in.

What I plan to do is embark on business projects. So far I have built up and sold a company in China and managed to secure investors for multi-million dollar real estate developments. (While I managed to secure the investors, the financial crisis prevented them from going through). I have also dabbled in smaller projects here and there with investor support.

I already have a Bachelor of Arts and an MBA. My question is: do you think that a DBA would give my business proposals to investors and government decision makers a little more punch? In other words, do you think such people will pay attention and consider my proposals much more if I had this extra qualification?

I have already been accepted onto a DBA course with an Australian university, beginning this month.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Cheers

Jez

 

With absolutely no professional opinion, just a personal one, I think if you aren't trying to get hired for a job or to use it to advance in an organization it will be worthless for you. You sound like you are doing things on your own and experience and results will be worth tenfold what the DBA would. If someone else is getting the results with an MBA and you aren't with a DBA they will choose the person with the MBA every time to put their money with.

 

Thanks for the replies. That's pretty much what I was thinking. I enjoyed doing my MBA online and thought I could just move onto the DBA but I am finding it hard to convince myself that such a degree will actually support my interests. I keep feeling I would be better off putting the effort towards other projects since achievements will speak much louder when I am talking to investors.
Anyway, I am currently stuck in a small town with few highly educated people or entreprenuers so it was good to be able to bounce the idea off people on this forum.
Thanks very much for your time, guys.
Jez

 

Spend your time, energy and entrepreneurial creativity on making money or on giving back to society. The DBA or PhD is a waste, unless you want to become a researcher. Sounds like you're on the right track.

 

The DBA is a great thing to have, especially if you ever plan to teach. If you have the energy and time you could go for it, but it would be a lot of work. You might get a little more respect from investors with your doctoral degree but I don't think it will make much of a difference. Therefore, I agree with everyone else that has posted on this thread; it will not help you much in your entrepreneurial endeavors. I also have started three business in my career and, in each case, nobody cared that I didn't have a doctoral degree. I think that's mostly because doctors don't necessarily make good business men. You could have no degree at all and, if your business idea looks sound, people will be interested.

 

DBA would be a waste of money and energy unless you want to teach with it. It is basically a program that requires you to write lots of papers. Writting papers does not make you a better business person but a good academic in my opinion.

If you want to get respect in the business world, I would rather use my time to get a CIMA, ACCA, CFA, CPA or other respected business certification. Certifications tend to be also very cheap as they only require skill and not expensive graduate classes.

For the record I have a DBA, it has helped me to get teaching positions but don't even include it for business jobs.