28 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You spend much of the day making high-level decisions, meeting with department heads, and checking performance numbers. Expect blocks for staff meetings, reviewing reports and budgets in Excel, and answering emails in Outlook.
You’ll also do public-facing work: presentations, PR, and negotiations. Use PowerPoint for pitches, Word for policy drafts and bylaws, and SharePoint to store plans and status reports.
Most entrepreneurs regularly use Microsoft Excel for budgets and performance tracking, Word for policies and contracts, and PowerPoint for investor or board presentations. Outlook manages day-to-day emails and calendars.
Project managers and larger startups often use Microsoft Project for timelines and SharePoint to share documents with teams. If you don’t know these now, learn basic Excel formulas, Word document styles, and slide building.
U.S. data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows entrepreneurs and business executives had a median wage of $213,990 per year. The BLS reported about 204,350 employed in this category in 2025.
Pay varies a lot: the lowest 10% earned around $75,700 and the top 10% about $507,730, per BLS. Sector, company size, and ownership stake change where you fall in that range.
Start with basics: take short courses in finance (Excel for budgets), writing policies (Word), and presentation skills (PowerPoint). Practice making a simple business plan and a one-page budget you can update in Excel.
Next, volunteer to run a project or lead a small team so you learn to allocate resources, oversee operations, and make corrective action plans. Use SharePoint or Google Drive to practice sharing documents and tracking versions.
Entrepreneur usually means someone who starts or owns a business and sets strategy and direction, while a CEO is a named executive role that runs an existing organization day-to-day. Both make high-level decisions and oversee managers.
Managers typically supervise specific departments and handle operational activities. Entrepreneurs must also do public representation, fundraising, and policy formation more often than a middle manager does.
AI can speed tasks: draft policies or presentations in Word and PowerPoint, analyze budgets in Excel, or summarize meetings from Outlook. Use it to prepare first drafts, not final legal or financial decisions.
Be careful with accuracy and compliance. Always review AI outputs, check numbers against original Excel files, and ensure any legal text or bylaws is checked by a lawyer. Don’t store confidential data in tools that lack enterprise security.
Decision-making under uncertainty is key: making high-level calls, allocating resources, and directing corrective actions. You must read and act on performance reports and budgets—so comfort with Excel matters.
Communication is equally important: give clear presentations, negotiate contracts, and represent the company publicly. That means solid Word and PowerPoint skills plus regular email and calendar discipline in Outlook and file management in SharePoint.