hello! my name is London and im 22 years old. i just started getting into cake decorating about 1 yr or 2 ago and im hooked. this is what i love and want to do as my career!  i just dont know where to start .. my goal is to own my own business one day. I want to enroll into school but i dont know whats best, culinary (pastry & baking) or business management? when running my business, i want to know whats going on at all times and i think business management it exactly what i need. Also, if i ever decide not to own a business, business will be a nice degree to fall back on. I would love to take culinary though so i can learn EVERYTHING there is to know!!! i just dont know whats best! just asking for a little advice and guidance! and some success stories!! lol thanks in advanced!!

Why not do both?  

AI recommend focusing on a business degree and learning decorating in your spare time. Most culinary school baking & pastry programs don't spend that much time on cake decorating.

Jason has a point.  Cake decorating and baking don't require a degree, and it seems like most are self-taught.  Although, owning a business does not require a degree either...just capital and smarts.  

Working for a business, on the other hand, might require a degree of some sort.

AI'm finishing my degree in business and all my cake decorating is self taught. There are professional in this industry and on this site that have no college experience or culinary and several that have-it's a personal choice.

As Jason stated, the kind of skills you'd want to master wouldn't necessarily be covered at culinary school. You'd be better off taking some classes online or with a professional (like a carving class with Mike McClary).

I was already attending college, considering teaching or music, when I found this was what I enjoyed doing so I switched my major. I'm not sure this is necessary, or even something I would have previously considered doing. I know people with degrees in art or construction (cert) that switch to decorating.

i now have people telling me not to go to school for business AT ALL. that its a waste of time ..
 

AUltimately, you need to decide what you want to do. No one can make that decision for you. Have you talked to an advisor? Are you just trying to figure out how to get started in this industry? What skills and knowledge do you have already?

You said you wanted to run a business and understand every aspect... And have something to fall back on.

I wanted my degree, period. This is the field I chose because I decided it would be more beneficial to me in the long run.

AI agree, a business degree is pretty much going to cover you no matter what you end up doing. Plus, if you end up trying to borrow money from a bank for your business that degree is going to be another big plus on your side. Why exactly are people saying you shouldn't go?

AIf your plan is to become an entrepreneur then you don't necessarily need to complete a full degree program (like a B.B.A.) before you get started, but at a minimum you need a basic understanding of management, marketing, finance, accounting, IT, operations management, and economics. You will get more out of your business classes if you have real-world experience, so you may want to consider getting the basics done now and finishing your degree on a part-time basis a few years down the line.