Become a Bar Owner

You will learn what a bar owner does, how to develop your skills to succeed in a bar owner career and how to start your own bar.

What Happens in the Bar Owner Certificate Course

The Bar Owner Certificate Course is an online learning program with suggested readings from the textbook (IAP Career College Guide to Become a Bar Owner). This course is self directed, which means you may study and complete assignments at times that are most convenient for you from the comfort of your own home.

This part-time online Bar Owner Certificate Course has a recommended completion date of 6 weeks from the start of the program, however, you may choose to complete the course in as little as 2 weeks or as long as 12 weeks, depending on your schedule.

The Bar Owner Certificate Course has been created to allow you to complete it without any teaching assistance. However, if you have questions or need assistance, you can receive help from a Faculty Member throughout the 6 weeks of the course. Your Faculty Member is a valuable resource person who can provide you with personal teaching assistance to help you succeed in the course and advice to help you succeed in the career.

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Course Topics

The online Bar Owner Certificate Course has been developed to meet high academic standards, ensuring that as a graduate you can display with pride the Bar Owner Certificate you will earn from the International Association of Professions Career College. Topics covered in the Bar Owner Certificate Course include the following:

Introduction

  • An Overview of the Business
  • About the Industry
  • What It’s Like Owning a Bar

Getting Ready

  • Skills and Knowledge You Will Need
  • Learning by Doing
  • Be Your Own “Mystery Shopper”
  • Learn From Other Business Owners
  • Resources for Self-Study

Starting Your Bar

  • Choosing Your Niche
  • Options for Starting a Bar
  • Choosing a Bar Name
  • Your Business Plan
  • Start-Up Financing
  • Legal Matters

Setting Up Your Bar

  • Finding a Location
  • Bar Design
  • Equipment and Supplies For Your Bar
  • Obtaining Your Bar Stock Inventory

Running Your Bar

  • Bar Operations
  • Pricing Drinks and Other Menu Items
  • Getting Paid
  • Financial Management
  • Employees

Getting and Keeping Customers

  • Marketing Tools
  • Marketing Techniques
  • Customer Service
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What Is Included in the Bar Owner Certificate Course Online

This all-inclusive Bar Owner Certificate Course Online package includes:

  • Registration for the Bar Owner Certificate Course Online
  • Lifetime access to course materials
  • Access to a Faculty Member to provide you with personal teaching assistance and career advice
  • (Optional) 2026 membership in the IAPO International Association of Professional Bar Owners for only US$ 2.99 per month
  • Downloadable Bar Owner Certificate personalized with your name and the seal of the International Association of Professions Career College which you may print
  • (Optional) Opportunity to order official certificates printed on fine linen paper and embossed with the gold seal of the college
  • Textbook: IAP Career College Guide to Become a Bar Owner (e-book edition)

Register for the Bar Owner Certificate Course


BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL
Easy changes and cancellations
It’s easy to change or cancel your course registration. See our FAQ page for details.

You can have all this for an incredible price. It can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to take other programs. (We found courses based on old editions of our guides with registration fees of up to $999 and more.) We are able to offer you online courses at a significantly lower cost to you because of our expertise from over 20 years of producing the leading online guides for non-traditional careers.

Our online certificate courses have previously been offered for a registration fee of $297 U.S. and include a textbook and professional membership – a total value of almost $377.

BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL: This all-inclusive registration package for the Bar Owner Certificate Course is priced as only US$ 149.00 for the September 14, 2026 course.

Associated Courses

Register today for the Bar Owner Certificate Course. Enrollment is limited and registration is on a first come first served basis, so we recommend that you register early for the Bar Owner Certificate Course online to avoid disappointment.

If the course is full, please email support@iapcollege.com to be notified when a new course date is scheduled.

To ensure your complete satisfaction all certificate courses are backed by our full 100% money back guarantee.

About a Career as a Bar Owner

There are few businesses that offer so many benefits. When you open a bar, you will have the satisfaction of making your vision a reality. You will decide everything from the name of the bar to the décor to exciting special promotions.

You will also decide what type of bar business to start. For example, you might choose to open a brew pub, neighborhood bar, nightclub, singles bar, sports bar, tavern, or wine bar.

The type of bar, nightclub, or pub that you open will determine what type of customers your business attracts. You could open a nightclub that attracts crowds of singles every night. You could open a wine bar that attracts an upscale clientele. Or you could open a neighborhood pub where you get to know your customers and everybody knows your name.

In addition to being a great place to meet people, a bar can also be a financially rewarding business. According to a 2017 industry report from IBISWorld, “Over the five years to 2022, industry revenue is forecast to increase.”

The work never ends but it seems the party never does either. I mean, how rough of a day can you have when you've gone to a high end restaurant for lunch to taste through a bunch of great wines?” (Terry and Tom are two of the bar owner industry experts who give advice in this guide)
Tom MacDonald, Owner of Webster's Wine Bar, Chicago's oldest wine bar

Why Get a Certificate?

How can you benefit with a certificate from the International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College)?

A certificate from the International Association of Professions Career College may give you:

  • Respect as a professional
  • A competitive advantage when marketing your services
  • A sense of achievement and confidence
  • A credential for your resume when applying for jobs
  • Assurance to clients of your professionalism
  • Evidence of your expertise
  • Higher earnings (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in Certificates: A fast track to careers)

With the International Association of Professions Career College, you can earn a certificate online more quickly and affordably than many other educational options.

Student Spotlight: A Graduate's Success Story

Tracy Kay

“I really enjoyed this course and got so much more out of it than expected.”

Tracy found her IAP College course very practical and filled with a broad range of information that would benefit anyone looking to open a retail business. She found the course extremely practical, with great ideas, templates, examples, and checklists to help her start her business.

I am thrilled to have found this course!”

Why Choose IAP Career College?

The International Association of Professions Career College (also known as IAP Career College) aims to offer the finest in affordable online certificate programs for dream careers.

The textbooks for most of our courses were developed by our parent company, the leading online publisher of career guide books on how to get started in a dream career, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Our guides have been used as textbooks for more than a decade, and you can find them in the career centers and library collections of many famed colleges and universities – from the University of Texas to the Fashion Institute of Technology – as well as in numerous public libraries in cities from Vancouver to New York.

It can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to take other certificate programs. When we discovered online courses based on old editions of our career guides costing over US$ 1,000.00, we knew it was time to offer our own online certificate programs.

Now, the leader in online career guides for dream careers, along with a team of respected academics, have created online certificate programs through IAP Career College, allowing you to study and earn a certificate from the comfort of your own home.

Established online in 1999, the parent company of IAP Career College (known as FabJob) is an award-winning organization named “the #1 place to get published online” by Writer’s Digest. Our company and career guides have been featured in media ranging from ABC to Oprah’s newsletter and respected news sites ranging from CNN to the Wall Street Journal online.

We continue this tradition of excellence in online career education with the International Association of Professions Career College. Each of our career certificate programs has been developed to meet high academic standards, ensuring that as a graduate you can display with pride the certificate you will earn from the International Association of Professions Career College.

We invite you to learn more about the online certificate courses we offer you by visiting our Certificate Courses page. We are also happy to answer any of your questions to help you decide whether an online certificate course from the International Association of Professions Career College is right for you.

Have questions or need help?

Contact an Academic Advisor at International Association of Professions Career College:

support@iapcollege.com

Student Service Center
(For registered students only)
1-844-204-7982

If you are not a student you can email support@iapcollege.com or use live chat for inquiries.

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About IAP Career College

IAP Career College, also known as the International Association of Professions Career College, is a private online career college affiliated with FabJob Inc, the leading online publisher of guide books on how to get started in a dream career, serving hundreds of thousands of career changers on six continents since 1999. Learn more about us.

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  • What does a bar owner do?
    Bar owners run and oversee establishments serving drinks and hospitality services. Their role includes managing staff, sourcing beverages, designing menus and ambiance, budgeting, licensing, and providing a quality customer experience.
  • What will I learn in the Bar Owner Certificate Course?
    You’ll learn everything needed to start or manage a bar, including operations, staffing, customer service, compliance, marketing, control of inventory, and financial planning.
  • How long does the Bar Owner Certificate Course take to complete?
    The course is self-paced with a recommended completion time of 6 weeks. You can finish it in as little as 2 weeks or take up to 12 weeks based on your availability.

    Need more time? No problem. IAP Career College offers lifetime access to all course materials.
  • How much can I earn as a bar owner?
    Income varies widely depending on location, size, and concept. Small bars may earn $40,000–$100,000 in annual profit, while well-established or unique venues can exceed $150,000 annually in net income.
  • Can I start my own bar after completing this course?
    Yes. This course equips you with foundational skills—from licensing and setup to management and marketing—so you can confidently open or run your own bar.
  • Do I need prior bar, hospitality, or business experience?
    No. The course is beginner-friendly. It’s designed to introduce you to bar operations even if you don’t have prior experience.
  • Can I take the Bar Owner Certificate Course from outside of North America?
    Yes. It’s entirely online and self-paced, so you can enroll from anywhere and progress according to your schedule.
  • Will I receive a certificate when I finish the course?
    Yes! You’ll receive a Bar Owner Certificate from IAP Career College—demonstrating your understanding of professional bar ownership.
  • What is IAP Career College?
    The International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College) is a leading online career college offering online certificate courses and professional certifications for non-traditional and "dream" careers.

    Since 1999, we’ve helped over 500,000 students across six continents get started in dream careers—from life coaching to event planning to end-of-life care. Our courses are flexible, beginner-friendly, and designed for adult learners looking for practical, self-paced options.

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