There is no denying that starting a business is a hefty challenge. It takes time, effort, and a whole load of skill to get a business off the ground, let alone see your first profit. If you have the guts necessary to be an entrepreneur, you must first understand the skills needed.
Whether you have an idea you’re considering pursuing, or you are struggling to make your first profit, here are 19 skills you need to run a business successfully.
1: Communication
As a business owner, your communication skills must be second to none. Each day, you will talk to many people, including clients, employees, and customers. Without strong communication skills, you run the risk of selling your business short and making your team unhappy.
There are a few ways to become a better communicator. First, you could record yourself talking and play it back to see how you come across. You see, many people don’t realize the way their tone comes across, so it helps to record to know for sure. Another way is to put yourself out there and attend a skill-building class focused on presenting. This way, your voice will grow more confident, which is essential for any leader.
2: Leadership
As a business owner, you won’t just end up leading a team, but if you are successful, you’ll also lead managers. This means you must learn to be an excellent leader. It is not something you will learn overnight, so don’t expect to start your business knowing everything you need about leadership.
If you are serious about owning a successful business, it is highly encouraged to pursue an online MBA. This way, you will learn how to lead from the very best, improving your skills all around and improving your ability to lead. The handy part of pursuing an online degree is that you can work alongside it, as they offer much more flexibility than the more traditional education route.
3: Financial Management
The ability to manage finances well is handy for everyone, but it is crucial for those running a business. Each day, you will have financial responsibilities, such as invoicing clients, doing your taxes, and working out your business’s budget. To do this well, you must become sufficient in financial management.
Education is one of the best ways to learn this skill. There are plenty of courses online that will help you. If you have little to no experience with financial management, then this is advised.
4: Networking
Your business will not flourish without the ability to network. As your business’s biggest cheerleader, you must get out there and sing its praises!
As a business owner, you will need to attend in-person events and network through the internet. It would be best if you memorized a natural introduction when you introduce yourself to people, too. Keep your eye out for any networking events you could attend and aim to make the best impression possible.
5: Time Management
When it comes to business, time is money. If you spend three weeks focusing on one small area of your business, then you will potentially miss out on profits. You must avoid this!
Some days you’ll find yourself swamped. In times like these, when your desk is stacked with papers and your email inbox is full, your time management skills must be in top form. Learn how to prioritize tasks and use your time wisely to always spend for the benefit of the business.
When you start to employ team members, you must pass on this knowledge, as their time is also the business’s profits.
6: Writing
Many inspiring business owners forget about one crucial skill – the ability to write well. While your job might not require typing essays or articles, you must be proficient enough to use tone wisely, relay information correctly, and keep your grammar up to scratch.
When running a business, you will send countless emails out. If there are typos or the tone is off, this will reflect badly on the company, which could ruin your efforts to connect with clients or potential customers. If writing isn’t your forte, then consider taking an online class to build your skill so that your emails come across professionally.
7: Researching
Researching is a skill to be taken seriously as a business owner. After all, you will be doing a lot of it. You will research the market, tech updates, and your competitors, so you must know how to stay on top.
First of all, you should get into the habit of reading the right articles. From there, you’ll come across authors that cater to your business’s interest, which might lead to podcasts, videos, and other forms of media that will inform you for your company’s betterment. Social media is also an area you should stay up to date with, as that’s where a lot of your clients, potential customers and competitors will be.
8: Tech-Savvy
It is ignorant to assume that you do not need new technologies for your business to thrive these days. The truth is, the majority of your competitors are using some of the best techs on offer, giving them benefits such as reduced time and costs. Why would you avoid that?
You don’t have to be the world’s greatest IT technician to be sufficient in tech; you need to know how to use the tech your company uses. Have a look around for software that will improve your company.
9: Marketing
No matter how brilliant your product is, your marketing skills must also be second to none. If you have a product of excellent quality, then you must also know how to market it properly. After all, that is how you gain customers.
To market well, you must get into your potential customers’ minds and see things from their perspective. What websites do they frequent? What are they looking for? It would be best to answer many questions to understand your audience properly, but once you master marketing, people will start flocking to your business.
10: Flexibility
In the world of business, no two days are ever the same. One day, you might find that everything runs smoothly, to the point where you even have time for an hour and a half lunch at your local café. On other days, you might spend upward of ten hours battling with clients and struggling to manage your team.
To see success, you must be flexible with what the day brings. If you have a plan at the beginning, but what plays out doesn’t fit with it, then you must let your plan go.
11: Organization
No great business is built on an unsteady organization. The best businesses keep their files, team, and products well maintained and organized.
If you are more of a free spirit but want to run a business, then it is time to honor your organization skills. Some ways to do this include:
- Keeping a Tidy Desk
A well-maintained desk is a key to the organization. You do not want to enter your office only to find stacks of forgotten-about papers and scattered stationery in the morning. Make it your mission always to have a tidy desk to greet you in the mornings. - Using a Planner
A planner will help you remember everything you need to do. Use it to log everything you must get done, and by what time, and you will never miss a meeting or deadline. - Writing a List of Goals
If you struggle to stay focused, then writing a list of goals at the beginning of each week is a handy way of keeping you on target. By seeing your goals in full view each day, you are more likely to stay on track and reach them in a timely fashion.
12: Self-Care
Running a business is no small feat, and it comes with many stresses. One skill that is underestimated is the ability to look after yourself. After all, you have the weight of a whole business on your back, and that deserves some relaxation.
If you start to feel overly stressed, then you should allow yourself a break. Go for a massage, take a walk, or spend a few hours watching your favorite TV show. You might not feel you are being productive, but by allowing yourself a rest, you will go back to work with a stronger mindset than before.
13: Confidence
To succeed, you must be confident in your abilities. There are plenty of competitors out there who would love to soak up your success, and if you do not believe in yourself enough, they will.
The first step toward confidence is believing you are. Every single successful person you meet has doubts, but what makes them successful is that they only show their confidence. Act as if your business is the best thing since sliced bread and other people will start believing it, too.
14: Professionalism
Sometimes, it’s great to laugh when things go wrong, but you should also maintain a level of professionalism at all times. As a business owner, you are providing a product or service, so it’s important to take it seriously.
Dress well, keep your business conversations formal, and maintain the right attitude at all times. It will reflect positively on your business overall.
15: A Thick Skin
You will face rejection. It happens to all business owners, and it’s something you must get used to. If somebody tells you no and you spend a week dwelling on it, your business will suffer. Instead, learn to pick yourself up and move on.
The world of business is brutal, which means growing a thick skin is essential. It’s not always easy, but you will learn how to take rejection on the chin over time.
16: Positivity
To thrive, you should aim to maintain a level of positivity, even when events go wrong. You don’t have to walk around with a fake smile on your face, but you should try to look on the bright side of everything that happens.
If you face an obstacle with your business, then see it as an opportunity to improve rather than let it get you down. No business has a straight and easy path, so don’t expect to always stay on top. The sooner you understand this, the more positive you will feel when your plans don’t work out.
17: Attention to Detail
What makes the best businesses stand out among the rest is the attention to detail. Sure, you might use great materials or deliver friendly customer service, but what about the little things? Sending your product in attractive packaging, adding a catchy slogan, and remembering your client’s personal information will all play in your favor.
Attention to detail is also necessary when it comes to delivering a high-quality product. The chances are, what you are selling is already out there, so make it even better than what is already on offer by improving the small parts.
18: Open-Mindedness
No one goes into the world of business, knowing what is to come. For this reason, you must stay open-minded.
If you have a set plan, expect it to be altered, switched around, or even thrown out altogether. You never truly know what you’re getting into, after all! This is especially true when it comes to hiring your team. You might have the perfect picture of your ideal employees in mind, but more often than not, the people who are best for your business are the ones you don’t expect.
19: Passion
Above all, you should remain passionate about what you sell. If you don’t believe in your product, then who will? While you might not feel passionate about getting out of bed each morning or dealing with difficult clients, at the heart of it, you should know that your product is worthy. Passion will help motivate you on the difficult days and will help you sell your product on the breezy ones.
