How small business owners can boost their skills
Running your own company can be tough, as you need to be able to handle lots of different aspects of business. This requires you to not only develop a wide range of skills but to keep them sharp and up to date as your industry changes and develops.
This can feel overwhelming at times, but these days, it is easier than ever before to gain knowledge and pick up new talents. To get you started on your journey of self-improvement, here are four ways in which you can level up your skills. Which will you try first?
1. Take an online course
When you ponder the ways to learn as an adult, an online course is perhaps the most obvious choice. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the online study options available have boomed, and the advancements in technology are genuinely impressive.
Whatever aspect of business you feel you need to work on – from social media to finance and marketing – there will be an online course out there for you. These range from free short courses if you just want an overview all the way up to full degree programs if you’re hoping to achieve an official qualification.
2. Set up a self-study program
If you find yourself put off by the rigid structure of an online course, or you can’t find one that matches your needs, why not consider putting together your own study program? You can do this by getting relevant books from the library or finding online blogs and videos to use.
This is a great method for those who have very specific skills they wish to learn and are motivated enough to study without assignment deadlines or fellow students to work with. To give yourself more time, try outsourcing other aspects of your business, such as recruitment to a company with ATS Software, so that you can focus on learning.
Sometimes in order to make your business better, you need to take a step back and let other people aid you in this growth. Otherwise, you will never be able to invest in yourself properly.
3. Learn from the experts
One of the best ways to improve your skills is by learning from those who are already experts in the field. There are lots of ways in which you can do this, for example, hiring a business coach to help you with specific problems or finding a mentor in your industry to work with on a long-term basis.
If you’re not sure who to approach, consider reaching out to people on social media or attending conferences in your industry to build your professional network.
4. Attend a retreat
Sometimes being a small business owner can feel lonely, so attending a retreat for like-minded professionals can be a great way to network at the same time as boosting your skills.
here are a wealth of these events available, from one-day sessions to longer weekend workshops, with many aimed at specific groups such as young entrepreneurs or moms who run their own companies. These days there are also lots of retreats taking place online, which truly opens up the options that you can choose from because you’re not restricted by where you live.
What’s great is that the learning doesn’t stop when the retreat ends; you can keep in touch with other attendees and support each others’ development on a long-term basis.
