There’s more to owning a small business than just coming up with a great idea and marketing it to others. In fact, behind every successful businessperson is a set of skills that were necessary to that success.
Although nobody is expected to be born with all of these skills, they should be developed, built upon, and put into practice every day. Without them, you’re likely to fall prey to the common pitfalls that ruin so many small business owners who didn’t have the advantage of a great leader as a mentor.
Communication
Not only is communication a crucial skill to have for life, but it’s essential for running a successful small business. Whether you face customers daily or work with a small team of employees and clients, you’ll need to provide open and honest channels of communication and make yourself available to others.
Organisation
Organisational skills can be anything from your time management to the day-to-day running of the office. For many small business owners, their organisation skills lie in knowing that they cannot run every aspect of the business themselves, so they work with external accountants or managers to help run their company effectively.
Leadership
Whether you’re the manager of your office or not, as the business owner it is your responsibility to direct the team in the right direction. There are many different styles of leadership, so you’ll need to find what works best for you, your employees, and your business model.
Modesty
Admitting that your business doesn’t revolve around you is the first step to ensuring you run it with modesty. You won’t always be responsible for every task or a great idea that comes along, so understanding that your business is bigger than you is an essential outlook to have.
Problem Solving
Starting and running a successful small business means you’re going to deal with problems from time to time. As a good leader, how you handle these has a huge impact on your business. Don’t be afraid to work with others to solve problems, or admit to mistakes when they occur.
It can take time to learn these skills, but provided you go into your business with an open and honest frame of mind and are willing to work hard, you’re guaranteeing the best possible outcomes for your business.
We invite you to contact us at Hart Partners for an in-depth and tailored discussion on your small business’s financial needs to see how we can help your business grow and prosper.