Being a successful entrepreneur nowadays is anything but easy. Innovative products and services are developed every day and the possibilities seem endless. This has made the business environment more competitive than ever, so entrepreneurs need to master certain skills if they want to get noticed and possibly make a change in the industry they chose.
The business model, raising funding, the idea or timing are all essential factors for a startup’s success, but most people ignore the personal skills that can make a huge difference. Here are 7 skills every entrepreneur should master in 2019.
Never stop learning
One of the most important things in life, no matter what one does for a living, is to never stop learning. The society we live in today is so different than 50 years ago, even the most resistant to change industries are almost completely different. Right now, in the age of high-speed internet and AI, innovative solutions are created at a staggering pace. Therefore, you should be a good learner and acquire any useful information you can about how your industry is changing.
This way, you will always operate in the most efficient manner, as you will be informed and will be able to use the latest practices to ensure that your resources are going toward key activities.
Be creative
With so much information being brought in front of potential customers, it’s very important to make your business or your ideas stand up from the crowd. You need to create branding and communication channels that make the potential customers recognize you as a reference point in the industry.
Rather than throwing all the info you have about your product or service at potential customers or clients, it’s best to consider your key message, find your target audience and communicate your point of difference in the marketplace in a creative way. Email marketing done right, affiliate programs, landing your business in the press, promoting it on social media in an unconventional way or running a contest are just a few of the ways to get started. Remember, creativity is one of the skills you can’t miss when promoting something.
Know your people
Being a good leader has always been one of the top requirements in entrepreneurship. However, it is not enough. Besides that, you must be able to find the right people to lead and manage them with as little input as possible. When you hire someone, you need to ensure that your business’ goals and their professional goals are aligned. Find out what they are trying to achieve in the short and in the long-term, and what success looks like for them.
Time has always meant money. Therefore, you need to make sure that you can rely on your qualified employees. The person you decide to hire will have to fill the competency requirements for the role but also think about how they will get along with the team or, for instance, what their vision for your product is. Ask as many questions as possible. After the hiring process, make sure you don’t take your employees for granted. Continue listening to what they have to say since their priorities might change over time.
Be objective and realistic
No matter what your instincts might tell you or how you see things evolving, numbers don’t lie. You may become attached to certain aspects of your business because you’ve always seen them working, but in the end, what matters most is the real impact they have.
Evaluate your progress in a realistic manner at all times. There are moments when assuming a risk is the right thing to do and no one became successful without risking a bit. But in order to be able to know when to take risks, have all the scenarios figured out.
Train your critical thinking
Split-second decisions can make the difference between success and failure. Opportunities come and go, but the best ones are there only for the ones who see them and act fast. If you want to be ahead of your competition, you must be able to think straight regardless of the situation and trust your instincts and predictions.
The ability to handle crisis will give your business the continuity and reliability it needs in order to offer what customers want, no matter what the circumstances are. To train your critical thinking, research methods on how to use basic logical tools to analyse arguments, or how to recognise, reconstruct and evaluate arguments. It is essential to learn how to identify and avoid common thinking mistakes that lead to the formation of bad beliefs.
Be a good negotiator
Any entrepreneur wants the best conditions for his company. However, they never come easily, considering the fierce competition that exists today. Therefore, knowing how to bargain your way into the best opportunities might just make your business stand out from the crowd. Make sure you are clear on what you want out of the arrangement. Research the other side to better understand their needs, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.
Being insistent, but not annoying, tough, but not aggressive and smooth, but not too soft is how a leader should be. No matter if you’re Google’s CEO or a startup owner trying to raise funding, this attitude can make the difference between you and your competition. Make sure you do your research on negotiation techniques and start applying them. Soon, you will see the results.
Don’t be afraid to risk
In any business, you need to take risks in order to succeed. The key to success is not necessarily assuming any risks for immediate or considerable gains, but to know how to manage them properly. If you believe your solution will change people’s lives like nothing else did and your business model is ticking any criteria you can think about, don’t be afraid to give it a try.
Apple, Microsoft, Airbnb and many other big players in the business world have taken risks never taken before, and the outcomes are known to everyone. They managed to dominate the market with products and services never seen before.
There are many other skills an entrepreneur needs to have to enhance the chances of success. However, the most important factor for a prosperous business is offering the right thing at the right time. Mastering the skills does not guarantee that you will be the best entrepreneur in 2019, but it will certainly help you a lot if your ideas have potential in the business world.
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The above references an opinion and is for educational information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice. Investing in any business involves risks, including illiquidity, lack of dividends, loss of investment and dilution, and it should be done only as part of a diversified portfolio. Please click here to read the full risk warning.