I think many of us are tempted to look at the skills we already have and think that is the end of the line. We evaluate our existing skills in terms of what we can bring to our home business and then assume that whatever is missing will stay missing. But, it can be beneficial to take a good look at what sort of skills are required for your business or industry—especially in order to be competitive and successful—and then figure out what is lacking and how you can develop those skills to be even more successful.
Different jobs and industries do require different skill sets. While running a home based business you may feel like you have to have ALL the business skills, this isn’t really the case. Take a good look at your business—where it is now and where you would like to be and consider what skills are necessary. Do you need to be good at math or can you just be functional? Do you need to be good at organizing (or can you get by without or find someone else to do that for you)? Do you need good communication and people skills?
Now, look at your existing skill set—what you are already bringing to your home business. Do you have any skills that are existing but could use an upgrade or some improvements? Where are you completely lacking? I recently took on some work where there was far more math than I was used to. I realized that while I had been adequately skilled in the math department for all my other work, I was going to have to brush up on, and get comfortable with more math in order to do a decent job.
Once you have determined your weaknesses, you can go about making improvements. It may be as simple as a trip to the bookstore or your local library. Don’t overlook television programs or informational DVDs that can teach you skills. Of course, there are also classes available in most communities—either through a continuing or community education program, a community college or university, or even through businesses or other organizations.
Also: Maximizing Potential
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