Developing Your Business Skills...

 It has been said that every single year, only 3 percent of the total population on the whole of planet earth are courageous enough to take that bold step of faith, stick out their neck, make the attempt to walk on water and start out on their own, birth their own business.
Now out of that 3 percent, only about 1 percent successfully plant their feet and get established, while the rest end up as dropout or join that ever growing, ever increasing list of failed entrepreneurs.

While it is true that business requires specific skill sets, basic ideas and adequate information, as well as domain knowledge on the particular business endeavour you're going into. There are also general qualities you must develop when you're setting out, and these are the things we will be looking at for the next few moments...

1. Be a Visionary; this is one of the general business qualities you must develop when setting out. I am not talking about grandiose plans or you having an over-the-top vision, rather I am talking here about foresight... You thinking ahead in the game; five years from now, ten years from now.

2. Start Small; when you're setting out in business, you should not be afraid to start small. Do not wait till you have all the money or all the resources. Begin with small goals, and once you achieve them, you can move to bigger ones.

3. Be Adaptable; Yes, you're developing strategy. Yes, you're working towards achieving your goals. But you need to understand that the world is ever changing, trends are changing. What's in vogue today may be obsolete by tomorrow. So whenever you realise that your strategy isn't working effectively again, you need to adapt and adopt new methods of working, BUT KEEP YOUR VISION.

4. Communicate like an expert; This entails every form of communication; via phone, e mail, letters, proposals, social media. Whatever it is, however you send your thoughts across, you need to develop yourself in this aspect, so that you can convince more people and get more businesses.

5. Network like a Pro; this is another important skill you need to develop, it's another essential ingredient. You need to identify the right people and establish long-lasting relationships.

6. Be Aggressive; this doesn't in any way mean you're always pumped up and you pursue things blindly. But rather, it simply means that you are pushful and you have a drive.

7. This is a must if you want to make it AT ALL in business before you start talking about making it big. You must persist; don't give in, don't give up.

8. Do things differently; always do your things differently. The whole world is already going in one single direction, so you need to think of something different that you can bring to the table that will give you an extra edge.

9. Avoid Complacency; you must try as much as you can to never be complacent. If Big Time Players and Global Corporations like Enron and World Com can bite the dust, kick the bucket, and be afforded funeral rites, then anything can happen. You need to realise that no business is fool-proof, no Corporation is fool-proof. One single mistake and the entire empire crumbles, one wrong decision and the business tumbles over and goes belly up.

Dear friend, these are a few of the things you need to keep in mind when you're starting out in business. I wish you the very best in everything you do, and may your business keep growing BIGGER and BETTER.

Cheers 🍻.

Lamide