How to Develop the Skills to Succeed at Your Own Business

Running your own business requires a lot of hard work, determination, and sacrifice. This holds true especially if managing team under an almost any business model. Here are some ideas on how to develop the skills needed to succeed at your own business.

Be the Leader
You must be a good leader if you expect your team to follow you. Being a good leader is more than telling people what to do; you must be able to lead by example. Leading by example means showing up to work ten minutes before they do and being a good listener when a team member is going through a difficult time. In addition, you must be able to sacrifice for your team; put their needs before your own.

Have a Positive Attitude
Your attitude will set the tone for your business. If you come in negative, then your team members will likely imitate this behavior and it will likely rub off on the customers as well. However, coming in with a smiling face and a spring in your step will make people want to be around you. In addition, you must teach your team the importance of having a good attitude and that there is a correlation between a positive attitude and success. Believe it or not, this is a skill that can be learned. Just as a negative attitude can become a habit if practiced over and over, so too can a positive attitude.

Learn How to Replace Yourself
You will have to know how to train people in your business. As it relates to the business model, you will need to train people effectively in order to replace yourself. To replace yourself in sales or marketing, you have to know enough about the business to teach it to someone else. When teaching someone about your business, make sure you are engaging them in a conversation, encouraging their feedback instead of lecturing them. If a team member's performance is under par, then you must be willing to retrain or reprimand. When your trainee's skill and knowledge level becomes equal to your own, you have replaced yourself.

Establish Goals
Establish goals for yourself and for your team. Goals can be divided into two different categories; long-term and short-term. An example of a short-term goal is what you want to accomplish today. An example of a long-term goal is what you want to accomplish in five or ten years. Encourage your team to write down their daily goals in addition to any long-term goals. Helping your team members achieve their dreams will, in turn, help you achieve yours.

Build a Relationship with Your Team
Relationship-building skills can be learned over time, but will take a lot of practice. This skill isn’t something that you can research at the library; it is developed through practice and firsthand experience. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind. People don't want to work for a cold and distant boss. Have fun with them, take them out one night, and get to know them personally. Secondly, find out what drives them. You can use this information to motivate them when the tough gets going. All in all, your team members must respect you as a leader but know they can talk to you as an individual at the same time.

These are just a few tips to help you along the way as you grow your ASEA business. Your team is the lifeblood of a business, especially as it relates to the business model. Focus on being a good leader and teaching everything you know; everything else will fall into place and your business will take off.