When Investing In Your Business, Don’t Forget to Invest In Yourself

For many of the business leaders out there, success is attributed to the workers that surround them, their education, their parents – just about anything except themselves as to not come off as too proud or cocky. While we might write these statements off as simple acts of attempted humility, there is a lesson in these words, particularly for those small- and mid-sized business owners.

As any entrepreneur or freelancer out there will attest, there are few colleagues surrounding you to pin your future success on – you’re on your own. That’s why its all the more important that, at some point in your burgeoning career, you remember to invest in yourself. Here are a few ideas to consider in order to gain new skills and surround yourself with people who can help.

Work on Your Presentation Skills. Whether you plan on advancing through the ranks of your career or you are running your own business, presentation and public speaking skills are an invaluable asset for progression. There are a number of opportunities to improve your speaking skills, including classes and workshops for improvement at local schools and business centers. Meetup and other small business organizations also provide a platform to offer advice and share experiences with other local business owners, allowing you to practice your presentation skills while networking.

Attend Conferences and Seminars. There are all manner of conferences and seminars devoted to professional development out there and each can offer a great new skill or direction for your career. Conferences are often dedicated to a specific industry, such as health care, accounting, or construction, but a variety of conferences are available dedicated to items such as personal growth, starting your own business, or switching gears in your career, and even unrelated conferences can be useful for the future. These are great opportunities to pick up a skill, such as social media marketing, coding, or writing skills for your outreach.

Networking. You probably know the importance of networking – but how often do you make the effort to meet new connections outside of office hours? Some connections will only be found if you step outside of the normal group of individuals you’re likely meet in your day-to-day routine and head to a meet up on your own time. This sort of practice is all the more important if you’re an introvert. While the more extroverted individuals out there may have little trouble connecting with others outside of work, an introvert can require a little more practice to step outside of the comfort zone and make those connections.

Find a Mentor. Chances are during your networking endeavors that you will find someone who works in the same industry as you (or used to work in the same industry) and now holds a higher position in the field – possibly one that you desire. If you meet someone with this level of experience and you enjoy being around them, ask if you can pick their brain! Mentorships are one of the greatest ways of learning more about your career, where you want to go in the future, and yourself.

Have you found a great source of professional development that has helped you or your colleagues? Drop us a line at info@quincycfo.com and let us know!