I can’t believe its December already. In a couple more weeks we will be celebrating Christmas, and all of a sudden we are in a whole new year once again. Some years seem to drag on forever, until we reach the month of September, and then time just simply flies on by.
I love the feeling coolness that comes at this time of the year. I love the celebrating of holidays. Everyone gathered together, mostly happy, there is always at least one grumpy child somewhere in the mix. The feeling of some things ending and the excitement of the possibilities of new beginnings. Have you thought about those new beginnings and what they might mean for you?
For some of you that might mean a change in jobs, in where you live, in your career. Perhaps you have grown tired of working for someone else. We have written about what it takes to start your own business, and to make it successful. Those posts are mostly from a financial perspective. Because we often deal with startup companies, and companies who are on the rise, I think we can help with some hints for what it takes to start a new company. It doesn’t matter if you are in a white-collar profession, an attorney, a doctor, in sales and marketing, or in the service and repair industry. There are certain traits which we have noticed in our clients who are successful. (and in ourselves)
Drive – Successful people have drive and motivation. They are rarely away from work for any length of time. They don’t dream about success, they make it happen. Not by wishing, but by working really hard, and by aligning themselves with the right people.
Versatility – No one trick ponies here. And that becomes the hard part as the company grows, handing things over to someone else. Traditionally people who start out to build a new business are successful because they can keep their capital outlay low by doing most of the work themselves. Writing Advertisements, posting on Facebook and other social media sites, plus creating and selling their product line.
Sales Skills – In order to get backing, in order to get customers to buy into their dream and purchase their product, these business people must have a vision, passion and the ability to sell that vision and passion to others.
The ablity to overcome fear – I was going to write fearless, but I don’t think that is necessarily the case. I bought a small business and have worked hard to make it a bigger business. I wasn’t fearless, I had lots of fear, but I never let that stop me. I was and still am, willing to take the risks involved in betting on a business. Sometimes I get a setback or two, but most of the time my hunches pay off and my vision gets realized.
Number skills – Or at the very least, no matter how tight the budget, a good bookkeeper and accountant can make sure you stay on the right path financially. It is way too easy, when you are busy multitasking to lose track of your numbers. How much is coming in vs. how much goes out. You can have vision, determination and sale skill galore, but if you don’t manage the money, your business won’t last long.
There are more, but this is a good sampling of the traits I see in myself, and in the people who hire us to be their virtual receptionists and answering service. Are you thinking about starting your own business, but your skill sets don’t match any of the ones on this list? Fear not, we also work with some great partnerships. One is the introvert, great at the technical stuff, the other, is outgoing, creative and high energy. Ying and Yang in a way, to each other. As long as there is respect and a clearly defined role for each, and they have each other’s backs, those work just as well.
Jennifer Comer