Skills you never knew you needed to run a business

In the past 18 months, businesses have been required to rapidly adapt more than ever, adjusting to a pandemic as well as moving forward through the digital age. There are many skills to keep in mind for running your business, some of which you may never know you needed until now. Running a business is much more than being an expert in your field.

Here are 10 skills which are vital in running a business. Some of these you may not have known were key to running your business within our ever-changing world.

Having good communication

To be able to communicate effectively with clients, contractors and employees is one of the key aspects of running a successful business. Remember that good listening skills are just as important as being able to communicate well.

Keeping track of time management

Keeping to time is important, and managing workload by prioritising different tasks can be an effective way of keeping on top of those deadlines. It will provide you with time to plan for future workloads.

Confidence in complex problem solving

Throughout your business, you’ll have many problems you need to resolve, some more complex than others. Having the skill to confidently address a more complex problem will help resolve the issue quicker. Find the methods that work for you. There will always be space for improvement as your problem solving continues. I recommend reading Key Business Solutions: Essential Problem-Solving Tools and Techniques that Every Manager Needs to Know’ by Antonio Weiss.

Digital marketing awareness

Most businesses are online now with the increase of social media, Google Ads, and marketing in the digital era. Have an active presence on social media for your business and make sure your website is optimized for Google. Google Analytics is a good tool for tracking website traffic. Digital marketing can also include video content, blogging and email campaigns. Google have excellent courses to learn about the basics of digital marketing.

Being creative

Having good creativity skills is fundamental in keeping attention on current and any new potential customers. This can include the style/theme of your website, the logo design, promotional video, product launches and much more. Entrepreneur says: “Creativity is connected to innovation, so to make your business move forward and stand out in the crowd, you should embrace creativity”.

Keep learning within your business

Always keep learning and see what you can do to improve and adapt to your industry. We learn every day throughout life. The world is changing all the time. So having the ability to adapt to those changes is key in keeping new customers and clients engaged.

Collaborating in your business

Being able to collaborate with similar businesses, influencers or clients can be an effective strategy to learn new skills and other information relating to your business industry. Look at ways in which you can build your business from collaborating with other people.

Having a good relationship with technology

Businesses are online now more than ever, with the digital age always changing and expanding. Build your tech skills to keep an eye on tools and tricks which will help boost your business, putting you more in front of other businesses.

Building on your leadership skills

If you manage a team within your business, it’s key to have effective leadership skills. Leadership is a skill that can be attained through experience and education. In order to gain a better handle of being a leader, keep learning through tools and courses which will help. Also keep gaining more experience as a manager within a business.

Being an effective negotiator

Having the ability to negotiate a discussion is a great way to understand what the opposing person requires within that discussion. This can be helpful in many parts of your business and in your general life. Enter a negotiation with your desired outcome but also work out what the opposition’s strategy is.

Start to see if any of these skills can be implemented within your business today. Remember we are always learning and as a business owner, it’s important to keep building your skillset.