As we work with small business owners in Indianapolis, many times the issue is not their marketing, but their business skills. The challenge is that many of the real skills you need to run a successful small business can’t be learned in a classroom setting. You can however develop them in places other than your own business. Learning opportunities are everywhere, if you look for the connections.
Mike Michalowicz Author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur shared an interesting list of six things you could do to improve your skills. His list included:
- Plan a big event
- Become a Volunteer
- Make a crowd laugh
- Coach little league
- Become a blogger
- Learn a new language
To his list, I would add join a business owner group, or create one consisting of 3 – 5 other business owners, with whom you meet regularly to talk, compare notes, and brainstorm. This isn’t a sales or networking group, but a true owner to owner conversation where you can let your guard down and talk about what you need to know to run your business.