Essential Business Skills
What Essential Business Skills Will You Need?
The question, “what essential business skills will I need?” is valid. The bad news is there are a lot of them over 15 categories with considerable skills in each category.
The good news is you don’t need to be skilled in all of them.
If you’re running a small one-person business, your skillset will differ from someone running a billion-dollar company.
The person running a billion-dollar company has the resources needed to hire the right people for the many positions required. The small one-person business may not need all the skills but will need to do everything themselves.
The Type of Business Defines the Skills Needed
For example, if you run a small convenience store that depends on local walk-in traffic, you won’t need all the business skills. You won’t need to focus on leadership, project management, delegation, networking, etc. You will need skills such as financial management, time management, customer service, etc.
To figure out what essential business skills you’ll require will depend on the field you want to develop or improve. On the other hand, if you’re looking to become a business owner and want to build your skills, you’ll need to determine the type of business you want to start to reveal what skills you’ll need.
In the resource section further down the page, you’ll find a unique collection of articles that go over essential business skills. From that list, you’ll find articles that go into detail and offer insights into each skill and how to develop it.
The Importance of Having Essential Business Skills
There are many factors when it comes to running your own business. When you have the skills needed, you’ll be able to make smart choices and decisions. When you don’t have the skills, you could easily make a mistake that can cost you dearly.
If you look at the list of skills on this page, you can easily get overwhelmed. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, you don’t need to be skilled in everything. You can learn and develop what you need, as we’ll discuss in the next paragraph.
Learning Business Skills You’ll Need To Run Your Company
This section will offer tips and insights that you can use to learn the business skills you require.
When there is a purpose for the topic you’re learning, you’ll find you’re motivated and eager to study.
For example, if you’re running a small business and you want to learn how to advertise because you have something to promote, then you’ll be motivated to take action and learn the skill because you’re benefitting from it.
Looking at the long list of business skills further down the page may become overwhelming if you’re going to learn all of them. Instead, choose the ones that will benefit you and the ones you’ll put to use.
Once you’ve identified which skills you’re going to learn, develop a schedule and make sure it’s something you will finish. Instead of saying I’m going to spend 3 hours a day learning a new skill, put aside 30 to 60 minutes a day, which might be a better approach to take.
Next, define what you want to know. For example, you want to learn how to advertise to boost sales. Advertising is a broad topic, and it’s better to focus on a section of advertising. For example, you’re going to advertise in the newspaper; therefore, you’re going to build your skill in newspaper advertising.
Even though many of the skills for newspaper advertising relate to other forms of advertising, you have focussed your learning on one key area. Concentrating on the data you need will allow you to get the most information in the shortest amount of time.
You want to research your subject. You can start with a few articles to get an overview of the topic, and then, you may want to take a course to fine-tune your skills.
You want a system that allows you to recall the information when you need it. Simple note-taking or writing a step-by-step guide could work for you. People learn in different ways. Recognize what works for you and stick to that.
One important point is to practice what you learn. If you write down information and don’t act on it, you won’t benefit as you do from practicing. The more you practice, the better you’ll become at it.
Resources
As mentioned earlier, you have reached the resource section. Below are many business skills organized in sections. Take a look at the sections that stand out for you, and then you can see the articles for in-depth information related to that skill.
Keep in mind there is a lot of information, and it’s certainly not something you can finish in one visit. You can come back to this page anytime you need the information.
Communication Skills
Communication Skills: 10 Effective Communication Skills To Learn
Communication Skills for Workplace Success
Business Writing Skills
10 Helpful Skills to Level-Up Your Business Writing | Indeed.com
The Top 10 Business Writing Skills You Should Learn Today
Business Development Skills
Business Development: The Basics
Business Development Skills: Definition and Examples | Indeed.com
Math Skills
The Importance of Basic Math in Business
MBA Math Skills Every Business Student Needs
Telephone Skills
10 Essential Business Telephone Skills – Telephone Doctor
13 Essential Telephone Skills You Haven’t Mastered Yet – Channels
Management Skills
Management Skills – Types and Examples of Management Skills
20 People Management Skills Every Manager Needs To Succeed | Sling
Marketing Skills
50 Essential Marketing Skills You Need to Be Successful in 2020
Top 10 Skills Needed by Marketers Today
Customer Service Skills
9 Tips to Help Your Small Business Stand Out In Customer Service
Leadership Skills
7 key leadership skills for entrepreneurs | BDC.ca
Project Management Skills
Essential Project Management Skills for Every Entrepreneur | Founder’s Guide
Why All Entrepreneurs Should Have Project Management Skills – LiquidPlanner
Planning Skills
Important Strategic Planning Skills for Workplace Success
Delegation Skills
Important Strategic Planning Skills for Workplace Success
Time Management Skills
11 Effective Time Management Skills to Improve Your Efficiency
Problem-Solving Skills
Problem Solving Skills | SkillsYouNeed
Networking Skills
5 Steps to Seriously Improve Your Networking Skills
Networking Skills: Six Ways Beginners Can Build Better Connections
Employee Management Skills
10 Ways to Develop Your Employees
11 Team Management Skills You Need To Lead Your Team | When I Work
Courses
10 Best Online Business Courses For Elevating Your Business Skills
14 Online Classes That Will Help You Improve Your Business Skills This Summer | Inc.com
30 courses that will help you grow your business | An essential list – FutureLearn