American Author Richard Bach once said that “a professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Keeping this in mind, whether you’re a writer, graphic designer, video animator, or aiming to be anything else, what are you doing to become a professional? To help, consider the below insight from some of today’s most well-respected business authors.
Introduce Engagement. Jason Prescott, Author of the book Wholesale 101: A Guide to Product Sourcing for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners, believes that engagement is a key to business growth and success. “Too many of us get caught up in the daily grind of replying to emails, scheduling meetings, and keeping up with social media – among other things. The key, however, is to know when to put this aside and instead engage your customers, your mind, and your business culture,” shares Prescott.
Expanding on this, Prescott explains that, “to help engage yourself and your customers alike, consider attending meet-up groups, tradeshows, seminars, networking events, and other live experiences that can help your professional business grow. Plus, don’t overlook how online engagement opportunities can help your business, as well.” Additionally, Prescott stresses that listening to customers and interacting with them is, “vital for professional success,” and this is something you should do both online and offline. Incorporate Values.
Chris Edmonds, Author of Amazon’s bestselling book The Culture Engine, believes that while management is a part of any leader’s job, values are just as important for leaders to implement into their business.
“Managing results? Great… that’s half the leader’s job. The other half? Managing values… how people treat each other in the workplace,” explains Edmonds. Values, as Edmonds explains, are, “as important as results”. Expanding on this, Edmonds shares that, “by defining desired values in observable, tangible and measurable behaviors, one shifts values from a ‘vague idea’ to specific behaviors that anyone can embrace.” Keeping this in mind, remember that values are something both business associates and consumers alike can gain from. When you incorporate values into your own work ethic, consider how your results will change…for the better.
Embrace Challenge. “Today, leaders must create an environment where people feel safe enough to contribute. We must inspire action...And we must enable others to feel as though they are part of the creative solution – and not just part of the problem. We must let our people think, decide, and act,” shares Mark Babbitt, Co-Author of the book A World Gone Social, which discusses how social media has created a new business era and what you can do about this to help strengthen your business.
Expanding on this, Babbitt suggests that to strengthen your business efforts, you must, “state the challenge.” Challenges, as it turns out, are often what help shape amateurs into professionals… and professionals into more successful business leaders. What challenge can you embrace to help you make your next step upward in your own business journey?
Monetize Passion. There are countless perks to being your own boss, but among the top includes being able to monetize doing something you love. “You start your business because of your passion. Quickly you discover that passion doesn't pay your bills, however. The only way to pay your bills and yourself is to pay attention to your numbers. Small business owners are surrounded with numbers and data… in fact, many are drowning in them. The key is to know which ones to pay attention to and when to analyze them,” explains Cathy Wagner, Author of the book On Sale: How Retailers Ignore Their Numbers and Give Their Store Away.
To help monetize your passion, consider what your overhead is, what your current income is, and what you can do to strengthen your operations and marketing to increase profit. Taking the time to analyze the details of your business can lead you to stronger revenue success.
Don’t Give Up. Just as Author Ricard Bach said best, “an amateur is a professional that never quit.” As you look ahead to your own business journey, remember that success comes with cans, not cant’s… and when writing your own book of life, you are the boss of your next chapter.
Have any advice to share with fellow entrepreneurs? Tell us in the comments below!
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