By Sean Wood
Small business owners have to shoulder the monetary responsibility of their business, as well as the human resources, marketing duties and more.
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Colin Powell, Former U.S. Secretary of State and Retired U.S. Army Four-Star General
The money-related matters associated with owning your own business are just one piece of the puzzle. Human resources and marketing are on the business-owner, too. They are still related to money — isn’t everything? — and mastering these areas can help keep you from wasting yours.
Managing People
Interviewing and hiring — If you’re successful, eventually you won’t be able to do it alone and you will need to hire help. People are a business’ greatest asset and its biggest expense. It’s important to get the hiring right. Know what your personnel needs are, the type of people you need to fill those roles, and how to ask the right questions to find the right people.
HR basics — There can be a lot involved with employees. There are employment laws, wage rules, state and federal regulations. It’s important to get educated on the basics to keep your business in compliance.
Leadership — It’s important to learn what goes into being a good manager. It’s not enough to do the opposite of Michael Scott on “The Office.” Take some time to learn the latest techniques in being the kind of manager who inspires people to give their best effort.
Marketing
Google — There are myriad tools that make it easy for businesses to build their own websites and quickly get them published. But that’s only part of the equation. Once they’re up they need to get noticed. It is important to learn what Google — the world’s dominant search engine — looks for so you can get your site optimized and quickly found.
Social media — This is a great tool for extending the reach of your brand, connecting with customers, addressing complaints and alerting loyal customers about special promotions. But there are so many channels and so much content, it’s sometimes hard to rise above the noise. There are some great classes for learning the basics that will get you going and advanced courses to take you to the next level.
Essentials — Digital may be the dominant platform, but there is more to marketing than just that. People engage with brands, products and services in different ways. It is important to learn which way is right for you and your customers. Creativity is key. Learn what you can do to make the most of your marketing efforts and when it might be time to get some help.
Despite all the things that go into running a successful business, millions of people make it work. Taking the time to learn what’s important and applying those best practices will go a long way toward helping you have sustained success as you watch your business grow.
Sean Wood is the owner of Three 8 Communications and previously worked for Sensis TX. He has over 30 years of writing experience and conducts media training sessions with numerous corporate executives.
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