8 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

By: Mark Ledisi

Entrepreneurship is a better way to have a personal income. It is also a way to realize and grow one’s ability.  However, finding a soft landing doesn’t automatically guarantee the safety of one’s business.

Change is unpredictable and so is the market and technology. All of these affect the buying habits of people and the investments they undertake.  It is crucial that as an entrepreneur one constantly improves in learning and evolving with time —your ability to relearn, unlearn and adapt provides you the platform to grow with the time.  

Below are 8 tips to help your personal development as an entrepreneur.

1. Be versatile

The hub of growth and learning is wrapped in books  —it stretches the mind, improves creativity, enhances your concentration, and gives a huge workout to your vocabulary.  Experiences are tied into books by authors. And the best way to avoid the mistakes they made is to read their experiences. 

One can never read enough books but the good news is that the more you read the better informed you become and the fewer errors you make in the course of your entrepreneurial journey. Your creativity level increases as you expose yourself to diverse ideas from different people. Rockefeller has advised that reading should be the habit of entrepreneurs. One should at least read a minimum of 24 books related to personal development, strategies on marketing, finance management, and other skills in the 12 months. 

2. Learn to listen

In a business environment, being the boss is great but being accessible and open to ideas as well as criticism is better. It is said that no man is an island of knowledge. In the same light, no one knows the nooks and crannies when it comes to business. Therefore, an entrepreneur must always have an open heart to get ideas, lessons, and constructive criticisms from clients and the workforce.

Research over time has shown that entrepreneurs who listen to others become more successful in business. Also; statistics prove that most businesses fail in the early years for lack of research and the entrepreneurs’ courage to listen to others.

3. Grow 

Growth could imply several things to different people and it could simply mean taking a course or pursuing that Masters in Business Administration. Being successful as an entrepreneur means staying up to date with relevant courses related to your area in the industry. 

Growth is essential in business. And this is the reason why industries often request that their employees undergo a consistent learning process and training to keep them in tune with state-of-the-art technologies, techniques, and the most modern way of operation in their field. Individuals who intend to grow within the entrepreneurial space must do so by intentionally taking steps towards growth. 

Sales won’t be made unless an entrepreneur understands that the market answers best to people who know about it. 

To improve your ability in business, courses are available at your disposal. Such as Sales tactics and strategies, marketing, business strategy, etc. Where it is something creative such as animation courses for animators. It is advised that you don’t take on more than a single course load per session to allow you to function adequately in business.

4. Improve your negotiation/sale skills 

Everyone in the entrepreneurial space is in to sell a service or product. One must understand that when you undercharge you’ll be seen as incompetent in delivering the service or product– overcharging can also make you lose opportunities, referrals, and clients in course of time. Therefore you need to learn negotiation, sales and presentation skills. Available on the internet are materials, videos, and books that help you improve in these areas. Notably, if you’re skeptical about reading a book, (hardcopy or an ebook) then you can also access audiobooks on relevant topics.

5. Manage your time

As an entrepreneur, it’s almost unavoidable that one would be busy. But doing the same for the right reason is an act that must be practiced and learned. 

A clear focus on the important things can help to reduce the attention on the unnecessaries. You can start by asking questions such as what are things that need to be done to keep the business going? What else have I not given my time yet but are very crucial to the success of my business? Having been able to answer these, you can then allocate some attention to smaller things after the initials have been taken care of early. 

You should have the ability to say NO to any extra activities that try to steal away your time. You may be able to also detect the irrelevant exercises and be able to cut them short. If not, It can eliminate them.

Making sales in business as an entrepreneur is the reason for which you came into space. Bearing this fact in mind will help you make intentional moves to achieve this goal.

6. Preserve your health

Nutrients are vital for the body to function at its peak. This is why it is advised that one stays away from processed or sugary foods to maintain a healthy diet. Your body cannot thrive on a busy schedule when it’s malnourished or fed less. A healthy mind begins with a healthy body. To ensure that your body can serve you to the extent which you desire, you should be able to rest after engaging in the day’s activity.  Sufficient hours of sleep are often recommended by the medical practitioner. You can also stay active with consistent exercise or breaks/stretches can be carried out during long hours of work. You are diligent in placing your health as a priority when carrying out your business. 

If you’re often weak during the day,  you should consider having an allergy test. There may be some foods that you take in often that are lethargic and cause your body to be bloated. You should pay regular visits to the doctor to get informed on the state of your health.

7. Get a mentor

It is easier to avoid tons of mistakes in business when you have a guardian or a mentor in the same field. Oftentimes, entrepreneurs start with the right passion and lots of ideas on how it is possible to achieve the world but all of these are mere fantasies. They can cause an entrepreneur to fail easily. Except for the one who has a coach or a mentor that provides explicit information on how they can thrive in the marketplace.

As a way of personal development, you should submit yourself to coaches and guardians. It will help save you time that would have been wasted making trials and errors.

Business growth is intentional. Therefore entrepreneurs should be conscious of their growth and level of improvement in their area within the industry. You can get books, audio, and videos of your preferred business mentor and dwell on them. Where the desired coaches are within reach, you can simply write an email to them. Indicating the need to be mentored or an in-person breakfast meeting can also help to create a better relationship.

8. Relax and recreate

Achievements whether in business or other spheres are only possible when one has an excellent mind and body. To succeed as an entrepreneur, you must be able to create a personal quiet time for you to revitalize your body and mind.  

As a way to relax and ease stress, you should be able to detect what helps you in this aspect. It could be engaging in sporting activities, taking a walk, visiting the gym, painting or meditating, praying, going on hikes, or maybe just having a time out with the family.  You should allow yourself to enjoy the peace from whatever activity you find peace in doing. It helps to maintain sanity and provides your body with the ability to sustain calmness and the stress that comes with business engagements.  

Conclusion

In conclusion, personal development is essential for every entrepreneur who wishes to grow more sales and tech space. One cannot make a successful Mark in business except you constantly improve yourself using some of the tips discussed in this article.