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You have unique strengths, talents, and abilities.
But how do you take your interests from hobby to a profitable work-from-home opportunity?
You hone your skills.
When you develop your core skills, you become an authority, someone that other people can trust and eventually invest in. Ready to become an expert entrepreneur? Keep reading.
5 Steps you can take to develop your core skills
Back in 2008, Malcom Gladwell published Outliers: The Story of Success. In it, he said it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become a master or expert in a particular field. People have taken this to mean that you need to put in 10,000 hours to become proficient at a skill. (In case you were wondering, 10,000 hours equates to over 417 days, or over nine years if you devoted three hours a day to your skill/craft.)
Thankfully, you don’t need to spend years developing your core skills in order to start your own successful business. Some experts say you can start to hone your abilities within 20 hours, if you commit to it and avoid distractions.
Here are five steps you can take to develop your core skills quickly and effectively.
1. Avoid self-sabotaging yourself with comparisonitis
Nothing kills your progress faster than comparisonitis.
Yes, comparisonitis is a thing: “The compulsion to compare one’s accomplishments to another’s to determine relative importance.”
You can do this not only with your accomplishments but also with your strengths and abilities. When you look around and see so many people starting businesses with similar skills and talents, it can start to feel like it’s all been done before.
The thing to remember is this: your background and personality are what make you unique. You can put your spin on anything you do. Think about it this way: how many soda companies are there? They’re all making money because there’s something about their formula and branding that speaks to their ideal audience. Your personality will help you do the same thing.
2. Identify your inherent strengths
Starting a business isn’t just about having a talent and producing a product. There are other things you’ll need to consider, such as whether you have the temperament to pursue a certain path. For example:
- Some ways of making money take longer than others. Do you have the patience to tolerate that?
- Some marketing methods require you to be more extroverted than others. Is this exciting to you? Or should you consider another type of marketing that’s better suited to an introverted personality?
It might be helpful to look at things like the Enneagram test, the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test, or the Gallup Strengths Finder book.
Thoroughly understanding yourself—including your inherent strengths and weaknesses— can help you make progress.
3. List things you love to do
There’s a question going around social media right now, particularly amongst coaching groups: what can you talk about for hours without any preparation?
The topic that you’re excited to talk to others about, that you lose track of time researching—that is something that you can use to boost your strengths. Or it may turn into something that you can turn into a business venture.
If you’re excited about something, you’re more willing to put time and effort into getting better at it.
4. List things you’re really good at doing
What talents were you born with? What skills have you developed over the years?
Make a list of everything you’re good at doing. Then, compare that list with the list of things you love to do. Check for crossover.
You may find that things on the lists are compatible, if not identical. For instance, you may love to talk about pets all day long. And over the years, you’ve developed some amazing pet grooming skills. Your dogs always look on point. Why not take that skill and passion and turn it into a part-time work opportunity?
5. Develop a love of learning
Being a lifelong learner will help you take your business from startup to thriving empire (if that’s your goal).
Some people balk at the idea of continual learning, thinking that once they earn a degree or complete a course they’re finished. The idea of more education makes them feel somehow inferior.
The thing to remember is that the most talented people—the people who accomplish such awe-inspiring things that they become household names—they keep learning.
Some examples: professional athletes and singers.
They are the best at what they do. They make millions of dollars each year. They win awards.
It’s not just their innate talent or the skills they acquired before their success that helped them to this point. They keep practicing. They hire coaches to help them continue to develop their core skills throughout their career.
Another example: doctors.
Healthcare professionals go through years of training and education before they’re allowed to treat patients. It doesn’t stop there either. In fact, to keep their license, they are legally required to complete so many units of continuing education each year.
Develop a love for learning and you’ll continue to progress your career and truly become an authority in your industry.
Some ways to do this:
- YouTube tutorials
- Online classes
- Books
- Podcasts
- In-person classes
- Hire a coach or mentor
Not sure where to start?
If you feel like you’re not quite ready to turn your learned skills or inherent strengths into your own startup, there’s another option. You can work remotely for Vector.
The great thing about working with a direct sales company is that you don’t have to start from scratch. We give you exactly what you need to get started.
Vector will provide you with training and sample products. You don’t have to invest anything but your time.
The combined training and experience—in addition to your continued work of developing your core skills—will help you start your entrepreneurial journey whenever you’re ready.
If you think Vector might be a good fit for you, we welcome you to contact us to request an interview.