Success. Sweet success. How do you get there?
As I was thinking about building a successful business online, I realized that there are 7 core skills every online business owner needs to have.
If you’re missing one or more of these skills (and most people do!) you want to bring other people on board who can help you fill the gaps.
Here are the 7 skills:
Skill #1: Ideas. Every business starts with an idea, but the idea generation doesn’t stop there. You must always have a FLOW of ideas for your products, programs, services, and promotions. In most cases ideas come from YOU, the business owner and this is typically the favorite part of owning a business.
Skill #2: Strategy. Ideas are not enough – you must also have a strategy to implement these ideas and turn them into revenue streams. So, either you or someone else in your business must think through and craft a strategy for turning your ideas into a PROFITABLE business. This can get complicated, which is why I love teaching my simplicity-driven strategy, where you clearly see what needs to be part of your growth strategy and what you can simply ignore.
Skill #3: Copy. This may not be essential for offline businesses, but if your goal is to promote yourself online, WORDS are everything! Communicating your message, value, and deliverables clearly and attractively is essential to your success online. Many of us get good at writing copy (I started by reading Dan Kennedy’s “The Ultimate Sales Letter” and writing my own sales pages until I got good), but typically it takes a copywriter to produce great copy!
Skill #4: Images. Communicating with images in a visual world is essential. Colors, photos, graphics, design – that’s what creates your visual branding and attracts the clients whose attention you want. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to get this skill today. With stock photos, pre-designed WordPress themes, and inexpensive overseas designers, you don’t need to become an expert on this
Skill #5: Technology. Cringe, I know. This doesn’t get easier. And it’s not like you can have an online business without using online technology, right? Between shopping carts, social media, webinars, video, and everything else that makes your online business run, you want to make sure that lack of technical skills doesn’t STOP you from creating the business you want and reaching the people who need you! Fortunately, there’s upwork.com, many great virtual assistants, and just geeks who live and breathe technology!
Skills #6: Management. And then it must all get DONE. Somehow. Right? Someone (often YOU) must make sure that things are being implemented, business is moving forward, everything is well organized and nothing falls through the cracks. A good virtual assistant can serve as that person for you, or you can hire an online business manager, which is a combination of a virtual assistant and a project manager.
Skills #7. Relationships. If you thought you started your online business because you don’t like dealing with people – think again! Connecting, collaborating, reaching out, and building meaningful relationships with your team, partners, customers, clients, affiliates, vendors, etc. is going to be an important part of your growing business. CAN’T DO PEOPLE? There are plenty of people who can! All you need is service-oriented team members who are not afraid to reach out and quickly build rapport.
Hope this was helpful and I’d love your feedback! Simply visit my blog and leave your comment.
Milana Leshinsky
SimplicityCircle.com, Founder
Taking Complexity Out of Growing Your Business
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