invest in yourself IS invest in your business and should be seen as a business strategy. Unfortunately, many business owners skip professional development because their bank account can’t cover that expense right now.
The way you display yourself in your business and the impression you make on potential customers, whether they have a phone conversation or a visit to your website, helps them determine if they think you’re “a good fit” to do business with. business when it comes to hiring a career professional for your job search or anything career related.
You IS IT SO your business. Invest in your business by hiring a virtual assistant (VA), search engine optimization (SEO) specialist, website manager, implementing a new customer relationship management (CRM) system, or Getting email markup software to streamline processes are great ways to help move your business forward. But, what I am emphasizing here is you. What’s happening you the personthe one running the show?
No matter how long you’ve been in business, there’s always something new to learn. Professional development events, like formal conferences, serve as perfect springboards for networking. They offer many ways to build new relationships, expand your horizons, and pick up new ideas and strategies to implement when you get home.
Conferences also serve as a great way to recharge your batteries as you leave the office environment, giving you the opportunity to meet face-to-face with people you’ve only met virtually.
If you are in a financial position to attend as many conferences as you want and can take 3-5 days out of the office to attend each one, congratulations! But I know that for some, the cost of travel added to registration and hotel costs just doesn’t make sense, especially when you consider the cost of time lost from work.
Don’t let a small budget stop you from developing professionally, just be creative. Conferences are certainly not the only option. Here are some simple ways you can invest in your own professional development and you won’t have to spend a fortune.
- Read- Your local library can be your best friend; How else could you flip through the latest and greatest business books without spending a dime? And if you haven’t actually bought the book, you’ll be less tempted to keep reading if you don’t get anything out of it. When reading online, use a feed reader to keep track of bloggers you like to follow and bookmark websites where you found good information.
- Listen – Some experts publish podcasts or other audio recordings that you can download and listen to at your convenience. Another way is to accept invitations from business experts you follow or are connected with who offer free or low-cost training sessions or workshops via teleclasses or webinars/webcasts.
- Jump- Explore some of the networking events taking place in your area. While a “leap” out of your comfort zone can be intimidating at first, these events are often coupled with professional development (such as featured speakers). You never know who you’ll meet and what juicy business building tidbit they’ll have to share with you!
- Share – Join or form a group of peers who are all committed to continuing education. Meet regularly, with a broad agenda to share any learning you’ve done since the last meeting. By pooling all of your efforts, you will create a powerful body of collective knowledge. Brainstorming sessions alone will generate many ideas and strategies. No doubt he will take a nugget or two from the meetings.
It is essential to keep up with the trends in your industry and not be left behind. Not only will you provide better service to your customers, but you will also discover new ways of doing business that will contribute to the growth and stability of your company.