It’s safe to say the majority of us are now in full swing, back to work and preparing ourselves for the year which lies ahead. In order to plan for 2015, it’s a good idea to reflect back on 2014, assessing what went right for you, and what didn’t.
You may feel you’ve reached your limit in your current role, and are ready to take the next step in your career. It may be that the experience, knowledge and skills you have acquired throughout your current and past roles could be put to alternate use in setting up your own business. This could give you the new challenge you crave, greater opportunities to earn more, or just greater flexibility in your working life.
Whilst the prospect of setting up and running your own business can seem extremely daunting at first, upon closer inspection it’s clear to see you may already have the business insight and acumen to underpin and run a business.
Key points to consider if you are thinking of going it alone are:
- Understanding business structures and law
- Understanding Business Accounts
- Marketing
Taking a look at these areas of expertise in more detail, it soon becomes clear how you can enhance your existing skills, and ultimately take your career to the next level.
Understanding business structures and law:
The structure of a business and the legal requirements for business owners are crucial in the successful running of any business. You may already have a good grounding of different business processes, but in order to run your own thriving business it is essential to build on this knowledge and also have a good understanding of the legalities of starting up and running a business.
As we all know, the world of business is tough and complex. A course which helps you identify what type of business you would like to run and the legalities surrounding this, could be a great way to ensure you make the right business decision from the very start.
Understanding Business Accounts:
For a business, nothing is more important that its finances, so understanding business accounts is absolutely essential. We’ve all cringed at the cases on Dragon’s Den where entrepreneurs were completely unaware of the profits and losses of their own businesses, when questioned, so seeking training and guidance to acquire the knowledge and understanding of how your business accounts and profit margins work will enable you to steer your business in the right and profitable direction, and be more informed to make sound and astute business decisions going forward.
Marketing:
In today’s market, driving a business forward is a tough and highly competitive game. Beating competitors and increasing profit must be at the forefront of your business development plan, and pushing marketing forward is a fundamental sales channel. In many cases, the importance of marketing in business is often overlooked, but understanding the marketing essentials and processes involved in how to effectively place your business and the services you offer in the marketplace is integral to its overall visibility and success. What is the point of setting up a great business which offers a fantastic service, if your potential clients don’t even know you exist?
Facing a New Year, can be both an exciting and scary time for any professional in their career. There are usually tough decisions to be made, as to how you can move your career forward and by what means. As exciting as the prospect of starting up a business may seem, jumping out of your comfort zone and taking the next step, can often feel like a huge leap. Now is the perfect time to take a step back, and really think about where you want your career to go in 2015.
This blog was adapted from an article written for Executive Secretary: http://executivesecretary.com/
Image taken from www.theladiezlounge.com
