Just yesterday I was reading the article “How 30 Minutes a Day Can Increase Your Intelligence” which talked about adding 30 minutes a day to expand your horizons. It was for the most part about reading 30 minutes a day. I do a lot of reading and this got me wondering if everyone out there is investing in themselves by learning something new.
As a small business owner it is imperative that I continue to build on the skills that I have and learn about what is new and upcoming. I figure the more I know the more valuable an asset I am to others. Because of my zest for learning, often times I will get a call from a client or acquaintance about “the best this”. It could be an application to complete a task, the use of software or social media or even something as simple as the best thank you gift to give someone. They know that if I cannot name something off the top of my head I will go and find the answer.
Are you the go to person in your industry? If you said no, why not. You should be investing in yourself daily and here is a simple tip to get you started (besides reading the above mentioned article). Take 5 minutes to list your weaknesses or a strength that needs updating. Pick one of the items on your list and research how to improve it. Become a master of that skill, take it off your list and move on to the next. Before you know it you will be working on a better business you daily.
The best part of this process is as you improve yourself you may get another product or service to add to your repertoire. This could be a whitepaper, an eBook or even a series of blog articles.
Do you have the time and are you investing in yourself? If not, outsourcing some tasks could help you open up your schedule for your own block of improvement time.
