To run your own business you will need many personal qualities
and business skills:
- Marketing / promotions
- Financial management
- Customer service
- Staff recruitment, selection and management, and employment law
- Flexible working - are you willing to work weekends and unsocial hours?
- Be organised / have good administrative skills - handling cash, administering
a budget, organising rotas / timetabling staff, writing reports, finding
out information
- Be able to use new technology including computers, email, presentation
equipment, mobile 'phones
- Handle difficult people and situations tactfully
Many of skills can be gained through short courses at your local college
or the industry training bodies mentioned below. Trade associations can
advise on some of these areas such as employment matters.
If you want to diversify into tourism (providing accommodation or inviting
people onto your land for leisure activities) or selling directly to the
public or local businesses you are going to need all the skills above
(especially communication, organisation and handling difficult people!)
plus:
- Enjoy meeting people
- Be able to work as part of team
- Get on with different types of people
- Be able to work under pressure
- Have good all round communication skills - you will have to speak to
people face to face, on the 'phone and communicate by letter and email
too
