This is the first in a new blog series about STRENGTHS. Two things need to happen to create a success formula:

1.  YOU need to know your skills
2.  You need to link up with OTHERS with the skills to provide what you lack

No matter how excellent you are at what YOU do – it is the things that you don’t do/can’t do well enough that give your competitors an advantage which could threaten your future success.

Tough talk then?

Here’s a basic walk through some of the combination of skills a business owner needs (one way or another: own or outsourced):

• leadership, strategy & planning
• communications, people management & motivation
• financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, cash flow, accounting & money management
• customer service & customer care skills
• hiring (and firing) & HR
• research, legislation & legals
• sales, marketing & PR
• social media: creation & use of

It’s quite a list then and as a solopreneur or owner of an SME you are unlikely to be skilled in all of these areas!  To make a success at what you do and earn your living from, it is important to have a realistic understanding of your personal strengths.

Strengths are activities/tasks you are good at and enjoy.

Your weak spots are those activities/tasks you find a challenge and don’t enjoy.

This level of self awareness is vital for your future success and quite often your business is only as strong as the strongest aspect of your weak spots!

Your weak spots are simply lesser strengths, not negatives.

To be successful you need to play more to your strengths.

Food for thought?  If this hit a nerve it’s time you audited what your strengths are .. for starters.

Bev James
Founder & MD of the Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy