Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned entrepreneur, you know too well that a sharp mind and expanded horizon will improve your business. Great business ideas come from observations, insight mining, studying human behavior and trends, and toying with different concepts.
However, many businesspeople either think that they already know too much or believe that they do not have to resources to gain new information. However, this is not the case. You will need to be brave, inquisitive, and creative to expand your entrepreneurial horizon. Always keep your end goals in mind, as this will push you to gain new skills and do beyond what’s expected of you.
It would help if you did many activities, but you’ve got to start with the basics. Below are some of the things you may want to keep in mind:
Find a reliable mentor
If you’re a young entrepreneur, you may either feel bold or experience impostor syndrome. Either way, you will need someone who will tame your excessive business aggression or convince you that you are more than enough. And that someone often comes in the form of a mentor. Your mentor is your guiding figure who knows a lot about the industry your business is in. They will tell you if some of your ideas are actually feasible, and they may provide you with perspectives and insights that you have not considered before. You can find a mentor in startup camps. Some of them may even be your senior business partner or investors. So before you execute your idea, have them check it first.
Go back to school
Going back to school may sound regressive for many entrepreneurs. Still, you will be surprised that many professors and instructors in grad school or training centers are actually successful businesspeople themselves. So if you have the luxury of money and time, consider getting an MBA or an online Ph.D. program in Business. If being a full-time student does not sound practical to you, you can take short courses offered online. One good thing about going back to school is that you get to build your network.
Expand your list of resources
You may be subscribed to the likes of Forbes and Fortune, but you can also expand your horizons by consuming materials and content outside of the regular spectrum. For one, you can listen to podcasts by seasoned investors and entrepreneurs. You can also read the guest blogs of that magnate you’ve been following. On top of these, you can also attend workshops and talks organized by business clubs and associations. You may also find interesting insights into the materials written by your competitors.
Be hands-on with your operations
When was the last time you have checked on your department heads? Being hands-on with your business operations not only allows you to see where your business is currently standing. It also encourages you to get to know your people and other decision-makers. And this has a lot of benefits. For instance, your department heads and stakeholders may teach a thing or two about techniques on efficiency, which you can apply to macro-level management. After all, these are the people who do manual labor.
You’re on your way to become a wiser businessperson!
Becoming a wiser businessperson is not a destination. It’s a journey that you need to take. And it does not stop on one spot, knowing that the business world keeps on reinventing and changing itself. As long as you have that hunger for wisdom and passion for learning, you can always help your business thrive and succeed. The journey will always be worthwhile.
