Any small business owner or marketer must be a jack-of-all-trades. Entrepreneurs have the drive to go for the gold, but they also need to have the expertise to back it up. Here’s a rundown of some of the skills worth investing in:
1. PowerPoint
For any marketer, Microsoft PowerPoint is the quintessential program used in the boardroom. How you put together a presentation will say as much about you as what you say to your audience. Less text, more eye contact is always the first rule of making a presentation. Small business owners in particular will always be looking for ways to build up their name, and their brands. One proven way to achieve that in your slides is to emphasize the particular niche that you offer. Scope out not only the competition, but also the depth of the industry. It’ll offer some context and perspective for your audience to know the size of the financial opportunity at play. You’ll look good for doing the research and gaining wisdom others lack.
2. Excel
You can save yourself some serious money by doing your own accounting. But Excel provides more than just a place to tally up expenses. It possesses some clever and efficient hacks that will allow you put together your information in more organized and dynamic ways. Over time, be sure to keep tabs not only on your costs, but also your time and resources. There are opportunity costs to everything that entrepreneurs do. You’ll want to do an assessment of what every decision, hire, and expenditure means for you in the short- and long-term. Your small businesses will grow faster if you don’t take anything lightly and stay on top of what’s going out and coming back in.
3. WordPress
We have escaped the era where basic computer problems go to techies or IT workers charging you by the hour. Today, thanks to desktop publishing software, anyone can publish whenever he or she wishes. Having a strong web presence, including a blog, is a must for any small business owner. If you search for business advice on the web, you immediately discover just how prominent the web is in this area. Ranking high on search engines for industry keywords will help usher in new business. There are typically two ways that small business owners can get referrals: through word of mouth and through search engine marketing. One comes naturally to entrepreneurs while the other may take a bit of time and commitment.
4. Photography
All small business owners should aspire to have their marketing materials such as their web design, brochures, paraphernalia echo their overall approach and style. Even if you’re not taking the picture yourself, you’ll want to have a good eye for the photography you use. Many small business owners choose not to use stock photos for these purposes, giving their materials a more personal feel. Those who are daring enough may take the camera into their own hands, which is a great way to showcase their passion and their vision. Small businesses often want to implant themselves firmly inside of a local community, whether physically or digitally. The images you choose to represent you will tell your story upfront. Don’t overlook the impact they have on you and potential business.
And should your product require a demonstration or an on-camera spiel, you can also include videography as well. Make sure you invest in good equipment so you get good quality photos and videos to represent your brand.
5. Photoshop
Small business owners will spend a lot of time thinking about a name and designing a logo that will speak for them. It’s good to spend some time on these decisions, and If you can mock up the basics yourself you can cut down on costs of a web designer. Having the basics down to Photoshop can prevent issues from arising. For instance, if you’re going to be attending trade shows to promote your company, you’ll need to have a spiffy set of business cards, flyers, and attractive banners. You live and breathe your brand and having a DIY component to how you show it off will make you seem more genuine and relatable.
Danny Groner is the manager of blogger partnerships and outreach for Skillfeed and Shutterstock.