Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: How Much Are You Willing To Invest In Yourself?That is my $64,000 question. Success comes with investment; the best investment you can make is in your own education. As a business owner or entrepreneur it is crucial that you stay current and continue to learn from those that have already achieved what you want. As you set your goals for 2011, take a look and see where you have any skill gaps. For example if you want to get more leads, do you have the skills necessary to implement additional lead capture campaigns using social media, direct mail, print or radio advertising? You may have perfected your system for one of these media, but you will need to find resources, mentors, and coaches to help you master them. About 2 years ago, I was attending a conference and I heard Ryan Deiss on stage talking about the difference of being the expert and being a publisher. He used the example of major league sports to get his point across. The players may be rich, but the guy that owns the team is wealthy. This gave me the idea for a new business, but I just didn’t have enough information yet, and the timing wasn’t quite right to make a move. Until last year when Ryan announced he would be covering this at an event he was hosting in his hometown of Austin, TX. I cleared my calendar, booked the trip and set out to get the information I needed. It was probably one of the lightest attended sessions (based upon my estimation) but for me it helped put a foundation in place for a major project that I will be launching in 2011. The couple of thousand dollars that I invested to make the trip and be in the room will pay very big returns. So as I was finishing up this post, I wanted to make sure that I was walking the walk. I had my bookkeeper run a quick report to determine exactly how much I had spent investing in improving my skills and the skills of my team in 2010. My number was just over $64,000 in 2010 for fees and materials. This did not include time away or travel expenses. As you plan for 2011, be sure to set a budget to invest in yourself as a business owner or entrepreneur. It is the only investment that you 100% control the returns. Pick a number, seek out the best programs, make the investment and measure the returns. “Independent Executive” Chuck Boyce is an expert small business coach who can help you get the most out of your business. For more information on how you achieve your business goals, go to www.breakingfreeblog.com. Leave a Reply |
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