Do You Need IT Skills to Become an Entrepreneur?

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |IT Skills|Do You Need IT Skills to Become an Entrepreneur?Becoming an entrepreneur may sound incredibly enticing these days, but there are likely a couple of things that are holding you back. Perhaps you don’t think that your idea is very good, or maybe you lack the confidence and experience to make it big. There are also a lot of skills that could increase your chances of success, with one of the biggest ones being technology skills.

A lot of people assume that you need to possess an excellent understanding of IT before you’re able to start a business. However, these days, you could start your own business and have your ideas flourish while having a minimal amount of IT knowledge. In this post, we’re going to show you exactly how you can join the entrepreneurial world with a basic understanding of computers.

There are managed IT services out there that can help you with anything tech-related

Whether it’s simple questions like “how to fix a printer” or more complicated issues like “how to protect my office network from cybercriminals”, there are IT services available that can help you set up your business technology and run it with ease. IT can be an incredibly complicated subject that needs years of experience and study in order to fully grasp. Thankfully, you don’t need such a deep understanding as an entrepreneur. Instead, there are countless services and experts that you can rely on instead.

Just like anything in business, you only need a very basic understanding of something in order to make use of it as a business owner. You don’t need to be a master of everything when entering the entrepreneurial world.

Starting up your own website and designing it has never been easier

Thanks to a lot of modern website design services and hosts, it’s become really simple to make and manage your own website with just a couple of clicks. We’re not talking basic templates and designs that everyone uses either, we’re talking about websites that can be fully customized, unique designs that no other website uses, all with a couple of clicks and adjustments.

Even if you don’t want to make your own website, there are plenty of freelancers and affordable design services that you can rely on instead. You don’t need to pay hundreds to get a website designed anymore and there are some extremely talented people out there who are willing to help you for a small fee.

There are other skills that are arguably more important as an entrepreneur

There are a surprising number of skills that can affect your success rate as an entrepreneur, and these don’t involve IT at all. For example, managing your time effectively can have a huge impact on your success rate and strategic thinking also helps you deconstruct problems so that you can deal with them efficiently.

There are many important skills to acquire as an entrepreneur and technology is very low on the priority list. Instead, focus on building up your value as an entrepreneur by harnessing your curiosity and working on your communication.

5 Ways to Earn Money From Home

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Earn Money From Home|5 Ways to Earn Money From Home

Many people dream of working from home and being their own boss someday. The problem is that many people shy away from the idea and dismiss their ambition as a pipe dream. A couple of decades ago, very few people worked from their homes, and far fewer people were self-employed. Luckily, nowadays, many of the barriers of working from home have been removed, and thanks to modern technology, it is no longer a pipe dream but is instead a viable option.

If you have the determination to stay motivated and feel confident in making decisions for yourself, then running a business from home could be the perfect option for you. Many people are now making money from home, but quitting your day job and hoping to become an internet millionaire overnight rarely happens. A more sensible approach is to consider which online money making options best suit your strengths and interests and then put this to the test. If possible, it is useful to keep up your day job so that you have a regular paycheck coming in. You can then try out your online money making methods without putting yourself in a precarious financial position.

Side hustles are an increasingly popular way to make some extra cash, and it seems like nearly everyone has a side hustle. If you are struggling to think of ways to make money online, these ideas should provide you with some inspiration:

Use Your Skills

Most people have at least one skill that they could capitalize on to make money. For example, if you are skilled at carpentry, you could put this into practice and produce wooden furniture, decorative objects, etc., and then sell them.

Turn Your Hobby into Cash

How do you spend your spare time? If you have a hobby, you may be able to use this as your side hustle. Hobbies such as photography, embroidery, painting, etc. produce tangible products that you could potentially sell online for a profit.

Declutter and Make Money

Almost everyone has items lying around the house that they no longer need or want. Why not create a win-win situation by gathering these items together and decluttering your home in the process, and then sell these items online? It’s surprising how much money you can make from clothing, books, and games.

Give Affiliate Marketing a Try

Affiliate marketing is a hot topic right now, with many people wanting to give this money-making method a try. If you have a blog or vlog, why not Get Launch reviews and bonuses sorted out and see how much money you can make online as an affiliate marketer.

Start Dropshipping

Do you want to run an e-commerce store, but don’t have goods of your own to sell? This is where dropshipping comes in handy! Dropshipping enables you to select products that you would like to sell, and then use the dropshipping company to fulfill the orders. Dropshipping is particularly useful for people that don’t have extensive storage facilities to keep goods.

3 Simplicity Principles That Can Help Your Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Simplicity principles|3 Simplicity Principles That Can Help Your BusinessThere are all sorts of different things that go into making a business successful – with many of these variables being highly industry specific and nuanced, and many of them having to do with fairly common-sense things such as consistency, the ability to work hard, and so on.

One of the principles which is most consistently promoted by successful business owners, however, is the need to emphasise a degree of simplicity. In the words of Warren Buffett, “the difference between really successful people and everyone else is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

The simpler you can keep things, the more you’ll be able to focus your limited time, energy, and resources on the most essential tasks at any given moment.

So, here are a few simplicity principles that can help your business.

Be willing to absorb costs in exchange for enhanced efficiency, reduced micromanaging, and more available time and awareness

Many entrepreneurs naturally fall into the trap of trying to do just about everything in-house, at least initially, as a cost-saving and bootstrapping strategy.

The bottom line, though, is that it’s often a much better idea to be willing to absorb certain costs upfront in exchange for enhanced efficiency, reduced micromanaging, and more available time and awareness. In other words, it’s worth paying for simplicity.

Something as simple as using the services of a professional Machine Tool Repair Company, or outsourcing your businesses computing solutions, can mean that you not only get higher quality work done on those dimensions of your business, but that you also have more resources freed up for working on your USPs.

If the project you’re working on doesn’t motivate you, there’s a good chance you should drop it

It’s a simple truism of life, and business, that we will all sometimes have to grind through on tasks that we don’t much enjoy, and that we would rather not have to deal with.

Chores are unavoidable – but if you notice that there is a major project or initiative you’re working on in your business that simply doesn’t motivate you, there’s a good chance that the best approach for you might actually be to drop that project or initiative upfront, and focus your energies on something that does motivate you.

In business, you need to be able to create products and services that will inspire your prospective customers and clients and fill them with enthusiasm. If what you’re working on doesn’t even fill you with enthusiasm, that doesn’t bode well.

Focus on doing a few things well, rather than doing everything decently

In business, there is always the temptation to try and do more, and more, and more – across a broader range of dimensions – in order to try and “cover all the bases” and appeal to as many prospective customers as possible.

Ultimately, though, trying to do too much simply leads to chaos, excessive complexity, squandered resources, and a good deal of stress. It also tends to lead to you becoming a “jack of all trades and master of none.”

Instead, focus on doing a few things well, rather than doing everything to a decent – or mediocre – standard.

Identify your USPs, filter out as much of the rest as possible, and work consistently.

How Music Artists Use Strategy-Driven Tactics to Rise to Fame (And What Businesses Can Learn from It)

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Strategy-Driven Tactics|How Music Artists Use Strategy-Driven Tactics to Rise to Fame (And What Businesses Can Learn from It)Artists are in the business of themselves and it is exceptionally difficult work. Showcasing and creating art and then making a thriving business model out of it is not something anyone can do, especially if they don’t have a big-name label leading you through the process.

Artists are the ideal business to look to when searching for new, innovative ways to expand your business and grow an audience.

Narada Rose, stage name Dertee, is a UK dancehall artist who has continuously pushed for his music to reach greater audiences, and his strategy-driven methods towards fame are something every business can and should take note of when designing their own expansion and marketing efforts.

Reinvention and Creation

One of the biggest lessons that businesses can learn from artists like Dertee is that to truly innovate and grow one must pursue their art again and again. Resting on your laurels is a sure-fire way to become innocuous in the future and to fade from the public eye as a result.

Only by trying new things again and again, and by creating work after your big hit even if it doesn’t succeed in the same way, can you push your business towards greatness.

Dertee did this after his successful EP, “Defeating Gravity”. Though his follow-up and first album, “Breaking Barriers”, did not see the same recognition, it did not stop him. Only a year later he collaborated with Bramma and they produced a song that received over 1 million views on YouTube (on a personal account, no less).

Once again, even with this success, he has continued to push and create and has only just recently released yet another single, even during lockdown. Businesses need to take this sort of perseverance to heart and lead forward with the goal of building a better tomorrow.

Building Recognition

Artists build recognition in a multitude of ways and that sort of diversification is exactly what businesses need to build the necessary trust signals.

For Dertee, it was winning the Best Male Artist Awards from the REYAC panel in Birmingham, as well as establishing his own account and publishing his own music. On top of digital success, he has also played at a variety of events throughout the UK.

This sort of encompassing approach is essential for businesses of all types. By aiming for rewards, certifications, and by partaking in events that increase your national and international infamy, you set the right groundwork for expansion and success.

Connecting Through Art

People respond to artists differently than most businesses because art, especially mediums like music, is evocative. Its entire purpose is to take the listener from one state of mind into another — to connect with them through the power of sound even if it only lasts a moment.

Businesses need to use art and this connection when trying to appeal to their customers. It is only by becoming living and organic can businesses effectively market to their audience.

The Pros and Cons of Becoming an Entrepreneur as a Senior

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | The Pros and Cons of Becoming an Entrepreneur as a SeniorSeniors typically have a lot of time on their hands after they retire, and after being retired for a few years, it’s common for them to want to take up a new hobby, learn something new, and for some, to start a business. Some seniors have great success as an entrepreneur in the elderly years, especially those that either ran a business or worked for a successful one before.

If you are a senior and have aspirations to become an entrepreneur, you need to think about a business plan in order to be successful. What are you selling/what is your service? Do you have experience in this field? Do you have a legitimate chance at becoming successful/how long will it take to become successful? Here are some things to consider.

What are the Pros of Becoming an Entrepreneur as an Elderly Person?

Becoming an entrepreneur as a senior has many pros, here are a few:

You Can Live Comfortably in Your Elderly Years

If your business becomes successful, you have the opportunity to live extremely comfortably in your elderly years. For many seniors, it’s hard to live comfortably when on a fixed income, however, if you become a successful entrepreneur, you won’t have to worry about living frugally any longer.

Living comfortably in your older years can open a lot of doors for you. You will have the chance to go on that dream vacation you have been dreaming about, you’ll be able to live where you want, go where you want and you won’t have to rely on social security.

You Will Pay Your Debts

In addition to living comfortably, you will be able to pay off any debts that you may have. Whether you have debt from buying a home, credit card debt, medical bills you need to pay, or any other kind of debt, becoming an entrepreneur will be able to help you pay off all of those debts. You will also likely be able to keep yourself out of further debt as long as your business remains successful.

An employee from a retirement community in PA pointed out that it’s refreshing and comforting to see elderly residents live debt-free and no longer have to worry about paying off years of debt.

What are the Cons of Becoming an Entrepreneur in Your Golden Years?

Though there are copious benefits of becoming an entrepreneur in your elderly years, there are also some cons that can be extremely detrimental to your overall well being.

The Start-Up Cost

Becoming an entrepreneur is rarely cheap, in fact, it is often fairly expensive and can end up costing you large amounts of money. If you are living on a fixed income and are solely dependent on social security and your savings, you may want to reconsider becoming an entrepreneur unless you are sure your business will thrive.

If you truly want to become an entrepreneur in your elderly years, but you recognize the start-up cost can be an issue, consider starting out small. Instead of creating an entire business from the ground up, start a part of your business to see how successful that is so you don’t end up losing money.

Additional Life Stressors

Seniors are especially susceptible to stress and this stress can have an extremely negative impact on their health. Seniors that experience large amounts of stress may not be able to handle it the way that they used to or the way that younger adults do, and becoming an entrepreneur sets a person up for large amounts of stress.

Once up and running, your business may not be stressful, however, starting out most likely will be and this can not only take the joy out of becoming an entrepreneur, but it can also affect your health as a senior citizen. Think about how to either avoid stress as an entrepreneur or rethink your business plan.

Make The Choice That is Right For You

Whether you chose to start a business or not, it’s important that you make the choice that is right for you. If becoming an entrepreneur in life has been your dream and now is your chance, create a business plan, and do your best to get rid of the cons. Like any major decision in life, there are pros and cons, so as long as you make your choice favoring the pros, you are bound for success.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Kelsey SimpsonKelsey Simpson enjoys writing about things that can help others. She lives in South Jersey and is the proud companion to two German Shepherds and spends her free time volunteering in dog shelters.