Being an expert in a field is not, in this day an age, enough to be able to start and run a successful business alone. Stepping out of university with a First class degree, or even a Masters Degree, is not enough to be able to step into the role of boss or entrepreneur. Being professional and excelling in a particular field does not mean that these skills will be transferred to the world of business. It is because of these reasons that a whole host of business owners fail because they soon encounter a number of legal and financial issues that they weren’t prepared for.
It is said that smart people make bad entrepreneurs — but that doesn’t mean that smart people should be content to teach or continue their studies if owning a business is in fact their dream. There are ways in which those who are particularly smart in a particular subject can teach themselves to be smart in regards to the world of business, and there are companies and services that can help with this plight. An example can be found in the services offered by ByrdAdatto: a law firm that has taken to introducing a way for those that are interested in owning a successful businesses in the field of law and healthcare to be able to practice in their fields and be smarter when it comes to business at the same time; information of which can be found at: http://www.byrdadatto.com. This initiative is there to help all those would-be entrepreneurs be able to take to the world of business with just as much as ease as they take to their individual specialists of either law or healthcare. Similar online courses that can be taken in regards to the teaching of business acumen are always accessible so that nobody, in this day and age, can give the excuse that they weren’t given the chance to learn how to run a business as a reason for not doing so.
But it’s not all about courses or even taking to the business world like a duck to water when it comes to making your business a success. Even if you do have an entrepreneurial streak and a good business acumen, you must still remember that being a good human is still needed when being a boss. You can win over more clients for your business by not only showing that you are good with the business side, or even knowledgeable in the field, but by showing that you understand their needs and that you are open to assisting them in every possible way.
You should never come into the business world blind to the host of problems that will be encountered day-to-day, and you should never believe that your expertise in a field will be enough to help you excel in the business world, even if you business in that field. Finally, always remember that although business acumen can, to a degree, be taught: it is very much down to who you are as a person. If you have that entrepreneurial streak coursing through your veins then you’ll know right off the bat; if you don’t, after a short amount of time in the world of business, you’ll also know pretty quickly.
Black and Latinx Founders featured in 'Founding in Color'