Turning life skills into business acumen

Due to the commonly-known consequences of the last two years, many people are starting to reassess what they do for a living, how they go about it, and what their priorities are. Because of that, there has been an explosion in startups, home businesses, small brands and other initiatives being opened by people who wish to take the skills they’ve learned and express them through renewed business acumen.

Some are taking love for textile work and turning that into a screenprinting and merchandising company, using a humble online outreach and industrial embroidery machines installed in a workshop to meet a growing need for many businesses. Some are taking their skills and transferring them to online consultancy networks, building websites, giving online talks and lessons, and guiding businesses through a growingly new normal.

In this post, we’ll discuss how turning life skills to business acumen, in this way, can be approached, what results we may expect from that, and of course, how to ensure your own development is well-rewarded. With that in mind, please consider:

Transferable Skills

Transferable skills may seem like a way to pad your resume, but actually, they’re among some of the most practical abilities that employers look for. It might be, for instance, that you have experience managing projects for a small business, or managing people as part of a HR department, or even dealing with clients directly.

Provided you can bring those skills along, it’s not uncommon for you to thrive in any new environment and have the grounded bearings in finding your proper orientation, no matter where you start working.

Production Fluency

The ability to manage a project from conception all the way to design, implementation and final review can allow you to take that organizational structure and place it in a new environment, making adjustments as necessary.

For instance, if you’ve been working as a graphic designer for some time and now wish to move into a marketing firm generating campaigns for loyal companies, those transferable skills regarding managing professional clients, reviewing their needs, constructing a planning brief, organizing your steps and developing a coherent output is a vital skill that will keep you able to compete even in a new environment. This is largely what most businesses will need you to do, and so it’s important to understand how that process works, and to find ways to improve your productivity, communication, and onboarding regarding the chosen tools of the industry you’re part of.

Raw Craft

As per our primary discussion, it’s important to think about how raw craftsmanship can turn into worthwhile business acumen. It’s not uncommon, for instance, for those with a competent approach to textile work to manage their time as a seamstress or tailor, refitting clothes for those we know, developing an Etsy store with home crafts such as personalized stitching on hats, or providing your technical know-how for certain firms that may need it. If you have raw craft, no matter what that is, it’s best to consider the variety of permutations this could enable you to express.

Communication Necessities

It’s important to emphasize the importance of communicating properly with clients, colleagues, and managers or business leaders. Without this, it’s very easy to hamper your career artificially. Luckily, good communication is something anyone can learn. From being direct in your speech to writing emails with brevity, to looking someone in the eye as you talk to them and learning how to give a proper handshake (depending on the Covid rules at the time), all of this can be learned and properly trained in the right environments.

Additionally, investing in certain courses such as how to speak confidently in public can provide a fantastic skillset that companies value, and those running a business for the first time can benefit from, especially when it comes to communicating with investors.

Taking Risks

The willingness to take risks is a life skill that many of us have to learn over time (because avoiding all risk is a risk in itself). This means that applying this ability to calculate risk properly and take action despite not having perfect outcomes guaranteed can help you become a more competent, confident, and willing employee or employer over time. This can help you see value in a project or idea before anyone else, or take a chance on an employee you find to be compelling. Without this, you’ll play it too safe, and will lose your ability to compete.

With this advice, you’re sure to turn your life skills into business acumen, in the best possible manner.

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