Here’s the number one flaw of home business owners – most of them have an inability to push themselves.
And, instead of people learning they should enter the real world to do their business, the rise of the internet is turning company owners into virtual hermits.
Designers on the verge of success confine themselves to Etsy accounts and social media to promote their wares. Potential antique dealers relegate themselves to EBay salespeople, the equivalent of people with discerning taste slinging their rubbish at a car boot sale.
These people have become handcuffed to the internet, relying on blogs and homepages more than brick-and-mortar shops.
Indeed, we’re raising groups of businesspeople who don’t have a clue how to find decent shops to let or speak to a customer face to face.
Admittedly, their suspicions are well-founded. At least one high street store a second on average was closing its doors only a few years ago. Why would you want to venture into the big bad world when it’s liable to bite off your head?
With that in mind, we’ve come up with a few tips to help your progression from minor league home business to major player on the high street. Take a look.
Know your properties
It’s unquestionable – some letting agents can be shiftier than a shape-shifting chameleon trying to rob a bank. They’ll bend the truth until it snaps if it’ll persuade you to sign on the dotted line, and they’ll sleep at night without a peep.
The reason these letting agents continue to operate is that no one reports them. But finding out who you can trust is becoming easier thanks to customer review sites online.
Before you arrange a viewing with any agency, make sure they stick to a high standard and understand the markets. That way, you won’t suffer the fate of being ripped off.
Get in the know
In some circles, admitting you’ve been trained in people skills is tantamount to admitting you’re a reformed social recluse. But understanding the ins and outs of conversation is an art that every manager should be able to perfect if they want to get ahead.
There are plenty of training courses available for anyone looking to finesse their people skills, and they can prove invaluable to a huge number of sectors, not least if you’re looking to lead a retail empire.
This is just a bite-sized list of how you can move from the world of the internet to a brick-and-mortar premises. If you’ve got any more ideas, let us know in the comments.
