Networking is a great way to gain new clients. There is no means of online networking that can replace the power of building relationships face-to-face. According to a study, 95 percent of business owners say face-to-face meetings are essential for long-term business relationships. Not being a part of these groups is simply not an option if we want to grow our business. Despite operational difficulties this is a way to learn and figure out new ways to fine-tune strategies to increase opportunities as we gain knowledge through others' expertise.

When preparing for your journey to begin or grow your business it is essential to evaluate your skill set. Lack of knowledge in some areas is not necessarily a disadvantage as we will continue learning and gain experience. It is important to know what your strengths are and what skills you lack to fill in the blanks. It is a skill with a process that can be learned. Being able to foresee future needs and manage the risk wisely will help in creating a successful business. Part of it has to do with stepping outside our comfort zone and taking calculated risks.

Successful entrepreneurs are highly focused individuals. They create a lifetime of goals and are constantly fine-tuning the next goal. What separates the successful entrepreneur from the less successful entrepreneur is the lack of self-discipline. Self-discipline is a skill that can be changed through dedicated practice. It will test your will power and persistence. A few key strategies in helping entrepreneurs achieve success include:

Businesses are looking for a competitive edge to stand out against the competition. What better way than to use tools that can do everything for you. Time is of the essence; being able to accomplish more tasks
in less time is what we all long for. The results are lower cost and bigger profits.

These tools can involve everything from tracking your workflow/hours, to billing, to offering customer support, and much more. According to Shopify’s blog the list of the most popular and useful tools in the market are:

As small business owners we want to learn the best practices to achieve results; to emulate good business practices and make smart business choices to properly establish/run our businesses. With our technologically advanced world, this information is readily available at the tips of our fingers. Knowing what we need to do to successfully run a business is what separates the small business owner with less experience and resources from the Fortune 500 CEO. To begin, if we can answer these questions easily then we are already ahead of the game: