Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and begin to expand your professional network. Business opportunities are everywhere, but you to seek them out. Experts in other fields offer a whole new world of business-building strategies, ideas and experiences - take advantage the vast resources available to you and start building your network of experts.
One of the most important things I did to grow my business was to step out of my comfort zone and begin to expand my professional network.
It was a stretch for me to transition from being a certified career coach and resume writer to being a resource for my career expert peers. My certifications gave me the confidence in my coaching and writing skills, but when it came to marketing or other business-building skills, I needed help!
It was challenging to ask for help and learn to delegate, as I'm sure you can relate to. After all, expanding my network meant getting out there and making myself more visible, representing myself as a career expert and following through with the contacts and commitments I was making. I had to face a lot of fears.
Hiring a virtual assistant and a professional editor were just two of the ways that I stepped out of my comfort zone and committed to the growth of my business.
Business opportunities are everywhere, but you can't expect them to just drop in your lap. Here are the three top reasons I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to expand my network of experts, and why I encourage you to do the same:
1. While you're reaching out for support and guidance from experts in other fields, you're establishing yourself in their minds as a career expert. You may very well be building long-term, supportive and trusting relationships that can result in referrals (in both directions) for many years to come.
2. Experts in other fields bring a whole new world of business-building strategies, ideas and experiences that just may not exist in our own industry. Keep your eyes and ears open for both professional and personal development opportunities.
3. When you take consistent action, you see consistent results. Whether it's an action that resulted in immediate gains or whether it was a learning opportunity for what to do differently next time, the more you try, the further ahead you get. So try again and keep trying; soon enough you'll starting seeing your efforts pay off.
Creative Ways to Invest in Your Development, Without Spending a Fortune
Professional development is something we can all commit to as professionals, to keep up with the latest trends and to keep us on our toes. You may not think you can afford professional development but you can if you do it creatively. One example, share your knowledge, expertise, and resources freely with valued colleagues to come away with a golden nugget or two from your meetings.
How to Price Your Services
In today’s tough economic times and job market, many career professionals, new or established, find pricing their service offerings a constant puzzle; especially when they start talking to other people in the industry or surfing the web. Don't sell yourself short or get caught up with what other people are charging. Instead, step back and look at what you're really selling.
Social Networking Online - Why You SHOULD Be Doing It
Millions of people around the world are connecting with one another, joining social groups, and building relationships without ever meeting in person. In a way, the profile we post to these sites becomes the "mask" we put on for our online interactions. If you're skeptical, uncomfortable, uncertain or even a bit frightened by the prospect, you're not alone.
