Startups Skills Training as a Pathway to Success for the Economically Disadvantaged
When trying to follow their dreams and build their own company, many people don’t know where to start. Some don’t even have the capital to do it, just an idea. And even though it is more difficult to reach success when starting with zero capital or a tight budget, it is still possible. These are the skills all economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs should learn to succeed.
Basic Bookkeeping and Accounting
For anyone trying to build a successful company from the ground up, knowing a little bit of bookkeeping and accounting is a must. The least they can have is essential knowledge, but if it is a bit more advanced, the better they will fare. This skill is especially needed if the startup is economically disadvantaged; they will need to get inventive with their money.
If the founders don’t have this knowledge, they should rush to learn because even if they hire an accountant, the only way to understand if the person is doing their job right is by having basic bookkeeping and accounting skills.
Leadership
Many times startups start with a group of people who share a vision and passion without any profit. It can take a while for a startup to reach the point of generating revenue. For this reason, a good leader is essential; someone who will keep the team going.
A good leader will be followed, so if the startup has one founder or a group of founders, they must keep the team motivated through the rough times. Leaders know how to delegate tasks according to the skillset of each team member. Plus, a good leader will transfer their passion for the company into the team.
Perseverance
During the process of building a company, the founders will have many hard times, especially when beginning without any money. Having the perseverance to get what they want is one of the most important qualities for a startup.
Many people get rejected by one investor, and they give up, but they have to keep going until finding the person or company that will believe in their idea. They find other ways to fund their work and dream; the critical part is to keep going.
Sales
When startups do pitch presentations, they are selling their idea to possible investors. So, knowing how to present the concept in order to attract people is something that people with sales skills can do easily. Many startups have failed because they don’t have a good salesperson.
You could have the best business model, but if you don’t know how to sell it, nobody will want to invest in your company. Many times investors put their money in the founders, not so much on the idea itself, so start learning now.
There are many ways to learn sales skills; you could work for a sales company for a few months or take a sales course. In the tech industry, for example, you could learn sales with a short bootcamp in no time at all.
Coding
Today, society lives in a world driven by technology; that’s why learning necessary coding could be a big plus for a startup. One of the steps for a company that wants to enter the market is to build its presence. One way to break through is by creating a digital presence.
Social media platforms are an option, but if the startup has coding knowledge like web development, they could design their own excellent website that will attract more investors. You don’t even have to do a complete course in software development, just start with a basic JavaScript, HTML and CSS course.
Moreover, General Assembly is a coding bootcamp school that offers a short prep course to learn essential web development in no time at all. And it has free resources that anyone can access.
Graphic Design
Having skills in graphic design is not only for making pretty presentations and websites, although this certainly helps improve your company’s presence. It also allows people to figure out the best way to communicate their ideas. Also, it makes people more creative and resourceful when giving presentations, which always helps when doing a pitch presentation.
