Are you a good business owner?
Being really good at something means fuck all in the context of business. You can be the best chef in the world but terrible at running your own restaurant—cooking great food has absolutely nothing to do with running a business.
I learned this the hard way when I decided to start my own handyman business. I told myself, “Hey, I’m pretty good at fixing stuff. Maybe I’ll fix other people’s stuff and they’ll pay me money for it!”
I learned pretty quickly that fixing stuff was the least important skill I needed to run a handyman business.
To get leads and secure customers, I have to be a marketer and a salesperson (And hoo boy am I NOT a salesperson…)
To maintain an online presence, I have to be a web designer, SEO specialist, and social media manager.
For day-to-day operations, I have to be a project manager, bookkeeper, and customer relations manager.
After all that, then I can fix the leaky faucet.
Customer relations and communication, specifically, are the most challenging aspects of running a business. I’ve spoken with a bunch of other handypeople, and one of the first hires they made was someone to handle customer relations—answering phone calls, replying to emails, and scheduling appointments.
It’s surprising the amount of business owners who are really bad at communicating, especially because it needs to be their best skill. I don’t necessarily blame them, because communication is hard. I have a bachelor’s in communication, and I sometimes still struggle communicating effectively.
So if you’re ever thinking about going into business for yourself, seriously ask yourself how good you are at communicating effectively, and know that it’ll be the most important skill to master as a business owner.