If you are like me, when you started your business, you probably didn’t think you’d have to go back to school, or get more training. After all, you were already the expert at what you were doing. It’s what made you set up your business in the first place.
But once you’ve been around the block, you realize that the only way to grow your business is to keep on top of industry trends, learn new technology, and basically … plan to keep educating yourself in various ways. To not do this can leave you in the dust, especially in the virtual world.
Learning can come in various forms – and at various price points. Here are a few examples to help you thing about what might be right for you:
1. Free Teleclasses – Many online professionals offer free teleclasses to provide you with basic information about many topics. If you just need to know something specific about how to set up a Facebook page, or use a mobile marketing service, or learn the difference between several kinds of bookkeeping services, you may look towards a one-off free class like these. Be careful not to fall into the free learning model for everything though – you can spend a lot of time getting just the basic information, without really getting to the root of what you need to learn.
2. Low Cost Ebooks or Training Programs – Another way to gather some new knowledge is to purchase a low cost ebook or program that teaches more detail about what it is you need to know. The self study model has become more popular as more virtual business professionals ramp up their knowledge in various areas of their business. Low cost products can be great because they are affordable and the level of investment can make it an easy decision to implement something like this in your business. These are great for self-starters, but be aware that getting support for what you learn is often not included.
3. Membership Programs – A membership program is simply a monthly subscription fee you pay to access training materials (and sometimes support) for your business. One common model for a membership site is to provide a training teleseminar each month, along with a live Q&A call. Membership programs are generally not on the high end for investment, but their value is often higher than purchasing a one-off ebook or self-study product. This can be very good for you if you are looking to get new training and to be able to get your questions answered by a mentor or a professional who knows what you want to know. Just because membership programs aren’t usually too expensive, doesn’t mean that you can’t get great benefit out of them – the key is to be sure you participate once you join!
4. Group Support or Workshops – Joining a group program or workshop that is specifically designed to teach you something is a very popular way to invest in yourself to get some higher education in your field, or in an area of your business that you want to focus on. Group programs also provide training and usually live or at least email support, and you are even able to get the support of some colleagues who are part of the same group. Groups can be great for expanding the conversation of a particular topic, due to the range of questions that people ask. Sometimes you will hear questions you didn’t think of, even though they are relevant to you as well. Groups usually require a lower investment than getting private support, and though you are still responsible for your own homework (!), for some people it’s the best way they can learn new things.
5. Private or One on One Support – The highest investment of learning your best path to success in your business comes in the form of private support … that is, one on one support from a coach, mentor or trainer. When you are in a private relationship, you get the undivided attention of the person you are learning from. There are different levels of private support as well – depending on the length of time you need, you can often get single sessions or packages of sessions. You can even find VIP days where you get someone’s support for the entire day. The level of private support you decide on really depends on what it is you need at the time.
Investing in yourself and in your business makes good sense, no matter how you choose to do it. Some advice for investing anything at all in yourself and your business – be sure it’s relevant to what you want to accomplish right now.
Many people make the mistake of taking a class when it’s available, with no intention of using the knowledge right away (saving it for a rainy day!). When you get support or take new training, be sure you plan to implement it into your business right away. You will get a better return on your investment when it fits with what you need, and when you implement the changes you need right away.
For a few tips on how to be sure you are choosing the right time for your support. read my article: Are You a Good Student.
I’d love to hear your comments on this article!