Making the best use of technical skills

 While the acquisition of technical skills is vital in starting a business, learning how to effectively utilise such skills is equally important, IFE ADEDAPO writes

It is common to hear experts say that the small and medium-scale enterprises sector can play a critical role in driving the industrial transformation and development of Nigeria just as it has done in other developed countries.

It is also common to hear business development experts stress the importance of technical skill acquisition when it comes to establishing business.

And while the acquisition of technical skill has been described as the driving force behind SMEs, it is not very common to hear that the usage of these skills is equally important.

As a result, experts say millions of people are focusing on acquiring the skills on a daily basis only to find themselves at a loss when it comes to effectively utilising the said skills.

According to experts finding an effective and unique way of utilising technical skill in the delivery of the products and services helps a business to stand out. This in gives it a good chances of outperforming its competitors.

First things first

Business experts say the more successful entrepreneurs are those that first possess impressive technical skills, and acquire business skills along the way.

According to them, hands-on skills form the bedrock of entrepreneurial ventures and no matter what level you attain managerial-wise, technical skills should not be neglected.

On the importance of technical skills, a business consultant, Mrs. Angela Ihunweze says business is actually known as the provision of goods and services in exchange for money.  People only pay for what they know will give them value, therefore, entrepreneur translate technical skills into business.

According to her, for entrepreneurs to attract customers, they need to have the right technical skills regardless of whether they are into manufacturing or another form of business.

She says they need to have technical skills so that whatever they are rendering is of top quality because the business environment has gone global.

To ensure optimal use of these skills, Ihunwezerecommends the following.

Harness the skills

Ihunweze says the advent of the Internet has made the world global, which is why entrepreneurs must harness their skills.

She says, “You may have a talent, but you need to fine tune it to meet international standards, so that when you are offering it to the target market, you are not rejected.”

In the business world, stiff competition exists from within and outside and outside the country. It is one thing for an entrepreneur to desire to go into business and it is another thing to harness the skill in another industry, she says.

For example, she says if someone has a flare for colour and wishes to venture into interior decoration, the person can start by offering services to individuals but it should not be limited to that only. The entrepreneur can go ahead to look for organisational support. In Nigeria, there are various organisations that provide training to improve the actual production of service offering of whatever interest you want to go in.

Explore educational services

For anyone proficient in a particular skill, the consultant says there are opportunities to provide educational services in line with the technical skills. In recent times, you find people setting up makeup schools, interior decoration schools, catering schools etc. The reason is to position themselves appropriately in the market.

Learn the business aspect

In every entrepreneurial success, there are two sides that must tangle properly to ensure that the venture is successful, they are: the technical side and the business side. Ihunweze says some people are very good in the technical aspect but they don’t have the basic business acumen that will make them take the skills to the next level.

She says, “To offer your goods and services to customers you must understand marketing, selling principles, motivate those who are working for you whether they are part time employee, full time or family members.”

In addition, they must know about management, another important thing that they must learn and how to handle their finances, that is why financial management training comes in.

This is to ensure that at the end of the day, whatever they make from the sale of your technical skills can be set aside something for the rainy days and to plough back. They should not stop only at perfecting their skills but they must make conscientious effort to know the business side. In the past people view about business is that since they have the skills then they can start using it to make money, but you find out that they were failing in failing in business, she says.

Be creative with technical skills

According to experts, every creative profession has its own required technical skills. Even as a writer, there are techniques that I have to know. To get my writing in front of people, I have to know a lot more.

They say without the skills to build something the market will appreciate, an entrepreneur will never get to the point of doing real business. But when business owners are creative and possess the appropriate technical skills, they make innovations that will make the stand out.
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