Invest in yourself without breaking the bank

invest in yourself IS invest in your business and should be seen as a business strategy. Unfortunately, many business owners pass up professional development because their bank account can’t cover that expense right now.

The way you appear in your business and the impression you leave with potential customers, whether you have a phone conversation or a visit to your website, helps them determine whether or not they think you are a “good fit” for them. doing business when it comes to hiring a career professional for your job search or anything career related.

You ARE your business. Investing in your business by hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA), Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialist, Website Manager, implementing a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, or Obtaining email marking software to streamline processes are great ways to help move your business forward. But, what I am emphasizing here is you. What’s happening you the personthe one who runs the show?

No matter how long you’ve been in business, there’s always something new to learn. Professional development events, like formal conferences, serve as perfect springboards for networking. They offer many ways to build new relationships, expand your horizons, and pick up new ideas and strategies to implement when you get home.

Conferences also serve as a great way to recharge your batteries when leaving the office environment, giving you the chance to meet face-to-face with people you’ve only met virtually.

If you are financially able to attend as many conferences as you like and can be out of the office for 3-5 days to attend each one, congratulations! But I know that for some, the cost of travel added to registration and hotel costs just doesn’t make sense, especially when you consider the cost of time lost from work.

Don’t let a tight budget stop you from growing professionally, just be creative. Conferences are certainly not the only option. Here are some easy ways you can invest in your own professional development and not have to spend a fortune.

• Read- Your local library can be your best friend; How else could you flip through the latest and greatest business books without spending a dime? And if you haven’t actually bought the book, you’ll be less tempted to keep reading if you don’t get anything out of it. When reading online, use a feed reader to keep track of the bloggers you like to follow, and bookmark the websites where you found good information.

• Hear – Some experts publish podcasts or other audio recordings that you can download and listen to at your convenience. Another way is to accept invitations from business experts you follow or are connected with who offer free or low-cost training sessions or workshops via teleclasses or webinar/webcasts.

• Leap- Explore some of the networking events happening in your area. While a “leap” out of your comfort zone can be intimidating at first, these events are often coupled with professional development (such as featured speakers). You never know who you’ll meet and what juicy business building tidbit they’ll have to share with you!

• Share – Join or form a peer group who are all committed to continuing education. Meet regularly, with a broad agenda to share what you have learned since the last meeting. By pooling all your efforts, you will create a powerful body of collective knowledge. Brainstorming sessions alone will generate many ideas and strategies. No doubt you’ll pick up a gold nugget or two from the meetings.

It is essential to keep up with the trends in your industry and not be left behind. Not only will you serve your customers better, but you’ll also discover new ways of doing business that will contribute to the growth and stability of your company.