After reading Glenn's recent post about diversity, I realized so many of us have a ton of talents. some have so many it is amazing.
A lot more than most people have.
Of course some skills are more refined than others,
So my questions are:
1) What do you feal is your greatest skill or talent?
2)And how does it benefit you & your business?
3) What do you feal is your weakest skill or talent?
4) and how does it hurt you or your business?
Have fun
Greatest - Drawing/Sketching. Being able to scratch out a recognizable visual representation of a spoken idea, on-the-spot, quickly, to confirm that all understand. Whether with clients, a work crew, or just for myself as a reminder for later. Pictures are a big part of how I communicate.
Weakest - Confidence. Not so much anymore, but historically has always been my stumbling block. And confidence or self-assurance is closely tied to Direction. Having a business plan and a specific goal for my current company is really helping me stand my ground on issues like what I'm worth and what I'm after.
Nobody else has one trait they can identify that stand out as especially helpful of harmful to them??
my weakness (right now) is that i can conceive projects that i don't have the technical skills to complete. i get frustrated because my hands aren't as good as my brain. (maybe if i kill off a few more brain cells the hands can catch up?)
my challenge is to keep developing the skills (and not give up in frustration) AND to hone my design skills to match what i know i CAN produce.
But, my major weakness is my inability to organize my life and manage my time.
I feel I have the potential to be successful, but I cannot manage my business or personal life....it's a source of great frustration and frankly a bit embarrassing to admit.
Adrienne
).Pictorial illustration is my weakest. When I was young, I wanted to be as good a hand letterer and illustrater as my father. He told me not to waste my time in art. There is no money in it. So, I went into Pre-Law when I went into college. And where do I end up? Hand lettering and struggling with illustrations. Sigh.
My strongest skill is creative ideas, being able to visualize, illustrate then create. That benefits my business with customer loyalty and trust.
My weakest link is just like Adrienne, the inability to be organized, & disciplined as well. so to sum it up my business skills are my weakest. That hurts my business from being finacially successful to it's maximum potential.
The reason for this post was my thinking about seriously working on my business skills much like working on learning a new glass guilding trick or some other sign related skill.
I also fealt there might be many like me on this board with similar problems.
And I'd like to see skills like these maybe taught at letterhead meets along side carving, lettering and other sign related skills.
Just think, you go to a meet, learn how to pinstripe and then learn how to successfully manage you shop to financial freedom while pinstriping.
anyway, those are my pitfalls and others may not have this problem.
List on!
1. the ability to always have work
2. i love working with people
3. i'm good at multitasking
4. i don't have a big ego, customer is always right (although i have told a few where to go!)
5. i have a great relationship with my computer.
6. i love the design process and want to do more of that
7. i can do anything in vinyl
now the flip side:
1. never charge enough, when i make out the bill i can't charge what i should!
2. i need to work on painting & pinstriping
3. not good with managing business to expand
4. too obsessed with children, i'll run off on a drop to see a game, etc.
5. i could go on but i have to get to work...
After 40 years it would seem that I just might have this stuff down to a science and be good at everything....not.
My strongest ability I think is design. I love to work with layouts and continually find myself changing some detail or color, or something to improve the look. My weakness is....see above.
In days of old when showcards were popular I loved to hand letter, especially loose scripts and casual styles. That would be one of my assets.
Like so many others, my weaknesses fall into the category of managing the business. At times I am undisciplined with time and money, wasting both. It is hard for me to stay focused and I find myself trying to go in too many directions at once. I am a dreamer, but do not follow up with practical ways to make the dream come true. Managing my time has always been my greatest weakness. That, and the lack of establishing goals and plotting a route to achieve them.
I'm depressed now. I think I'll go read my latest copy of SignCraft.
Now don't these two compliment one another well
I'm with Bob in wanting to see some seminars at meets on things folks really need to learn. Sales, internet marketing, business management, shop management etc.
