Business owners need to have a multitude of skills in order to run their business successfully.  It is rare that an owner is strongly skilled in all business aspects.  In the same way that some people are better at math or sports or writing, each person excels at different areas of running a business. According to The E-Myth, by Michael E. Gerber, business skills can be grouped into the following categories, and most business owners are good at only one or two of the three areas:

• Technician - Expertise in making a specific product or providing a specific service
• Manager - General management and administrative skills
• Entrepreneur - Skills for setting goals, monitoring progress, and ensuring the business stays on track and achieves your vision

Many business owners start out as excellent Technicians, but do not have sufficient experience or knowledge to handle specific Management or Entrepreneurial aspects of the business.  For example, working with finances or accounting, managing people, systematizing operations, creating marketing strategies, and keeping the business on track with the original mission are all areas that tend to give different business owners problems.  To make matters worse, when the business is very successful, the owner often finds herself trapped in 18-hour work days, never finding the time to prevent problems or manage the business (see Have a Business and a Life).  The SCWBC can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses and come up with a strategy for filling in the gaps.  This may be a combination of helping you solve specific problems, find training, form alliances, or hire professional expertise.  If you are not already working with a SCWBC business coach, request a consultation to get started.