As we move towards 2013, are you considering investing in yourself to improve your business or your life? There are several steps that you can take to ensure that if you make an investment in yourself, you will obtain the results that you are looking to achieve. The Training Resource Group helps business owners and sales people who invest in themselves to increase their sales and take their business to the next level. Evan Polin, president of The Training Resource Group, offers five tips when looking to invest in yourself or your business.
1. Have a clear picture of the end result in mind before you invest. Often people will invest in themselves without planning for their success. They will get business coaching or training, but not think through the results that they want to achieve. You will receive a greater return on your investment if you can clearly picture your outcomes from the outset.
2. Ask yourself which is more important, the cost of the investment, or the results that you will receive once your investment works out. Often when I speak to people about investing in themselves, the first question that I get is “how much will this cost?” Typically, I find that when I get that question people are looking at things in the wrong way. The question that should be asked is, “what will I get if the investment is successful?” When making an investment, look at your return on investment, not your initial cost. A cheap investment that yields no results is a bad investment.
3. Be ready and willing to invest more than just money. The financial part of the investment is the easy part. Most worthwhile investments require an investment of time as well as a willingness to change. Are you willing to make those other investments?
4. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It’s human nature to look for the quick fix. My experience tells me that if someone is offering a product or service that sounds a little too good to be true, run the other way.
5. Do your research before making the investment. Check references and try to get a sense of what you are investing in before making a large commitment. It’s ok to start with a small commitment to see some results before making a larger investment.
Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 2, Issue 11 (November, 2012).
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