Having a good knowledge of business management to complement your technical skills will make you stand out,

As the poor condition of the economy is putting pressure on the unemployed to acquire technical skills that will empower them to start a business, many young people are taking decision to equip themselves with other available skills to enable them establish a small enterprise and earn a living.

To bridge the skills gap, the Federal Government has established several skills acquisition centres in the country geared toward empowering youths with entrepreneurial skills.

Government agencies such as the National Directorate of Employment, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria, YouWin programme and Subsidy Re-Investment Programme as well as government technical colleges and skills acquisition centres established by the private sector do their bit in this regard.

However, experts note that the most successful entrepreneurs are those who are able to combine the technical skills acquired with business managerial skills.

According to these experts, a few years back, technicians were contented to work with their the skills they have acquired alone, but with recent changes in the economy are putting renewed importance on business management skills, many technicians are seeing the wisdom in combining both skills.

For technicians employed in corporate organisations as well, experts recommend that they acquire good managerial skills so as to rise to management positions after some years of dedicated service.

How important is managerial skills?

The Chief Executive Officer, Angela Itambo Company, Mrs. Angela Ihunweze, observes that some people are very good in the technical aspect of a task 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 and be able to 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, learn how to handle their finances; that is where financial management training comes in.

“This is to ensure that at the end of the day, whatever they make from the sale of their technical skills can be set aside 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’s view about business is that since they have the skills, they can start using it to make money, but you find out that they were failing in business.”

Have good customer service skills

As a budding entrepreneur, experts say your relationship with your customers is very important because it is important for them to feel comfortable with you and be contented with your work.

A business consultant, Mr. Caleb Makinde, says whenever an unsatisfactory service issue is raised by your clients, business owners should endeavour to find out the problem and try to solve it.

He adds that good customer service skills should be passed on to trainee technicians and other employees because if they overlook a query from a customer and delay response to it, they may lose the client.

Manage your time well

Most technical jobs require undivided attention of the person in charge, as such little time is left to relax.

As a result, experts note that time management skills are indispensable to technicians.

Makinde says, “Don’t take up all your time with task meant to be completed without giving room for break during the day. This can lead to exhaustion after a while, a situation that may cause depreciation in health.

“Prioritise your tasks, be balanced, avoid procrastination, delegate tasks, and you will find yourself making much better use of your time.”

In addition, the consultant says technicians should learn to prioritise their tasks in a way that they will have time so as to give room for other appointments

Be creative

According to experts, creativity makes most professionals outstanding even though they perform the same tasks as their colleagues.

They add that technicians, who are unable to render services that the market will appreciate, will not be able to do real business.

Makinde adds that when technicians are creative, they are able to grow and get the much desired promotion in their organisation.

As entrepreneurs, he says their creativity will make their work more desired than that of other people in the industry.

Be disciplined

Experts say self-discipline and motivation play key roles in time management. According to Makinde, special attention should be paid to procrastination, one of the deadliest enemies of good time management.

“People who suffer from procrastination wait until the last moment to do important things. Some even find it almost impossible to take the first step in any project. It can seriously affect work quality and aggravate personal stress. It may create feelings of panic and chaos,” he says.








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