Being aware of your weaknesses

your weaknesses Sam Leader Marketing 101 states you need to emphasise your strengths to your clients. At one stage or another, you’ll have asked yourself “What am I really good at? What’s my USP? How do I stand out from the competition?”

This is fair enough, but I’d argue for your solo business to thrive, you need to be just as well acquainted with your weaknesses.

Ignoring them, or being unaware of what they are, could spell disaster. Few would admit to this kind of naivety, but if you often feel overwhelmed, frustrated and out of control, it could be you’re playing to your weaknesses.

It can be hard to take an honest look at your faults, but once identified, they can be rectified. Alternatively, you may choose to live alongside them. Either way, your weaknesses need to be looked in the eye.

One way to find out what your weaknesses are is to consider “What do I hate to do?” Chances are the work you hate is the work you’re rubbish at. At Flying Solo we’re always sorting through our too hard basket and dealing with our strengths and weaknesses by outsourcing items that cause us grief or upskilling if it’s important to do so.

Naturally enough, the reverse is true in that if you ask “What am I good at?” you’ll identify your strengths. Plenty’s been written about how to work out what you’re good at, though. I prefer to write about topics that have been less explored.

I invite you to share your weaknesses online and to get the ball rolling I’ll tell you now, I’m really bad at cold calling and am easily distracted. Little wonder I am such a fan of email.

I can live with those weaknesses, but here’s a fault I’ve really got to rectify: I’m truly terrible at finishing others’ sentences.

Now I’ve shown you mine, show us your weaknesses via a comment below.

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Love your work,

Sam Leader is a director of Flying Solo and its editor. She is the co-author of Flying Solo - How to go it alone in business.

34 comments | Add your own 1 2 3 4 5 | Next» View all»

I hate chasing outstanding accounts. . . Heather Smith from SUNNY BRISBANE! | Read my articles
I have got paperwork all over the place. I really need to get organised!!! Fiona from Blue Mountains NSW
I also hate chasing up outstanding accounts - it's the one thing that seems to consistently get transferred from the to do list to the next days list! Heidi Alexandra Pollard from Warners Bay, Australia
It would be impatience and lack of attention to detail which is not good when you develop software. On the good side I have a business partner who is great on detail, however as she is taking time off after having a baby it is back to me triple checking everything. Susan Oakes from Sydney
I am so impatient, and I always want everything done yesterday! Luckily as a bookkeeper, I love chasing outstanding accounts, and keeping my books up to date, but if I am waiting for clients to get back to me, or even when I am trying to pick up a new client, I hate waiting. Why can't they see I am a sensible option, and "just do it" Cathie from Melbourne
Psych tests (and experience) have shown that I'm a good manager in a crisis, but dangerous when everything's going well, as I get bored and start to tinker.
Flying Solo as an adviser who only gets contacted by people in trouble suits me perfectly (although, in relation to comments above re: chasing outstanding accounts - I do expect payment in advance in case my troubled clients have left it too late)! Grant Hyman from Sydney | Read my articles

34 comments | Add your own 1 2 3 4 5 | Next» View all»

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