ISSN 2562- 5330 ( Print) ISSN 2562- 5349 ( Online)

Attending school or gaining professional training to support your passion is extremely important. Education and apprenticeship help you become a critical thinker and builds your confidence. People often buy into businesses/ brands they can trust. The only way they can do that is through effective

Tamika Messam

professional communication. Being an expert allows you to understand the various areas in the market where you can expand. Education does not mean classroom only; knowledge can be developed in several ways. For example, you can become an apprentice to an established expert in the field.

Every entrepreneur has skills that set them apart from the rest. Consistently honing the skills you have, will help you remain at the forefront of your market and be successful in your industry. The business and economic environment are consistently changing; continuous self- development will allow you to be ahead of the change. As humans, we tend to become complacent when we think “we have made it”. We are never too old to learn, and each day in business should be considered an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Your professional growth extends to the growth of the business, and the best way to grow your business is by first diversifying within the same industry or market. Understanding new and future trends will allow you to do this.

The best way to diversify your company is by focusing on providing the most value for your clientele. In offering a space where businesses can meet and offer their services, I promote them as an extension of my business model. I can then extend that promotion to marketing their business as a separate service. From there, I can add additional business services that are all connected. By ensuring you are offering something that provides a wow factor makes it easy for clients to return. For example, offering a loyalty program is a win- win scenario for both business and clients. They feel more inclined to spend money because they will receive added value, and in return, your business will retain its clients.