Being aware of your weaknesses

Marketing 101 states you need to emphasise your strengths to your clients. At one stage or another, youโ€™ll have asked yourself โ€œWhat am I really good at? Whatโ€™s my USP? How do I stand out from the competition?โ€

This is fair enough, but Iโ€™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 youโ€™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,ย your weaknessesย need to be looked in the eye.

One way to find out what your weaknesses are is to consider โ€œWhat do I hate to do?โ€ Chances are the work you hate is the work youโ€™re rubbish at. At Flying Solo weโ€™re always sorting through our too hard basket and dealing with our strengths and weaknessesย by outsourcing items that cause us grief or upskilling if itโ€™s important to do so.

Want more articles like this? Check out the business psychology section.

Naturally enough, the reverse is true in that if you ask โ€œWhat am I good at?โ€ youโ€™ll identify your strengths. Plentyโ€™s been written about how to work out what youโ€™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 Iโ€™ll tell you now, Iโ€™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 hereโ€™s a fault Iโ€™ve really got to rectify: Iโ€™m truly terrible at finishing othersโ€™ sentences.

Now Iโ€™ve shown you mine, show us your weaknessesย via a comment below.