There is a maxim in the entrepreneurial world that the success of a business depends exclusively on the vocation of those who drive it. The entrepreneurial tino is, in fact, a decisive factor for business performance. After all, acting with skill and passion brings positive indicators to any business.
However, successful management also requires the caution of retreating some steps to invest in technical knowledge.
Not mastering some theoretical requirements exposes small and medium enterprises to weaknesses, making them more susceptible to economic and strategic weather thanks to the absence of planning and quick adaptability to consumer behavior changes and various market trends.
The result of this is a short life cycle for most Brazilian companies.
According to IBGE, six out of ten companies in the country end their activities even before they are five. Alongside tax complexity and financial charges, the lack of knowledge of basic management concepts appears as one of the main motivations for the alarming mortality rate.
According to Mariane Salvador, leader of new stimulus business, an impact fund that supports small entrepreneurs with financial resources and training, the search for theoretical knowledge and continuing education – such as management courses – aids in the formation of entrepreneurs more prepared with challenges common to the SME universe – and thus reduce the mortality rate of Brazilian companies.
“The Brazilian entrepreneur faces a classic difficulty of access to credit. But he does not only depend on financial support to prosper. Without information about management, accounting and sense of priority, credit is insufficient. He needs to be linked to training and guidance,” he says.
Technical knowledge: where to start
According to Mariane, the excess of information and courses available to entrepreneurs does not always dialogue correctly with this audience. This even involves choosing the correct platform for this communication.
Given this, the first tip to start the search for theoretical knowledge to gain more repertoire, according to her, is choosing the correct platform to extract information.
It also highlights the importance of connecting with other entrepreneurs at similar moments of journey to exchange experiences.
Five themes about management to learn in theory
According to the expert, for first -time entrepreneurs, the order of order must be the separation of personal finances and the company. With this organization in mind, the chances of committing classic management and financial organization errors fall vertiginly.
For entrepreneurs ahead of more mature companies- and not just at an early stage- as well as leaders with previous experience in other enterprises, she highlights four other themes related to managerial knowledge that, if exploited in depth, can facilitate the daily control of SMEs.
They are:
1. Culture and Leadership
Culture should be the dorsal spine of a company, that is, pillars linked to business values must be established and clear throughout its trajectory. “Culture must accompany the company’s mindset and growth speed.
Without it, decisions are disconnected and the SME loses its connection with its origins, ”says Mariane.
Given this, courses related to the leadership theme are essential for entrepreneurs who want to find to learn how to disseminate ideas in practice, finding strategies to cascade this culture and values to the team, regardless of the size and stage of maturity of the company.
2.
Learning about pricing is essential for entrepreneurs as it directly impacts business profitability and sustainability. By deepening in the subject in a theoretically, it is possible to understand the meaning of indicators such as profit margin, market positioning and perception of value by the customer and how they impact on choosing the final price of a product or service.
“Safer and more assertive decisions about price can determine the success of a business. This is a very important topic when we talk about knowledge investment,” he says.
3.
Having a broad understanding of the different platforms and tools that exist on the market can bring more efficiency to the business. For this reason, courses aimed at using these tools are recommended for all entrepreneurs in search of more visibility for the company (especially on the internet) as well as productivity.
“Each tool, if well used, can support the growth of the company, from the use of artificial intelligence to traditional ads paid on social networks. It is essential to study how to use technology, the internet and AI tools to your advantage,” he says.
4. Marketing and Sales
Learning about marketing and sales, fundamental pillars for the success of any venture, through courses brings a fundamental theoretical background to entrepreneurs who want to understand the influence of consumer behavior on the business.
With this knowledge, it can determine the best strategies for promoting the company and define the correct language to build customer loyalty. In addition, courses assist in learning sales techniques that can help expand revenues.
“Investing in this knowledge is ensuring consistent visibility, growth and results for the business,” he says.
Long -term knowledge
The market is constantly updated – and this justifies the relevance of investment in continuous learning, according to Mariane. “When we seek knowledge, we reach the company’s scale and growth in the long run,” he says.
“It is important that the entrepreneur is interested, talk to other people, also from other niches, to know market trends and be up to date,” he says.
At the head of the stimulus new business area, she highlights the fund’s current strategy in establishing partnerships with companies specializing in certain areas, and acting as an educational and training arm to entrepreneurs who receive financial support.
This is the case of partners like Razonet, accounting; Omie, financial management for SMEs, and Serasa, who gives mentoring on credit score.
This content was produced by the Stimulus Impact Fund – which supports small Brazilian entrepreneurs with facilitated credit, training and connections – in partnership with CNN. To learn more about the stimulus visit.
(Text by Maria Clara Dias)
