“Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” (David Rockerfellar). The fact that many extremely disciplined and hard working people running their own businesses today struggle to cover their overheads, let alone grow their businesses, demonstrates the importance of the third essential ingredient to succeed as identified by David Rockerfellar – TRAINING.

As the owner of a café located in regional Australia, I know from personal experience that when you’re operating a small business on a day-to-day basis, it is easy to become blinkered to ways that might streamline or improve your operation. Similarly, when working on a very tight budget, it is easy to dismiss training opportunities that are presented on the basis of “I know it would be beneficial but I simply can’t afford it”. However, I have learnt that the right training or professional advice can pay for itself over and over again if you are prepared to implement the strategies or advice you have been given.

Naturally, it is important to be discerning when determining the areas of your business where training would be beneficial, and the training provider you engage – but once you have done this the rewards can be amazing and you’ll wonder why you didn’t seek help earlier.