Back to Business School

Seek essential skills to hone in the coming months

Learning never ends, especially in business where competitors constantly try to gain an edge — much like taking a refresher at business school.

As the year turns toward its final stretch, many entrepreneurs are treating opportunities like a new semester: a time to sharpen skills, fill knowledge gaps and set themselves up for growth.

Lisa Sicard, for example, has years of experience as a blogger for international clients through her company, Inspire To Thrive.

Run Business Without Running Ragged

Yet for a long time she avoided Linktree, a key tool to link social biographies. Finally seeing the light, she now posts about Linktree’s benefits, which add to her credibility and product offerings.

That might influence her wish — that if Sicard could go back to school for anything, she would study artificial intelligence and technology.

Another interesting possibility is behavioral economics. Business decisions aren’t just about numbers — they’re about people. Understanding the psychology behind choices can make strategies more effective and human-centered.

“I love this topic and would love to learn more about it as well,” said Ivana Taylor, owner of DIYMarketers, “committed to helping small-business owners escape overwhelm.”

“If I were to go back to school, I’d study industrial psych. That’s so interesting.”

DIYMarketers is doing its part to give corporate refreshers with posts such as “13 Tips for Small Business Organization: How to Organize a Disorganized Business.”

Practical Foundation

Practical business skills matter most — things like sharpening communication, boosting digital marketing know-how or staying on top of AI trends. A steady habit of learning keeps small-business owners adaptable.

“I’d love to learn more about corporate finance, but in a much more fun way than I did in college and grad school,” Taylor said. “All those profs left a bad taste in my mouth.”

In the meantime, she’s diving into video editing to make her content pop on social media.

“The very basics I learned in the early ’80s on programming have really served me well,” Taylor said. “While I can’t write code, I have learned how computers ‘think.’”

Business Truths Stand the Test of Time

According to Springboard, which specializes in coding, data and cybersecurity, data analysis, project management, strategic and critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making are among the most in-demand skills.

“I’m going deep into search engine optimization and analytics,” said Iva Ignjatovic, a marketing, strategy and business consultant. “I want to measure what matters.

“None of us can keep up the pace,” she said. “That’s why I stick with what matters to me, my job or clients in the next year or so. I do my best to remain focused.”

Sicard’s go-to learning method for mastering new skills is watching YouTube videos such as those from RightBlogger and Barry Schwartz.

A good mix helps: short online courses for structure, real-world projects for practice and peer discussions to test ideas. Learning sticks best when applied right away.

Self-Paced Discovery

“Online courses let me learn at my own pace with visual guides,” Taylor said. “You really can learn a lot from webinars. They are virtual classrooms. The only issue is that so many of them are just glorified sales pitches.”

Trial and error is another good approach.

“The best teacher — or learning method — is jumping into a project and learning to make it work,” Taylor said.

Ignjatovic’s dream is listening to podcasts to learn while walking or cleaning.

When business gets busy, motivation for learning can get pushed aside unless closely tied to corporate success.

“I often find I need to learn new things to up my business or sell add-ons,” Sicard said.

Smart Moves, Big Payoffs

Tying learning directly to business goals makes it easier. If a skill saves time, cuts costs or boosts results, it feels less like “extra work” and more like progress.

“I schedule ‘learning time’ like a meeting — non-negotiable,” Taylor said.

With the rise of machine learning and AI in business, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that key soft skills are increasingly essential. The most important are communication, problem solving, empathy, leadership and flexibility.

Ignjatovic has also found accountability partners make a huge difference for her.

Small-business owners should consider skills that are underrated but totally essential. Sicard believes problem-solving fits that description.

“Knowing what the problems are will let you help others solve them,” she said.

Listen to Understand

Active listening is another underrated skill. It strengthens relationships, reveals insights you’d otherwise miss and often leads to smarter, more sustainable business decisions.

“So few people really take the time to listen, and you can learn so much by actively listening, responding and asking relevant questions,” Taylor said.

She also pointed to copywriting as underrated because it affects every part of business.

Budgeting is fundamental, too. Those who master it can fuel momentum for long-term gains.

Ignjatovic depends heavily on data interpretation.

“Knowing what your numbers say is powerful,” she said. “If I know the past — data — I can predict the future — data and trends.”

Entrepreneurs Ride Highs and Hard Lows

For those who want to go back to “business school,” the question is where to begin.

“Start with curiosity,” Taylor said. “Follow what excites you.”

Start small. Try a workshop, online course or local class to test the waters. It builds confidence, clarifies interests and helps small-business owners decide if a bigger investment makes sense.

“Pinpoint your niche or an area that you need to brush up on,” Sicard said.

Concentrating on that skill, Ignjatovic said the next step is to go deep. Mastery builds momentum.

Lifelong learning doesn’t always mean a classroom. Whether it’s a degree, a workshop or a podcast on a commute, the key is staying curious and open. That’s how businesses — and people — keep growing.

“What’s cool about lifelong learning is that it’s more practical and applied,” Taylor said. “I always learn more from getting advice from experts.”