How To Improve Your Business Success

Being a momtrepreneur means that you get to define success on your own terms. It means that you no longer need to fit into someone else’s idea of how to work and school. But let’s be real we all want business success. Did you know that you can improve your business success by improving your use of the English language?

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In the Administrative Assistant’s and Secretary’s Handbook, by James Stroman, Kevin Wilson, and Jennifer Wauson, they stated the following, “Give careful attention to your use of the English language. The ability to write and speak correctly is so important to your business career that you’ll find the following to almost always be true: As you improve your speech, you will also naturally improve your business success.

For Business Success Rediscover the Lost Art of English Grammar

In one of my jobs, I actually taught writing, and I discovered something so disheartening. Most of these adults, who were high school graduates, did not know how to write clearly or effectively.

Writing clearly, coherently, and correctly has become a lost art. There doesn’t seem to be a strong emphasis on learning how to speak and write properly any more. Unfortunately, this can have a direct effect on your ability to advance your career. How people view your professionally is often determined by how well you speak and write.

Business Success for Momtrepreneurs—Everything Depends on Your Writing

Whether you are marketing your business, building a website, creating proposals, or contracts everything is written. You are writing all the time. And this is the first impression of your skills and capabilities given to perspective clients. It is important that all of your business material is written clearly and correctly.

Let me just add this as a caveat. Typos are acceptable. Everyone makes a mistake here and there. But if most of your sentences are not clear or hard to read this reflects on everything you do.

You may have the best ideas, but if your proposal is not clear it is possible that you will lose out on a project and client. Your perspective client needs to be able to understand the vision in your head. It is not always easy to translate your ideas into words, it takes practice, but you can do it.

Also, if your website isn’t clear on the services you offer or next steps to become your client. This can also cause you to lose a client. If you need help getting started check out What to do before You Start Building a Website to Make it Easier and watch How to Create a Website for Beginners.

One of my biggest peeves, when it comes to starting a business, is trying to have an online presence without a website. My fellow mom, if you are offering services, especially digital ones, then you need a website. An actual website—skip the free ones, don’t create links to your Canva portfolio and think that is enough (I love Canva, but it should not be used as a website replacement). A website will showcase your ability to write, it is the first impression, and it will give you legitimacy. You can build a website without being a web programmer. Remember, 84% of US consumers, believe a business with a website is more credible than one that only has a social media page.

Finally, if your contract is not clear that can cause all sorts of problems for your business as well. If your expectations for payment or delivery are not clearly written, then how will your client know when to pay you or when to expect delivery on a project? Improving your written and spoken English will have a direct impact on your business success.

5 Tips to Improve Your Business Success

As always I am never going to leave you with just a problem without providing a few solutions to try. Here is my list of how to improve your English so you can have business success.

1. Read a good book

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know I love to read. And I always promote reading as the best way to learn outside of the system. Even if you are a busy mom boss, you should be reading. Reading will not only help your business success because you are learning new things, but it will also expose you to new words and how they are used in the context of a sentence. You will expand your vocabulary and understand sentence structure while enjoying a good book.

If you know that you need to expand your vocabulary, then try reading on a Kindle. This will allow you to highlight a word and immediately see the definition. So there is very little interruption to your flow, but you are still learning the meaning of the word.

Here are some practical how-to books on writing (I even use these in our school).

Painless Grammar by Rebecca Elliott.

Everybody Writes by Ann Handley.

The Little Brown, Compact Book by Jane E. Aaron

2. Put an app or apps on your device

Put dictionary.com or something similar on your iphone, ipad, kindle, or whatever is available to you. Follow the word of the day and increase your vocabulary one word at a time. When there is a fun word of the day, I try to incorporate it as much as I can into sentences I am using. This is also a great way to help your kids increase their vocabulary.

3. Listen to people who speak well

This can be through audiobooks, YouTube, or Podcasts. Listen to how these people present their information. As you are listening, ask yourself these questions: Is it clear? Do I understand the speaker’s intent? What do I like about the style? What can incorporate into my presentations or communications that works?

4. Always learn

You already know this, but let me say because it is a good reminder. Learning doesn’t need to be confined to just a classroom. But in order to learn, you need to be an active participant in what you are hearing and reading.

There are so many opportunities and places to learn from, like MasterClass or Skillshare. We really don’t have any excuse to not improve ourselves. Taking a course on writing, speaking, or watching Ted Talks are just a few ways to improve your English so you can improve your business success.

5. Practice

Yes, you need to put into practice all the things you are learning. This is the only way to see what actually works, what is actually helpful, and what you can ignore (yes, you can ignore things). Write social media posts, write blog posts, try a podcast. Whatever you decided to do, you will only improve a skill if you actually practice it. And here is the fun part, you will get better that is guaranteed.

Conclusion

Pick one thing from the list above and start working on it. If you need to start someplace then read a good book. You can learn anything from a book. And it is the best way to improve your business success. Check this out, if you are look for eco-friendly tips to get started

What are you going to start with?