Entrepreneurs, Information Professionals, and Enhancing Your Value To Your Organizations

February 13, 2013

Joan Rataic-Lang, Executive Director and Library Manager at the Toronto Lawyers Association, recently published a two-part article at Slaw titled “If Your Library Was a Small Business, Would It Still Be Open?”

She explores how entrepreneurial characteristics can augment librarian skills, using Entrepreneur.com’s article 25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs.

1. Do what you enjoy
2. Take what you do seriously
3. Plan everything
4. Manage money wisely
5. Ask for the sale
6. Remember it’s all about the customer
7. Become a shameless self-promoter (without becoming obnoxious)
8. Project a positive business image
9. Get to know your customers
10. Level the playing field with technology
11. Build a top-notch business team
12. Become known as an expert
13. Create a competitive advantage
14. Invest in yourself
15. Be accessible
16. Build a rock-solid reputation
17. Sell benefits
18. Get involved
19. Grab attention
20. Master the art of negotiations
21. Get and stay organized
22. Take time off
23. Limit the number of hats you wear
24. Follow-up constantly

Read Part 1 and Part 2 and find out how these characteristics meld with and enhance your value to your organization.