Building a business from the ground up isn’t just a challenge, it’s grueling. Running a company takes a tough skin, a huge dose of ambition and the determination to see through every late night of planning. The one thing that makes a company great is the people who are working within it. People are what matters in business, because no matter how much your product is in demand, how much cash you have or how big your own business brain is, you need people to help you make it all a success.
A lot of people go into business with the idea that they can do it by themselves. For some, this is true. However, a business owner cannot stretch themselves so thin that they can manage every area of a business effectively, and it’s for this reason that funding for small businesses should always include a budget for hiring the right people.
You could start a business yourself and feel like it is manageable; it almost always is in the first early months of a business while you find your place in the industry. However, once you grow beyond those early months and your business begins to expand, the need to extra eyes, hands and brains becomes obvious. We’re not talking about the latest zombie convention, but the types of people you need. A problem in a business between two people is so much easier to manage than handling it yourself.
Outsourcing is one way to go if you want to keep managing certain business practices yourself without having to worry about hiring out an office. However, the best part of a business is the interaction you get from people who are as passionate about what you are doing as you are. Don’t forget, just because you’re the person hiring those around you doesn’t mean they don’t support you and guide you as much as you do for them.
There are certain job roles you need to fill in your company, sure, but hiring is always about personality as well as skills. You want the best people, but the best people aren’t always going to be the right people. Here are four people that every business out there really needs to have with them to make it a huge success:
The Leader
You are the owner of the company, but the leader of the business may be a partner or manager who works alongside you. You, as the owner, cannot be everywhere at all times. A manager can oversee a lot of what you cannot be there for. The leader in your business has vision, direction and is the person who is organised enough to keep other staff accountable for their actions. A leader ensures the direction of the company is the right one and they can also balance your own views and give you a fresh and much needed perspective.
The Taskmaster
You and your leader may be the ones to have the vision for the company, but the taskmaster brings that vision to its full capabilities and into completion. You could have the very best leader but you need someone to call to action. They are the person that will ensure that your vision is tangible and can be realistic about the possibilities in front of you.
The Challenger
Also known as a devil’s advocate, the challenger for your business is going to be the person that opposes your opinions. This is not a bad thing; an opposition doesn’t mean that they disagree. In fact, a challenger in your company can help you see a problem in your vision that you may not have foreseen. They can advise you accordingly and ensure you have a different perspective. It’s easy to get lost in your own goals and have a one-track mind. Your challenger will open your tunnel vision.
The Watcher
Often someone who is more senior in the industry than you and used as a silent partner, the watcher can be an adviser, a friend and a mentor in your business. They’re the person that looks beyond what you see as a possibility and while you’re on step one of the business plan, they’re on step five and anticipating your moves.
Like a game of chess, a business needs strategy. To be able to gain strategy that will work you need to have more than one business mind on board. These four business personalities can give your company strategy and direction and together, can make your business dream a success.