by Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA
While plenty of people start a small business from their basement or garage all on their own, most great successes start with a great team. Even start-ups that begin as a sole proprietorship typically need to bring others on board once they start to grow and need specialized skills and experience.
Putting together the right team can be challenging. But there are some tips that might help:
Complement Your Own Skills as Opposed to Doubling Down on Them
The most important part of getting the right people on your team is realizing where you have a personal skills gap. “Have an honest conversation about what skills [you] lack,” says Patrick Hull in an article for Forbes. “The answer to that question is going to help you identify the roles you must fill. At the very least, get a good lawyer, accountant and banker,” he adds.
You don’t need to find more people like yourself. You already have you.
Always Be Looking for Talent
Recruiting your team isn’t a one-time activity that you check off a list after a month. You should always have an eye out for outstanding people who can help your company. “At times, 100% of your day should be dedicated to recruiting,” writes Highland Capital Partners. “Make it a competitive challenge and give yourself measurable objectives (i.e., three exceptional candidates this week).”
Encourage Collaboration, Not Necessarily Close Friendships
In an entrepreneurial environment, your team is going to be spending a lot of time together. It’s essential that they can get along with each other and communicate and collaborate effectively. But this doesn’t mean getting your buddies together to run the business. “In general, having close personal friends as part of your core team is a bad idea,” writes Hull. “They’ll often avoid real feedback and simply want to pump you up. Building a team with fellow business professionals you respect and admire is different.”
Obviously, a lot goes into putting together the perfect team, and we could easily fill a book on the subject. But the tips above should serve as foundational wisdom applicable to building any start-up team.
What would you add to the list?
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Tags: building a team, collborators, effective team building, hiring staff, managing a team