Building a support team

Robert Gerrish

Working in a micro or small business doesn't mean having to make every decision without the input of others. Having access to a good support team can be an essential ingredient of small business success, particularly if your business is not in a position to take on staff.
 

Often drawn from the ranks of friends and acquaintances, some members of your support team expect little or nothing in return for their assistance.
 

These are the kind of people I’d have on my team:

1. A visionary/creative thinker

A visionary/creative thinker can see opportunities for growth and development that you, being so involved in the business, cannot.
 

To get the best out of such a person always take a moment to set the context at the outset of a talk: tell them what's happening/what's working/what's not, and give them any inklings you may have regarding possibilities for change.
 

Then get your pen and paper ready and capture the wisdom.
 

2. An economist/realist

Boring, boring, boring. Just when you're all creatively fired up, along comes someone with a pin to burst the balloon: the economist/realist.
 

Truth is, we all need one of these. We don't have to do everything that's suggested, but their opinion is often worthy of careful consideration. This person may well be your existing bookkeeper or accountant and, if not, the ideas and suggestions generated should almost certainly be discussed with the person officially charged with counting the beans.
 

3. A personal well-being manager

Do you really think working long days and through the weekend is good for your health? Me neither.
 

In the long run you'll be no good to your business if you don't take time out, time for yourself, time to nurture your well-being.
 

Imagine a person whose sole task is to drag you away from your desk, take you into the open air, throw away your home delivery menus and point out the banality of those 'reality' TV shows. This is one cool person to have on your team.
 

4. A virtual assistant

A product of the internet age, a virtual assistant is a kind of Man/Woman Friday waiting at the end of your email for any overload work that may crop up.

Regardless of how you access such a person (or what you call them), having someone to hand who can help out with tasks that risk taking you away from what you do best is extremely valuable.

We're fortunate to have a growing population of such resources, both in our cities and in rural areas. Seek and ye shall find.
 

5. A friendly geek/IT whiz

As unlikely as it may seem, there are people who actually enjoy fixing our computer equipment and who are adept at untangling clashes within our peripherals. Whatever that means.
 

These days we can access them over the phone, via our email (if it's working) or through house calls. Finding your very own IT specialist can be a hugely liberating experience; it's also essential if you're to make the most of new technologies.
 

In conclusion, I'd be committing something of a crime if I didn't say a word or two in support of the coaching industry.
 

Having the right coach alongside you can go a long way to providing the kind of support mentioned above, with the added discipline of regular accountability.
 

Coaches usually offer a free trial of their services and often have quite flexible working methods - fitting in with your wants and needs.
 

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