So you developed a grand idea for the next hot startup and now you need to bring people on-board to help you make it a reality. How do you get started? Do you just post a job listing and start interviewing? That’s not exactly the best idea.
You’re better off taking a step back to understand what an entrepreneurial team needs to become successful. Keep reading to learn how to build your team as an entrepreneur.
Image Credit: FutUndBeidl from flickr
Arrange Your Hiring Decisions Based on Key Business Goals
Hiring an employee for a new business is not like bringing someone on board for a traditional company. Just because a person has a strong work ethic and a college degree doesn’t make them right for your company. You must arrange your hiring decisions based on the goals your business wants to achieve.
Every start-up wants to bring in money and get the word out to the public about the company. If this is your company’s goal, you need a fundraising and relationship-building specialist.
If your startup recently started accepting sales or received a round of funding you need a financial manager along with someone who has a master of taxation to handle your tax payments.
Bring on People You Can Cut Quickly if Needed
Forbes Magazine explains why you must weigh the benefits of every single hire. Is there a reason you need to bring on a full-time graphic designer when you could simply partner with a design firm? Are you better off contracting a marketing person as opposed to bringing someone on as a salaried employee?
When you begin a new company it’s essential to create an escape plan for when one of your employees doesn’t work out. It’s easier to get rid of a contractor than it is to fire a full-time staffer. It’s also less risky when you partner with another firm, since you don’t have to worry about training or making an employee mad if you don’t have enough work for them.
Credit: Heisenberg Media from flickr
Think of Your Full-Time Hires as Entrepreneurs Like You
When you hire a person to join you in the full-time world of startups, their mindset must align with where you plan on going with your company. Compare the traits of each full-time hire with your own work ethic and mentality.
The Minority Business Development Agency states there are eight particular traits that make a successful entrepreneur. Use these traits to test your potential employees:
- Do they have a willingness to fail?
- Do any of the candidates have strong leadership abilities?
- Is their competitive spirit stronger than yours?
The key to this exercise it to find people who have stronger entrepreneurial traits than you and surround yourself with those people who advance your business.
Treat Recruiting Like The People Are Coming Into Your Family
Focusing your hiring decisions on business goals and risk aversion is just fine, but at the end of the day your full-time employees are becoming part of your family. In fact, as an entrepreneur, you’ll see these people more than your real family. Develop a well-rounded team to generate a unique flow of ideas. Hire people you enjoy being around who will also make your company money.
Building an entrepreneurial team is much harder than it sounds, so take a step back to understand the intricacies of the small business and startup hiring process. It will serve you well in the future.
Annie Davis
Latest posts by Annie Davis (see all)
- How to Build Your Team as an Entrepreneur - December 3, 2014
Hello Annie,
Awesome write-up! I am impressed. In my personal opinion, a entrepreneur is someone who hacks his/her growth. So he’s growing X times exponentially than an average man. He’s always making hard decisions. Struggling most of the time. His circumstances are most likely to always be in a mess, as a result. In such a life, he may lost his communicative skills quite frequently. And may speak harsh, rude words to his colleagues, family members, et cetera.
So in such a situation, he must know how to control his temper and not get anger. Rather learn to always remain calm and nice. Moreover a team does not exist if the leader of the team has got no or poor communication skills.
Btw, Happy Christmas! 🙂
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I am currently trying to build a team for a small company as i have no experience i have been searching for tips to build my team. This article helped me a lot in choosing the right people in my team. Thanks for the article.
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great article.Now i have only a website but after one year i have a team and more bussiness sites.
I’m a pretty big fan of elance for finding really high level talent. Sure you have to interview quite a few candidates and it can take a while, but there are some really great people there.
Well Explained Gail,
A team should have a good leader before starting up things. One can easily hire anyone but the goal of the company should be achieved is what I admire the most. As, if the work remains pending then you won’t get success, which is very important for an entrepreneur.
Obviously striking something new for new entrepreneurs like me. Especially the second point is nice Thanks a lot for sharing this information.
Thanks a lot Annie fro helping out newbies like me who are starting new business. Thanks a lot.
To build a dedicated and expert team, an organization should hire at their best. They should keep in mind their goals and areas of work. If an exterpreneur does it really good, then it can get an amazing team, which can fullfil their goals more efficiently and perfectly.
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I think here must be written more about this, we are building with Uttoran a new small team for our online project. It’s really important to hire the right person who knows what he wants and what our startup wants. I guess the author could write much more about this topic, but thanks anyway, Will try to use the tips 😉
Some interesting hiring considerations here and thanks for the blog. As I side note, I’d caveat that for early stage company employees, entrepreneurial spirit is critical, but for long term success, you also need high quality operators.
Hi Liam,
I agree. Some people love to build things, but can’t stand the day-to-day operations. Others prefer to do the same thing every day forever. It depends on what your goals are and whether you want to create something to manage or just start and bail.
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I think it is important to remember that the people you hire won’t be exactly the same as you. Thus it is important to create a culture where “getting the work done” is more important than “being at work”.
Millennials no longer expect a “normal” working week, so it is important to implement remote access and flexible working as soon as possible to underpin this results-oriented culture.
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Hi Ben,
Employers have long had the wrong focus. What matters is truly what you accomplish – not just being present from one time to another. If they focused on results they wouldn’t feel the need to control employees by having them where they can see and micro-manage them.
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This is great article i have read, unfortunally i’m not already have a team in my work. That article I hope i can choose and hire the employee who have a enterpreunurship like me. I also have a new dream as this article that I have team like a family.
thanks you very much, i think your post is very good because, when we works, we should to with the team. we can help together.. your post can help me when i work with my team in my company. thanks again…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..LIKE
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Hi Annie,
Awesome post which contain very useful information about How to Build Your Team as an Entrepreneur. Very interesting and informative article. I liked it. I hop it will help me. Great point included in the post. Thanks for sharing views. Have a great week ahead.
I\’m sure this post will help me a lot in business and hiring new employees, thank you! Annie Davis
i am not agree with you. Because build a team is not easy as you said. This is really too tough to make people what you want.
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I’m in the process of building my team of like minded people. It’s really tough to find others of the same mindset. Its a process thats for sure. I’ll be happy once I’m done with it. My latest project at lyftgyft.com is one of my favorites and near and dear to my heart. Nice blog by the way, finding some solid tips here. Thanks.
~Melissa
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Hi Melissa,
Welcome to GrowMap. If you find someone who is well connected they will often know may others to add to your team.
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I think to build a team in our business is not an easy thing to do. But this is good for business like you’ve said. For now i still prefer to do all by my self. Maybe next time i’ll think about making my business team.
Thanks, A very useful information I appreciate your writing skills; you can explain things in a simple way. Thanks for this wonderful article.
In the early days of running your own business, it’s natural to try to do as much as possible yourself. It’s the most cost-effective, comfortable, sensible way to do things in the beginning. But as your enterprise grows, you will find yourself stretched thinner and thinner. Eventually, you’ll find you just can’t continue to oversee operations and sales and accounting and fulfillment and marketing–and hope to continue to grow your business.
Thanks for the valuable ideas. Most importantly i will try to follow the employee selection guideline. Thanks
Setting those goals clearly Annie helps you make a beeline for your ideal team members.
Smart share!
Ryan
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Hello Madam Annie,
No man is an island and we all need each other to survive but as to how to go about it is what live many of us hanging. Thanks for this lovely piece.
I think it will be better partnering with brands instead of hiring unless really necessary! Thanks once more.
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Hello,
This is a wonderfully comprehensive post .I think that not everyone can be a good entrepreneur and to succeed, you need excellent skills and lots of motivation and the ability to override a failure when it appears.I would love to see some more such interesting article from your side.
Thanks for writing and I hope that you’ll have a happy weekend.
Keep up your great work!
Regards,
Mohd arif
Entrepreneurship is something which is trending this days and I guess I’m also a great fan of Entrepreneurship and how to tip.
Thanks for share.
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Building a team is very tough job to do and the first part of being an Entrepreneur is building a team that can execute the jobs with precision.
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I think that not everyone can be a good entrepreneur and to succeed, you need a set of excellent skills and lots and lots of motivation and of course and the ability to override a failure when it appears.
Anyway, good article and thanks for sharing this!
Seems so simple when you read it, but it is not. it’s very difficult to create a team but not impossible.
Thanks Annie for this good content:)
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I dont have any team to my bussinness, it just my own to do… but next I’ll try to recruitment my team in my bussinness…
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I really appreciate the awesome informative stuff.
Ms Annie Davis,
I appreciate your writing skills; you can explain things in a simple way. Thanks for this wonderful article.