Creating a start-up business is one of the most liberating, satisfying and stressful ventures that one can undertake. With yourself as the bottom line – responsible for all of your business operations as well as its overall performance – the pressure’s on to show that you’ve got what it takes to make a success out of your ideas and your work ethic. One of the most important stages of start-up scaling is onboarding new personnel. New people, skills and ideas are the most important resource on which successful businesses grow. This article gives you some ideas as to who to join forces with in your start-up venture.
Administrative Assistants
The least glamorous job is also the most important to get right in your business. When you’re busy spinning plates, attempting to keep all areas of your business working smoothly, you’re not going to want to waste hours upon hours performing basic administrative tasks that can easily be outsourced to someone more junior. The perfect individual for such a position is a recent graduate: capable, but a little wet behind the ears, they’re perfect to keep your business running smoothly.
Sales
While you’re always going to be the most passionate individual concerning your brand and your product, you cannot devote all of your time to sales. When there’s overall business strategy to take care of, and high-level investor meetings in which you’ll be pitching, doing the lower-level sales jobs will be a little less exciting and necessary for the company’s CEO. Instead, bring in a vibrant, passionate and gregarious character to perform your sales role for you.
Financial Officer
Unless you’re a student of finance and economics who’s had a long career in financial modelling, forecasting and theorizing, it’s almost certainly going to be advisable for you to bring in an CFO. Financial services recruitment agencies are the best places to find one of these talented individuals in a hurry – those people who’ll be able to take one look at your accounts, your growth and your sales data, go away for a week, and come back with a marvellous spreadsheet full of insights that you’ll have been unable to locate on your own.
Marketing Director
Many people tend to blur marketing and sales into one department, but you’ll make this mistake at your peril. Where sales constitute the face-to-face, short-term boost to your company’s profits, your marketing team are running the marathon, slowly building up the momentum to tempt a larger and more consistent customer base to interact with your company. Marketing directors know all about public relations, long-term strategies, multimedia advertising and targeted marketing techniques, and will be able to tailor the perfect strategy around your brand.
Advisor/s
Not paid by your company, but credited for their help, it’s wise to also look out for advisors and mentors as you embark on your business journey. Look into your network to find people loyal and impressed with your start-up so far, and offer them a position as advisor that, one day, might evolve into a boardroom role in your business.
These tips are designed to help you make your way towards start-up success with the best help on board.
