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The Five Business Colleagues You Should Have

July 25, 2007

I read a post over at CNN.com today (redirected from Oprah.com, apparently) entitled Five friends every woman should have. It got me to thinking—is there a business equivalent for you entrepreneurs out there? Too many entrepreneurs try to exist in a vacuum instead of seeking out the help and support that can bring them to success. So here it is, the five people you should have on your "team" when you are an entrepreneur:

  • The Cheerleader
    When the going gets tough, this is the person to say "You’re doing great!" and "You’re almost there!" Starting a business is long and hard work where it is easy to get down on yourself, so it’s important to have someone to help you see the good in yourself and your efforts.
  • The Pro
    Starting a business is like a crash course in everything—the amount of information you learn in the first year is just astounding. This is why you need an experienced business mentor who can talk you through the rough parts and offer advice that worked for him/her in that situation.
  • The Realist
    When you start thinking that fleece sweaters for cats are a great addition to your summer lineup in your Scottsdale, AZ clothing store, you need someone to give you an honest opinion of just how badly you’re screwing up. Entrepreneurship should not happen in a bubble—consider that "tell it like it is" friend to be your first stop in market research for ideas that belong on the cutting room for. Business isn’t supposed to be nice!
  • The Networker
    Who do you know that seems to know everyone? That’s the person who will find you help when you need it and introduce you to all the key people you need to know.
  • The Geek
    Even a geek like me can use a bigger geek on her side. The geek is someone to call when you have a technical question or you’re learning something that is a little over your head—someone to explain complicated technology in terms you can understand or to give you the lowdown on what’s the next big thing that can help your business.

Anyone you’d like to add to this list, or any thanks you’d like to give to your own entrepreneurial team? Post them in the comments below!

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Comments

8 Responses to “The Five Business Colleagues You Should Have”

  1. Adam Pieniazek on July 26th, 2007 5:02 am

    Though my startup is still in the very early phases, we have four of the five people above on our team. We’re all geeky, but have two computer scientists, and we all have networking ability but our realist in particular can strike up a conversation with anyone. The cheerleader is definitely my mom! Now, we just need a pro…perhaps that’s why we’re still in the very early (still secretive) phases after 3 months.

    You can always build on these types of list but I think you captured the five most important ones; time to go find a pro.

  2. Nikole Gipps on July 26th, 2007 10:52 am

    My mom has been a great cheerleader for me too! Not to mention some of the projects she has financed for me … Go Moms!

  3. Christian Rodriguez on July 31st, 2007 2:50 am

    Mom’s are amazing cheerleaders. My mother once told me she would do anything to help out - even selling her underwear if she had to..

    That sort of support is irreplaceable.

  4. Mary Ellen Merrigan on August 1st, 2007 10:15 am

    While I love the number five, I might move it up to seven; seven is one of those special numbers this year. Seriously, I’d add a peer and your inner child to this list. Let me explain:

    A business owner with similar experiences can mirror reactions, patterns and opportunities that you might see differently in a peer-to-peer light. I have kept in touch with a coach who started her business a year earlier than me. It’s been an invaluable tool as we’ve approached similar challenges and have learned much from sharing with each other.

    Every entrepreneur needs to be in touch with their inner child. In the middle of the busy game with it’s deadlines and challenges, it’s far too easy to lose sight of the passion and the fun that moved you to start the process! You have to go for it. You have to believe you can. And your inner child helps you do that!

  5. Valerie Ostrander on August 16th, 2007 10:16 pm

    I would add one more to this list:

    The Missing Link
    Face it, even though you are super woman and know you can do it all, recognize your strengths and weaknesses, what energizes you, what drains you. Be brutally honest in this regard.

    Identify the areas where your best efforts may not be good enough to promote your business successfully - be it marketing, web design, writing, accounting or other areas?

    The Missing Link can add value to your business, allow you to focus on attaining your goals and keep you from burning out. But be sure to choose the right talent for the job. Why throw your money away on the low-cost, mediocre services of australopithecus? When for a few dollars more, you can hire that cro-magnon who will get it right the first time.

  6. Jill on August 21st, 2007 1:23 am

    What Mary Ellen stated about The Missing Link is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO true. I easily identified that I needed a web designer but, unfortunately, initially hired the australopithecus. That was money burned. So then I used my entire marketing budget to hire the cro-magnon (Nikole Gipps at NHG Consulting) . . . we still have a few things to get done, but it’s a great site. Now I’m trying to get http://www.YourSoothsayer.com marketed and think I need help with that, but at least I’ve started.

    You have to start — or you’ll never get anywhere.

  7. Mike on August 26th, 2007 3:33 pm

    Nikole - A really brilliant post.

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