#1 priority: your essential start-up team

When setting up a business, it’s important you start as well as you mean to go on. You have the business idea, you have the business plan, you’ve sorted a place of work and now, all you need, is the right team set up to make sure your start-up isn’t held back by one tiny grey area of knowledge. Here’s your five key team players and why your business will thrive by having this balance.

Someone at the front: the leader

Every project needs a project manager. This person is not focusing on one individual aspect of the business but has an understanding of what everyone is doing and is communicating this between the team. They are driving the overall project, mapping the strategy and enforcing deadlines and workloads. Done well, this will keep the team on task, happy and help the business grow.

Good with money: the negotiator

Every company needs an accountant figurehead. They will be in charge of things like distributing funds to each department and project, researching the best price for things and working out salaries for the team, in line how the business is growing. That’s just a start on the tasks the accountant will have, so it’s really important to have someone who knows their stuff for this role, as money spent right, at the end of the day, can be the difference between your business flourishing or dwindling.

The one with contacts: marketing bod

When you set up a business in a specific industry, it helps if you know it or have someone who does. Your marketing bod will have press contacts, industry-relevant contacts, an understanding of social media and SEO and, once your business has started, they will be the one pushing out your product and brand name and bringing in your first revenues.

A techie whizz: the designer

It’s important that, from the start, your business has consistency across its branding, so people recognise it. This is why it’s important to have a designer who can work on your website, marketing material and social media channels and make sure they are looking amazing and in-sync! By having a designer in-house, they are working amongst your team and have a better understanding of the business and what is most appropriate and effective.

For the essential bits and bobs: an intern

There will always be little jobs that need doing, so why not hire an intern. They can be answering the phone, filing, organising orders, doing lunch runs and helping the team here and there. Many recent graduates will take an unpaid internship for the experience and, as long as you make it a fun team to be in and make them feel involved in the exciting start of this brand, they might just be loyal enough to stay on afterwards with a starting wage.

So, there you have it, those are the main players you need on your team. It also helps to have someone with legal knowledge, so you have ask for advice when these issues crop up.

It is really vital that you do your research and plan properly when you are starting a business, but if you recruit the right people with the right mixture of knowledge, you’ve given yourself the best chance to succeed. I hope this blog was helpful and good luck!