#Squadgoals 5 Professionals You Need On Your Team
It’s easy to want to go conquer the world on your own, but it’s also exhausting. Real success happens when you have the right team behind you. The first lesson I always give my newbie entrepreneurs is to evaluate their squad. After we cover their social circle, we discuss their professional circle. New entrepreneurs often get overwhelmed when they realize that they are facing a giant learning curve. That overwhelming feeling is usually enough to weed out the faint of heart. If you can keep your cool, you’ll find that you don’t have to do it alone. A strong team of contacts can guide you through getting your project off the ground and help keep your feet on the ground.
Here are five people you need in your corner:
1. A numbers person.
Aside from helping during tax time, a great accountant can help with a lot more. An accountant can find ways to help lower your tax burden, manage bookkeeping, and do big-picture financial analysis. I don’t know where I’d be without a great accountant and know from experience what it’s like to have a terrible one. Do your homework and spend the extra money on an amazing one, it’s worth every penny.
2. A rockstar mentor.
A mentor who has walked the walk can give time tested guidance and support. If possible, this person has already accomplished what you are setting out to do. Learn from their path, don’t make the mistakes they made, and find out what really worked. I prefer having a group of mentors to reach out to. Each has their own perspective and tried different paths to success. In the early stages of starting a project, there are tons of questions that arise. I prefer asking a few people and not putting the burden on one hero.
3. A great banker.
Aside from getting help with business banking services like checking accounts, business credit cards, and payment processing, they can also play a bigger role. When you are ready to grow your business, they can help when you need access to working capital through lines of credit or business loans. They can also help determine when and how to qualify for these resources. Building a long-term relationship with your banker can really help your business grow as they will keep an eye out for services that may help you out. I love having the ability to call my banker directly to help in matters where a deal is moving quickly.
4. An amazing website designer who knows how to optimize what you have.
It isn’t hard to build your own website, but it also isn’t the best use of your time. You need something polished and on point with your message – make your first impression matter. It isn’t easy to get a ton of traffic on your website, so consider hiring a skilled web developer to help build a polished web presence that speaks to your target audience. Then, have that professional optimize your site to get tons of eyes on it. I love working with Native LA. Their work is flawless, and you wouldn’t be reading this if it wasn’t for their hard work.
5. A support group of other entrepreneurs who aren’t direct competition but work in a similar field.
Building contacts with fellow entrepreneurs can give you fantastic insight on getting moving more efficiently – we don’t all need to figure things out the hard way. They are also great support on days when you question your progress. Face it, everyone has days when we wish we were doing something else. Having a shoulder to lean on during those times is priceless.
In the same way that it takes a village to raise a child, nobody is self-made. Success comes from help from the community you create. Who are your favorite professionals that catapulted your career?