If you’ve ever hobbled around on crutches or had to wear an arm cast, you quickly realize how important each part of the body is to your overall functioning and health. This is much the same for your business team.

When one part of your body isn’t working, even simple tasks are harder to accomplish. Ever tried peeing with a full arm cast on? Yikes.

In many ways, your business is like a body.

There are different parts (people) doing different things (jobs), all working together towards a common goal (staying alive, in both cases).

While we can’t help you if your arm’s broken …it’s summer… the cast is starting to smell …you’re stuck in a bathroom stall and can’t button your pants…wait, where were we?

What we can do is help you get started building a badass business team to get your dreams and goals off the ground.

To keep it easy, we’ve broken it down into two steps, so let’s get started.

Step #1: Figure Out Your Core Teams:

Every business is made up of three basic teams: your operating team, your support team, and your home team.

• Operating Team, the people helping you run your business from within. Think sales reps, project managers, designers, etc. These are the people in the trenches with you day-to-day, keeping your business afloat. Don’t take them for granted, frequently tell them how awesome they are, and, most importantly, supply snacks.

• Support Team, the people supporting your business from the outside. Think accountants, advisors, investors, mentors, etc. These people often bring the most prospective and likely know a lot more than you in certain areas. So seek their advice and listen — especially if they’ve walked in your shoes and can help you avoid pitfalls.

• Home Team, the people not directly involved but deeply impacted by your business. Think partners, family & friends. These are the people who see you at your worst, are willing to listen to you whine, and shockingly still love you. Gift accordingly.

Once you’ve understood the teams and can see how they fit into the overall picture, it’s easier to figure out which players you need most at this juncture in your business.

Put It Into Action

Take a sheet of paper, make a simple grid based on this diagram, and put who you already have in place for your business in each category. Or download the full worksheet in our free Building Your Business Training here.

Step #2: Do a Need vs. Wants Assessment:

Now that you’ve nailed down the different teams and their functions, you’re ready for step two.

Here’s where you decide who you need alongside you now and who you can wait to bring on later (Spoiler Alert: the private jet pilot is probably gonna come on-board last. Unless you’re Oprah. In which case, you’re already Living Your Best Life, so go mentor someone else!).

Identifying your top priority hires helps you get maximum bang for your buck by first gathering the people who are most critical to your success. You’re going to want to pick people who will take the most off your plate at each juncture of your business, so it’s worth giving it some thought.

Ask yourself:

• Who do I need on my team to run the business successfully over the next 6 months?

• Who do I want on my team after the next 6-12 months?

Going back to the body analogy one more time (and then we promise we’ll stop): while you can’t survive without a heart (a sales rep) or lungs (office manager), you can make do without an appendix (outside accountant) or spleen (second branch manager).

Who are the heart/lungs of your business? Go after them first. The appendix and spleen can wait.

The good news is: it’s up to you to decide who is “essential” vs. who is “nice to have.”

With forethought and action, you can make your business run a lot smoother just by choosing the right people.

One side tip: it’s helpful to write it all down as you try to figure out what to do next.

Here’s a visual from our Building Your Business Team online training. This worksheet and many others are available to help you think through your next steps.

As business operations shift, your team needs may as well.

Everything from COVID-19 restrictions to new growth and expansion can affect your current business operations. Here are a couple of extra resources to help you along the way:

Take our Building Your Business Team online training.

• It’s short, to the point, and full of actionable tips to get you going.

• It’s free and on-demand, so you can squeeze it into your busy schedule.

• Best of all—there are no additional body analogies.

What more could a busy entrepreneur want?

If you’re in NC, tap into your local Small Business Center.

Their seasoned mentors can help you clarify your goals and the steps forward. All help is 100% free, confidential, and tailored to your business’ needs.

Finally, one last tip: you really should have that arm looked at.

Have a question about this topic or anything else?