Everyone says there is no ‘I’ in team, but where is the team when you’re an entrepreneur? If you are the only one running the business, the only one making the sales, the only meeting the clients and the only one bringing in the money, then where is this team that we speak of?
The answer: all around you. Believe it or not, you have a full force team backing you up – they just aren’t involved in the daily activities of your business. As soon as you realize who they are, you’ll be shocked to find out that you didn’t realize their efforts were helping you the way they were. So, are you ready? Let’s meet your team.
The Marketers
That’s right you have a marketing team. They are your family, your friends, and your clients. Your family and friends talk about your business, they rave about your services and they recommend you to people needing what you have. They are your social marketers. And, they aren’t the only ones. Your previous clients are also your social marketers. They are guaranteed walking billboards that are advertising your services to the max. Why? Ever went to a dinner where the service was great, the food was awesome and the overall atmosphere was like no other? Then, did you go to work the next day, call up some family, run in to friends and tell them about your great experience? This is the perfect example of clients doing the advertising for you! You were a social marketer and you were doing it all for free. Well, just like you may have done that, others are doing the same for you. People rave about good experiences; it’s a bragging experience for them and an advertising opportunity for you. Not only that, your social marketers can reach an audience of connections that you don’t even know. They can spread the word just like fire. They will remember that experience for a long time and bring it up in the future when people are talking about similar experiences. They are a long-term marketing campaign that can make a difference to your sales book!
The Accountants
Just to throw a little humor into the mix, the accountants are your spouses, landlords, roommates, and billing companies. Okay… let’s rewind. What am I talking about? Well these are the people that will be asking you for money at the end of the month. Your wife will want the new pair of shoes, your husband the beer, your landlord will be collecting the rent, your roommates will want groceries, and the billing companies… well, they don’t really care – they’ll just shut your services off. But in all reality, these are the people that help you stay focused on your financial goals. They are the ones that keep your bills in line and your head on straight. At the end of the month, they will let you know if you aren’t doing so well. They might not create the budget for you, but they certainly end up on it. Without these people constantly nagging for their share, you may not realize that time has passed and you are slowly going into the negatives. So as far as your team is considered, they definitely help set reality when it comes to the accounting side.
The Assistants
Okay, so they might not assist you with your business needs, but they do assist you with keeping positive and focused. I’m talking about your family and friends. Not only are they your social marketers, they’re also hear to encourage you and cheer you on. They are the ones that will give you the honest feedback and help your learn so you can grow. They will encourage you to try new things and overcome obstacles you didn’t think were possible. They are the positive re-enforcers that make going to work every day achievable. They are your team spirit and they assist you with the most important thing – staying positive and focused! So, remember next time a family member or friend offers an opinion, they are just looking at it from a different point of view and giving you a chance to learn and grow! Think of them as a team member and listen openly for suggestions. Most importantly though, these are the people who believe in what you are doing and that it will be successful.
The Resource Centre
When you need help or answers to questions, who do you turn to? I would like to say, those people around you. This could be friends, family, neighbors, clients, networks, the internet, and most importantly, ANYONE! You can’t tell me that when you were looking for an answer to something, you just ignored it and carried on as if you didn’t need it? Wrong, you went looking for a solution. And where did you find it? From your resource team. Everyone, everywhere that has had an impact or helped you solve something at some point in your business is a part of your resource team. This could be a 1-800 number that helped you through a problem, a forum on the internet that gave you a solution, or even a child of yours that helped you build your business online. Anytime you received help, that information was put there for you to access by someone. Someone taught it to you, and therefore, have now become a part of your resource centre. Think even beyond this, to the feedback you receive from clients and friends. These are resources that you didn’t have before. They are still helping you learn and grow as a company. Your resources are everywhere, and when you turn to them, they are a part of your team as well!
I could pick out other teams you may have, but in the end, I have proven there is a team in entrepreneurship. Your teams may not be running the business, making the sales, meeting the clients and bringing in the money, but they do help make these things possible for you. Without them, who would support you through your struggles, refer you to new clients, help you by giving you the answers you need, and make sure you’re financially okay? In reality, they aren’t directly involved with your company, but without them, would you still be as successful as you are? Here at our network, we believe there is no ‘I’ in team, but that ‘I’ has its own team.
Martha Whittle is a Marketing Assistant for the CFBE Network which specializes in helping coaches and consultants. “Our mission is to make you succeed. We are bringing together individuals like you and offering incomparable resources to help you along the way.” Visit us today at the CFBEnetwork.com