As a small-business owner dealing with growing competition, you’re likely tempted to keep the reins of your business firmly in your hands alone. After all, you’re the one who has built the company from the ground up, and you want to make sure that everything is done is in line with your values, your brand’s essence and your purpose. However, as soon as you launch your business, you’ll be flooded with tasks you were neither trained nor expected to complete – and this is where your hiring skills come to shine.
Even though every niche differs, and so does every company within it, there is a common ground of growth which enables every single business to thrive. And it involves the following roles, making them essential for the future of your business.
1. A marketing guru
Even if you come from a marketing background, as the manager and owner of your company, you cannot afford to spend the majority of your time on micro-managing marketing tasks. You need the precious time to consult with your investors, close new deals and make connections during those priceless networking events.
That is why you need a right-hand marketing expert to handle the dissemination of your brand story. This person is not only in charge of researching your audience, building strategies based on those findings, but also of conducting ongoing analysis of your campaigns’ success. You can already sense this turning into a marketing team, can’t you?
2. A website designer
Another essential company role that shouldn’t be given to someone who doesn’t excel at website design and maintenance is taking care of your online presence. It’s your second identity, your brand’s reputation-builder, and the main point of contact for most future customers considering our digital habits.
Even if your website is not used for e-commerce, you need a professionally-envisioned digital presentation that reflects your brand’s true identity. However, simply making one and leaving it as is won’t cut it for the modern consumer. They should work together with your marketers to see which SEO strategies will work best for your business, and keep your website updated so that search engines keep loving your brand.
3. An administration specialist
The exhausting tasks of bookkeeping, data entry, scheduling and rescheduling meetings, handling the daily office responsibilities – these are not the chores you want to burden yourself with when you are on the fast track to professional glory. That is why there is a growing need for admin jobs in Sydney and other major cities where businesses are built almost every day.
Accountants and various assistants can work with all your team members to compile the key data and create financial reports that will shape your future business decisions. And you’ll have the peace of mind of not having to worry about the intricacies of your finances or handling your already busy schedule.
4. A customer support representative
When you’re just starting out in the vast landscape of existing businesses, you don’t have a reputation to uphold, but you have one to build. This is not a task to be taken lightly, and the first steps you make in your communication with your customers can make or break a business, especially with the growing importance of online reviews and genuine feedback sharing. That not only means you need someone who knows how to represent your brand when communicating directly with the customer, but also someone who will be constantly available to answer their questions and see to their needs.
With so much on your plate, you cannot possibly expect yourself to fulfill this role as well, hence the need for a dedicated customer support representative, or better yet, a team, for fast-growing businesses. We are a very impatient generation that likes to have information delivered in a matter of moments, making it even more important to have someone who can manage any type of cranky, curious, or quirky customer!
5. A social media expert
Another aspect of your business that is becoming more relevant for the modern customer is your social media presence and ongoing communication via these networks. There’s a reason why this is considered a separate position from a customer support manager or someone in your marketing team – because as soon as your business blooms, this person will have their hands full with private messages, comments to respond to, likes and shares to deal with, and public conundrums to untangle.
Nowadays, a company practically doesn’t exist if it’s not active on social networks, which means regular posting and sharing interesting and relevant content, as well as building a network of followers that might become your brand ambassadors, customers, or both.
Raul is a B.Sc. in Innovative entrepreneurship and has a lot to say about innovations in all aspects of digital technology and online marketing. While he’s not enjoying travel, football and great food, you can find him on Technivorz.com