Continuing our business series and highlighting small business matters I'd like to look at a few roles or positions necessary in a small business to be successful and to clearly structure a strong team. I should preface by saying these are not requirements and not a full list either of small business roles. Again I'm speaking from personal experience and what I've seen exhibited by other successful companies. If you think of other roles which don't fall under one of the following categories I'd love to hear what you've found to be successful.
The Visionary
This role is the easiest to fill in a small business. I say it's the easiest because usually the small business is begun because of someone with an idea. The founder has identified a problem and envisioned a solution. The visionary does more than just provide the initial vision however. They must continue to stay current with the market and the trends and provide ongoing ideas and solutions. Idea generation is a primary focus of the visionary. They are allowed to dream and they are expected to provide ways to improve not merely the business and the product today, but in 10 years, 20 years to come. Summary: The visionary provides ideas and a future set of big things to accomplish. They must also be an effective communicator and motivator to encourage others to not only see the vision but to be passionate to achieve it.
The Planner
The planner is the perfect balance for the visionary. This person must be able to take the ideas and dreams of the visionary and place them on a roadmap for implementation. They must provide the gravity for the floating ethereal approach of the visionary. Plans should be detailed but not too overly detailed and the planner must take into account the available resources and project realistic deadlines and timelines. The planner asks questions and prioritizes things based on their understanding of the small business and their goals. Summary: The planner provides realistic goals and plans for accomplishing the goals of the visionary. They must be an effective organizer and highly realistic to continue the vision but place it on an achievable timeline.
The Creator
The creator is the person who generates proof of concepts and puts a real-life tangible implementation of the ideas and dreams. They must be able to both conceptualize the ideas and visions of the visionary and then apply them to a sample demonstration which can accurately represent these ideas. The creator works closely with the visionary and the planner to ensure things are prioritized correctly and the right ideas are put into action at the right time. There must be a strong ability to distill ideas down to their true essence and capture the idea with a minimal amount of effort. _Summary: _The creator generates a real-life representation of the ideas of the visionary in accordance with the plans of the planner. They must be an effective analyzer and capable of summarizing the minimum viable product as defined by the vision.
The Squinter
This role is invaluable to the success of a small business. Perhaps I should begin by defining the role and the title I've used. The term is absolutely not a negative term. This individual is the person who is completely focused on the details "behind-the-scenes" to make sure everything works and is built on the right foundation. The squinter looks at the details, the nitty-gritty points which allow everyone else to do their job effectively. Quick example, the squinter ensures the business has been incorporated correctly, has structured the by-laws, directors, and other legal needs. They analyze the market and the numbers and the viability of the product and business. _Summary: _The squinter focuses on ensuring the business is built on the right foundation and is structured to be sustainable. They must be an effective thinker and detail-oriented to establish the business correctly and prepared for the future.
Missing Role
There's one role which I have specifically not mentioned in the above positions I find necessary in a small business. You will notice I do not focus on The Doer. This is because I believe every role is a doer role. Without a team working together and everyone _doing_work to make the company successful the business will fail. I do not believe there should ever be a single person doing all the work. So I suggest the doer is actually a part of everyone's role. These small business roles are a few of the positions you'll find in any successful business. There are certainly instances where multiple roles are filled by a single person, in fact if you read my previous post on the many hats worn by a founder, I think my point is clear. There are other positions and roles which would help and perhaps some of these could be tweaked or defined even further. Read this list and see how it applies to your business, find the areas you are weak and determine if you need to seek additional help. Remember you should always staff to your weaknesses. And of course... Remember, we're all in this together!