As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. - Bill Gates
You need a team, but where do you start?
The first step is finding the key areas where you need help. If you are building a business, you must make a brand, create products, design your website, structure mailing lists, attract new clients, service those clients, and so on.
Start by looking at the things you do very well. You are a killer salesperson or an expert communicator. Those may be things you can do on your own.
Next, look at the things that are not in your wheelhouse. You have minimal marketing experience, or you are not great at organization.
The first team members you hire should be the people who can help you with your weaknesses. You will have the best chance of success if you use this method.
The next thing you need to do is attract the right team members.
To do that, you will need to:
Write accurate and attractive job descriptions.
Offer fair payment.
Place ads to help team members find you or look for them on sites like LinkedIn.
Interview people.
Make sure you ask for samples of their work where it is proper, and check their references. These days, it is easy to hire people to work remotely without ever meeting them. You should set up Skype interviews with anyone you do not plan to meet in person.
It is also a clever idea to impose a probation period on new hires. That way, you can make changes quickly if you need to. Just make sure to put everything in writing.
Next, we will talk about strategic thinking.