By Henry Brown

When you first start your business you are often working alone. However, over time your business might grow and you will reach a point where you can no longer do it all alone, you need a team. Whilst this can be exciting, it can also be daunting if you have little experience in managing and leading a team of people. Today we want to allay some of those concerns as we share a few tips around how to be the leader your small business needs.

Assuming that you have identified the roles that you need to fill and you have recruited wisely, you now have yourself a team. You need to be able to rely on these people to carry out their jobs effectively, so the very first thing you need to focus on is training.

Deliver effective training

Your new recruits need training in order for them to do their jobs. You will then want to work closely with them as they get to grips with it and offer them ongoing encouragement and support. This will help you to ensure that they are competent in their roles, it will help you to build relationships with them and it will enable you to feel confident to step back and delegate to them when the time comes.

Offer ongoing support

Training and support is not only for new recruits, this should be ongoing. Everybody benefits from constructive and supportive coaching, so be that coach for your team. You can help them to do things more effectively, a benefit to your business and to them as they will gain greater job satisfaction if they are performing well.

Even the best, most competent performers will benefit from this support. It might just be that a coaching session with them is an opportunity for you to recognize with them how well they are doing.

Communicate openly 

Your team needs to take direction from you and you need to hear what they have to say. Make it a habit to hold team meetings and share updates in person. Emails have their place, but face-to-face communication will allow for more dialogue and honest feedback.

You will want to encourage everyone to always come to you with their ideas, as this makes them feel valued and integral to your team and it can also help you to develop your business. They might spot that you would benefit from using Computer Support Services or they could highlight a service that is not quite hitting the mark with your clients.

Reward regularly 

Take the time to reward your team regularly for their efforts and performance. This need not be grand gestures every month, but might take the form of a genuine ‘thank you,’ cupcakes all round or a long lunch break.

People need to feel that their efforts are recognized and appreciated to stay motivated.

Manage underperformance 

Finally, you must manage any underperformance. Is it fair on that individual and it is fair on the rest of your team if they feel they are carrying someone?

Identify the issues with them, agree an action plan to rectify the problems with your support where necessary, and then monitor it. Review regularly with them and celebrate the improvements.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.