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Starting a Business? Use Teamwork to Achieve More

The value of teamwork should not be underestimated in small business. You and your staff need to be on the same page for your business to thrive. Even if your startup is just you and your laptop, building relationships and working with others is a key to success. Entrepreneurship is not a solo sport, regardless of the ever-popular "I did it on my own" legends of successful business folk. The reality is that every startup needs help and support from others inside and outside of the venture. It is up to the business owner to take advantage of the benefits of teamwork by building that notion into the company culture, networking effectively, and working with other local business leaders to promote small business.

What is Teamwork?

Teamwork is defined as the joint actions of two or more people, each contributing different skills, working together to achieve a common goal. This is essentially the lifeblood of a business as well. Whether you have one or one hundred employees, everyone involved must be clear about the goals of the venture such that their day-to-day efforts are propelling the business toward those goals. The people that you network with and other small business owners are also key relationships -- the symbiotic interactions can be the difference between long-term struggle and wild success.

A Culture of Teamwork

The culture of a business is akin to the character of an individual. How things get done in a small business depends significantly on the culture that has developed. It is critical to the survival of small businesses that the culture incorporate teamwork into its foundation. The fundamentals of teamwork include respect for others' abilities, a sense of ownership and responsibility in every employee, and a willingness to communicate honestly about the expectations and acceptable standards in the company. While these seem like obvious qualities of a successful business, there are an awful lot of ventures who don't apply them!

Networking as Teamwork

Effective networking is another form of teamwork. The best contacts are the ones that can help solve problems and offer good advice, at least within their area of expertise. For subjects they are less familiar with, they tend to have excellent referrals at their fingertips, such that they can help with just about any issue brought before them. The payoff for being the go-to guy is a constant stream of referrals from contacts they have helped, referred, or just get to know. A strong networking community incubates these relationships and creates a group of business owners who work together to build everyone's ventures...teamwork.

Marketing Teamwork

Teamwork also comes into play in seeking out alternative marketing opportunities. Co-marketing can be extremely effective for both parties, but is still dreadfully underused. Making it work requires creativity and organization, but the payoff can be impressive. The key is to pair up with another business that targets the same basic market as your business. For example, a gym and a health food store or restaurant, or a car wash and an oil change venture, or a website developer and a small business accountant. The key to success in these endeavors is for each business to share customers without detriment and to build a strong referral relationship between the two ventures.

Working together is a key to success for any small business. Whether the teamwork involves your own employees, your networking contacts, or your fellow community business owners, working together everyone achieves more.

About the Author

LaunchX.com is dedicated to training entrepreneurs to turn their good ideas into great companies. The LaunchX System provides step-by-step education in the mindset and skill set entrepreneurs need to succeed. Our program includes intensive seminar training, key business software, and specialized workbooks that teach you the fundamental skills you need to achieve your financial and worklife goals through entrepreneurship. Register today for our introductory course and see what LaunchX can do for you!