The StartUp Blog at PartnerUp

The chances of there being entrepreneurs out there who have both the skills and the time to cover all of the important functions of a startup are slim to none. It just doesn’t happen. Even if you can make due by yourself for a while, there are still other areas you could be concentrating on that you’re not. That’s why startup teams are so important.

The key to building a well-rounded startup team is establishing all of the important functional areas and then filling in the gaps. So let’s say that your strengths are in marketing and sales, and on top of that you’re a pretty good speaker. You may also want to find someone who knows about Web development and basically be your IT person. It might also be wise to find someone who knows a lot about finance and accounting and is maybe also a good writer. If possible, look for people who can cover a couple different areas instead of just one. If one of the roles that are being filled is a critical part of the business, you’ll also need to consider whether that role will be a paid position or you will make that person a partner.

Let’s face it, we don’t all reside in the entrepreneurial hub of Silicon Valley, which can make it more difficult to find like-minded entrepreneurs. Fortunately the Internet has helped make finding the right people much more feasible. There are a ton of ways to use the Internet to your networking advantage. Participating in forums relating to entrepreneurship and small business is one of the best ways to get you off on the right foot. You can also, of course, use PartnerUp, which was designed specifically for this purpose. No matter how you decide to network, just make sure that you do it. It’s crucial to getting yourself out there and spreading your ideas. No one will ever express an interest in working with your startup if they don’t even know it exists.

Now comes the sticky situation of working with family in friends on a startup. My advice: shy away from it or at least be very cautious and not too hasty in your decision include them. Friends and family may seem interested and eager in the early stages, but many relationships become strained or even torn apart when one person stops pulling his or her weight or things get rocky within the business. It’s a tough situation, and only a select few people can truly handle the pressures of balancing a working relationship on top of a personal relationship. So make sure that working with a friend or family member really is the best fit before he or she gets on board.