Running a business isn't easy - it takes a village!

It's all too easy as a founder of a successful business to beat yourself up when one aspect of it isn't working how you want it to - after all, you built the business and you are responsible for its success, why shouldn't you be able to do everything?

These days you can hardly turn around without bumping into someone on LinkedIn or Facebook who is claiming that they have 25 hours in their day and every single one of them is an unmitigated success.

In reality we all know that isn't the truth of the matter for anyone - no-one, no matter how talented, can be all things to all people. This is especially true for founders and MD's running small, brilliant businesses. We've all heard the famous saying "It takes a village..." and for me, business is where this is most true.

You need the support of talented colleagues and co-workers to make your business the absolute best it can be, and sometimes they will need more from you than you have to give.

As an example, lets say Dave runs a business that makes parts for vacuum cleaners. Now there is nothing Dave doesn't know about vacuum cleaners - he is to vacuums what Messi is to football. However, Dave doesn't know how to complete his taxes on the profits his parts make. So Dave has two options - 1.) he can have a stab at it himself and hope either he discovers a hitherto unknown natural talent for accounting, or that HMRC turn over a new leaf and decide they appreciate the effort, or 2.) Dave gets an accountant.

I think we all know which way we would go in that circumstance, and for many Sales & Marketing is exactly the same. It can all feel a bit overwhelming - after all you know your product is great so why not expect that sales will just happen?

Regretfully (although not too regretfully, as I wouldn't have had much of a career otherwise!) this is almost never the case. Sales and Marketing needs commitment, technique, training and graft to perfect, and this isn't necessarily one of the skills in a founders wheelhouse.

At SME Consulting we breathe Sales, we live Marketing and we love passing it on. If the time is right to progress your sales from a wing and prayer to a well oiled machine then get in touch for a no obligation chat.