All businesses no matter how big or small need connections and contacts to not only thrive but survive in the fast pace in an environment of modern day business. Timing is everything in business and having a phone book with these five contacts will save you time and money in the long-run.
The Advisor
An advisor is crucial for any business having someone that can mentor you through problems and give you advice for business development is crucial. It’s important that you have a good relationship with your advisor; however try to find someone who thinks differently to you, as this will offer new ideas to your business. An advisor will ensure you don’t make the same mistakes they previously had, or the same mistakes their other prologues have made.
The Accountant
Running a business takes up an extremely long amount of time. Adding in the time it will take to do staff payroll and taxes can increase the chances of error. An account can ensure you spend time doing what you love and focus on growing your business leaving the bookkeeping to a professional. Not only will an accountant save you time, they will also likely offer you financial advice which will benefit your business.
The ex-employee
Having an ex-employee as a contact can help in many ways. They will likely be more honest about the business and how they felt working for you than a current employee would do. The ex-employee can tell you reasons why staff morale can be low and even offer advice to who deserves a promotion/pay rise. Maintaining a good relationship with ex-employees can also lead to networking opportunities with other businesses in your local area, once they find new jobs.
The Emergency Cleaners
Emergencies happen in life whether it be vandalism, a fire or your business getting flooded you need a plan. The longer you leave your business damaged the longer it will likely be closed, which will lower staff morale and damage your relationships with customers. Having an emergency cleaners such as CleanSafe in your phone book ensures minimal disruption to your business, meaning you can return to normal business hours as soon as possible.
The Freelancer (Part-Timer)
Having a reliable freelance or a part-time member of staff is crucial for any growing business. Whether it be to design a new leaflet or help out during the busiest times of the year, having an extra pair of hands can be a massive benefit. Having a reliable freelancer will also benefit your business in the future, once your business grows rather than spending hours looking at CV’s and conducting interview’s you’ll know exactly who to offer a full-time job too because of their previous freelance work.
The Local Businessman
Nothing is more important to any growing business that networking. Having a good relationship with another local business will benefit you massively both in the short term and long term. A local businessman who has run a successful business can not only offer you advice and his own contacts, it is more than likely he will tell his customers about your business grows your customer base.
Having these 6 contacts in your address book should ensure your business grows the way you’d like it too. Not only will these 6 contacts offer you help and support while growing your business they will also give you extra free time. Rather than spending hours working out tax codes, designing new leaflets or cleaning up flood damage these contacts will allow you to focus on building better relationships with your customers.
