What is one of the most important roles in a new business and why?
To help you determine the most important roles to fill in your new business, we asked successful entrepreneurs and small business owners this question for their best insights. From appointing a Chief Technology Officer to hiring a Head of Human Resources, there are several key positions to consider hiring for in your business.
Here are 12 key positions every small business needs:
- Chief Technology Officer
- Customer Service Manager
- Legal Consultant
- Developer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Sales
- Advisors or Consultants
- Chief Executive Officer
- Quality Control Manager
- Marketing
- Chief of Growth
- Human Resources
Chief Technology Officer
The CTO, or Chief Technology Officer, is one of the most important roles you can have for your business in 2022. Their key responsibilities, especially as more companies are tech-focused, include coding and growth strategy. CTOs typically collaborate with CEOs to figure out tactics and business plans for the future. More importantly, CTOs work with the development and IT teams to ensure that the products or services the company offers are well-established before public release. Jonathan Zacharias, GR0
Customer Service Manager
Any new business must fill certain crucial roles first, and one that should always be high on the list is an exemplary Customer Service Manager. After all, your customers are the core of your business, and their wants and needs should come before any marketing campaign or business strategy.
To build an overall customer experience that you can be proud of, your Customer Service Manager will not only be tasked with training the team in constant contact with your existing and potential customers, but they will need to instill traits like empathy, patience and the ability to overcome challenges. This role will be imperative to your overall success, especially when it comes to customer reviews, referrals and word-of-mouth advertising. Mark Sider, Greater Than
Legal Consultant
The position of a legal consultant may not be a full-time one in a new business, but it certainly is among the most crucial ones. A legal consultant, or even a legal team, is tasked with laying out the legal framework of a new business entity, and despite being placed outside the business structure, plays a very important role in the setting up of the business as well as its smooth functioning. The reason for this is that in fulfilling the initial legal requirements, a business is able to launch its operations without any fear of risks of regulatory breaches at a later stage.
Even as the business continues to grow, a legal consultant ensures that every element of its operations, vital paperwork, and other crucial regulatory requirements abide by the law and follow the schedule laid down by it. Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.
Developer
A developer in a startup works with all things tech in their role, dealing with a lot of code. The developer may not be the initial person who is responsible for the product’s coding, but as the startup continues to grow larger, it is the developer’s job to ensure that everything is developing along with the company. This includes creating new innovations in design, code, and software, just to name a few. As such, developers are truly the problem solvers on all startup teams, and thus are important to the success of new businesses. Rich Rudzinski, Oversight
Chief Financial Officer
Hiring a CFO is crucial for ensuring fiscal discipline in a new business. It’s often a role that is overlooked because startup businesses will assume they can successfully manage their spending and finances (and how this relates to business growth). However, they quickly realize how spending can spiral, and just how much of a full-time role that financial management can be. It’s not just about ensuring you keep spending under control either. A good CFO will analyze the financial capabilities of the business, and use this to ‘steer’ the business to where it needs to be, with set monetary goals to reach. Tracey Beveridge, Personnel Checks
Sales
Employees in sales roles generate income for the company, and this is especially important for new businesses. At the same time, they also construct a client base for the new business. Satisfied first clients who have taken a gamble on the new business then can act as ambassadors, supplying the company with testimonials and reviews that can convert other potential customers. All this needs to start with a charismatic head of sales (or sales team) who believes in the company’s mission and unique selling proposition. Eric Ang, One Search Pro
Advisors or Consultants
One solid tip for anyone starting their own business is to not be afraid of asking for professional help. There will always be some areas of expertise you may not have enough knowledge to make great decisions. Bringing in a consultant, advisor, etc. can be a quick fix to solving those problems effectively. If money is tight, go minimalist and remember, a little spent on professional advice now can go a long way later. Sasha Ramani, MPOWER Financing
Chief Executive Officer
There are many important roles in a new business, but one of the most critical is that of the startup CEO. The CEO is responsible for providing vision and leadership, setting the strategy for the company, and making decisions that will determine its success or failure. In addition, the CEO must assemble and motivate a talented team to execute the business plan.
Why is the role of startup CEO so important? First, because startups are high-risk ventures with a very uncertain future. The success of a startup depends heavily on the decisions made by its CEO. Second, startups have limited resources and must prioritize strategically to achieve their desired outcomes. Third, startup CEOs must be able to navigate rapidly changing environments and make decisions quickly. Asako Ito, Divine Lashes
Quality Control Manager
Quality control managers might seem like they’re a job for old established businesses but new businesses need them just as much. This person is the one who makes sure that fledgling products are up to meet the standards necessary for commercial sale. They’re tasked with monitoring whether their manufacturing processes are compliant with local and global standards. The number of tasks that quality control managers have to attend to is hefty, and lapsing on any of them could potentially mean costly revisions, recalls or fines. Product producing businesses will absolutely need a quality control manager at some point in the life of your company. The sooner you get one the better off you’re likely to be. Alex Chavarry, Cool Links
Marketing
One of the most important roles in a new business is that of the marketing department. The marketing department is responsible for creating awareness for the new business and generating interest in its products or services. Additionally, the marketing department is responsible for driving sales and revenue growth for the new business. Without a strong marketing team, it will be very difficult for a new business to succeed.
Consider outbound marketing. They would likely be able to take on this important role and help new businesses achieve their goals. Outbound marketing is a necessary evil for new businesses, so it’s critical to have someone who knows what they’re doing in this department. This is just one example of an important role in a new business – there are many others that are essential for success. So if you’re thinking about starting a new business, make sure you have a strong team in place to support your venture. Lukasz Zelezny, SEO.London
Chief of Growth
One of the most important roles in a new business is that of the Chief of Growth. This person is responsible for helping a company grow, and they do this by working with the other members of their team to make sure the company has a consistent stream of leads and customers.
The Chief of Growth should be able to think on their feet, because they will have to come up with creative solutions to problems as they arise. They also need strong analytical skills so that they can understand their data and make smart decisions based on it. The Chief of Growth typically reports directly to the CEO or CFO, but may also report to other managers within their organization if those managers have direct authority over certain aspects of marketing or sales. Nick Cotter, Growann
Human Resources
Human Resources is a critical component of a new business because they help create the culture. Hiring people who share the same values and vision makes for a happy, productive culture. Hiring diversely ensures equity. Constructing a culture where people want to work for you creates employee pride. A positive business culture through the right HR is key. Amy Keller, Climate Candy
Brett Farmiloe is the founder of Terkel, a Q&A platform that connects brands with expert insights. Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.
