Welcome to our Founders Series, where we aim to give advice, answer questions and provide solutions for people starting their own businesses. If this sounds like you, read on! We've got plenty of content on a wide range of topics, all to help you grow and succeed as a founder.
Life as a founder of a growing company can be hectic at the best of times. That much is to be expected. But don’t fall into the trap of trying to do too much all on your own. Some of the most successful business owners only got there by sourcing the right support along the way – both professionally and personally.
From freelancers to founder communities and everything in between, here’s a varied spread of support sources for you and your business.
Find freelancers
As demands increase and your business expands, it won’t be long before you find yourself at full capacity. Hiring full-time staff is an option and so is partnering up with an agency. But are these the most cost-effective ways to get the support you need? For those odd jobs, one-off pieces or short-term requirements, you might be better placed with a freelancer.
Fasthosts recommends: There are a whole range of online marketplaces out there designed for busy founders to source freelance designers, copywriters, developers and more. Fiverr is one of them, but LinkedIn and peer recommendations can also be great resources.
Scale your support
Leading from the front comes with a spectrum of responsibilities including sustainability, compliance, finance, recruitment, innovation… the list goes on. But you don’t have to go it alone. Growth hubs exist to support and improve business performance, enabling you to build capacity and capability. From impartial advice, to funding opportunities – it’s all geared towards supporting the growth of your business.
Fasthosts recommends: Find your local growth hub here and start exploring new opportunities for your business. It’s also worth checking out crowdfunding communities like Indiegogo and Seedrs if you need a capital injection for your venture.
Join a founder or networking community
Can a busy founder truly switch off from their business? You might not even want to. But that doesn’t mean you should isolate yourself – that’s exactly why founder networking communities exist. Meet up with other founders or leaders in your situation. People who actually get you! This can not only be highly cathartic, but also a great opportunity to find new ways of working and/or business opportunities.
Fasthosts recommends: Combine socialising, exercise and networking with Freshwalks, a community dedicated to help you recharge and grow your network in one. Or chow down over a meal with 9others, centred around sharing connections, experiences and different perspectives.
Meet your mentor
You’ve got tons of experience working for organisations, and you know your field like the back of your hand – but being at the helm comes with new challenges. You can only prepare so much for things like leadership, marketing and finances – curveballs are inevitable and growth isn’t easy. This is where business mentors and coaches can help, providing pre-package solutions or one-to-one consultation geared towards your development.
Fasthosts recommends: For the best results, you want to find a business mentor that you connect with, so word-of-mouth recommendations from your peers, LinkedIn network or communities can be valuable. Alternatively, browse platforms such as PushFar and SCORE.
Grow your toolstack
Automation is your friend, and finding the right tools to invest in can streamline your processes to become a much leaner, more efficient and growth-ready business. If you’re struggling to know where to invest, try raising this with your growth hub, business mentor or networking community to see what works for others. A little money spent here can save you a lot down the line.
Fasthosts recommends: There aren’t many tasks that can’t be enhanced with automation. Here’s a few for inspiration – Buffer for scheduling social posts, HubSpot for an all-in-one CRM, Calendly for your meetings calendar, and even Fasthosts Online Marketing Suite for tracking keywords and monitoring marketing efforts.
Don’t go it alone, with Fashosts
Harnessing support isn’t a cop out – it’s clever and the key to your success. Preserve your work-life harmony, achieve your goals by bringing the right people on board, and take a leg up where you can to accelerate your growth journey.
And for our final Fasthosts recommendation, take a look at our Partner Network to quickly connect with independent web professionals and find the services you need for your projects.
