A business owner does a lot more than pony up the cash necessary to start a business. In most cases, you are the one most responsible for its failure and success, and you’re going to be carrying a lot of it on your own shoulders from the beginning. So, it’s important to understand what duties you’re likely to take on right from the get-go.

Planner

A good business needs more than a good idea, it needs a good plan, as well. A business owner should be able to construct and stick to business plans, that outline not just the objectives that they’re trying to reach, but the specifics of how they’re going to organize their labour and their resources in order to meet those objectives.

Bookkeeper

As a business owner, you always need to have a good idea of the finances of the business. You need to be able to record transactions, manage accounts, create budgets, track your cash flow, control business costs and more. While you might have an accountant to help you handle the leg-work of managing those accounts, you are always going to need a knowledge of the financial side of your business. Otherwise, even if you’re making sales and growing, you can almost accidentally lead yourself into hot water, monetarily.

Leader

If you’re starting to grow your team and bring more people on board, then it’s only natural that you’re going to take a leadership position as the most senior member of the company. As such, you should pay attention to insights for business leader success. This means being able to help people understand where they fit in their plans, outlining the short-term goals, as well as the long-term ideals, and helping motivate people to get them on the side with the direction that you’re setting. Great communication, encouragement, and a good understanding of inspiration can all play a major role here.

Manager

As a leader, you’re going to help build the team that you need to succeed. As a manager, it’s more about making sure that the team is working well. This can mean making sure that work is handed out appropriately to the right people, managing interpersonal issues, and ensuring that you’re able to meet the needs of your team. A management course can help you learn a lot about how to handle your team in the day-to-day workplace environment.

Salesperson

From the very beginning, you need to be able to sell people on your business, your products, and your services. From when you apply for a loan from a bank, to when you get working with your partners and outsourced service providers and, most importantly, when you’re trying to convert customers and clients. A good understanding of how to communicate the appeal of what you offer and how it meets the needs of your audience is crucial.

As your business grows, you will delegate many of the roles above to your staff as you develop them. However, it’s always important for a business owner to be skilled in these facets to better understand the direction of their business.