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The Business Leadership Wikipedia: Your Virtual Power Team (Part 3)

Who do you want on your ideal business team?

((Note: This article is currently being created as of 4/9/09))

Description: Identify the members of your ideal business team.

Why this is important: Custom-selecting each member creates a more effective team.

What you need to do: Seek individuals who fit the team "design" you've created (see YourVirtualPowerTeam2 for designing your team).

Here's a quick summary of my team's design:

1) The name identifies the function of the team, and says who the team serves.

"The 1st Insight Communications Business Entrepreneur Support Team"

This says that I'm looking for members who support Business Entrepreneurs. Members will have a business that supports other businesses (B-2-B function). This immediately narrows the field, eliminating all businesses that primarily provide support to consumers such as residential Realtors and personal trainers, just to mention a couple.

Those on my list will include marketing professionals (such as web designers, graphic artists) and business support services (such as CPA's, business attorneys, executive coaching firms). You get the jist.

I can further narrow the field to those B-2-B businesses who have a website. After all, I'm designing a virtual (internet-based) business team. Team members need to mention my business on their website. Let's take this a step further to include only those who have control over their website: For example, a multi-level marketing office supply rep. who has web space hosted on the parent organization's site will be unlikely to place my link on that restricted web space).

Whom would you include in your business team short list? Whom would you eliminate?

2) The team mission and client service process further narrow the field.

My team supports the growth and health of small entrepreneural businesses. B-2-B businesses who serve entrepreneurs at one of the steps in the process below are potential team members--with one important exception: They cannot be a competitor, providing the same services I provide. In short, I'm creating the internet version of those type of business networking groups that allow only one individual from each profession. The best scenario is the business that you can see bundling your services and products with their own (i.e. A business coach teaming up with a web designer, graphic artist, printer and business attorney to provide a "business start-up" package and market it from their web sites). Now we're getting real specific!

3. It's a team, so you're looking for team-spirited members.

Let's face it: Any business owner would be overjoyed to have you advertise their products and services on your website. You'll meet many who are thoroughly convinced that your contacts and clients need and will thank you for advertising what they have to offer. But, when you ask them to promote your services and products to their contacts and clients, they quickly become disinterested. You're looking for a win-win reciprocal team relationship. If you're both satisfied with the answer to the question, "How will this relationship benefit me?", you have a potential team member.

4. Who compliments your values and style?

What are your values? Consider how a difference in some of the values below might affective a business relationship. This is a quote from the introduction to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations (AD 121-180):

"From Maximus I learned self-government, and not to be led aside by anything; and cheerfulness in all circumstances, as well as in illness; and a just admixture in the moral character of sweetness and dignity, and to do what was set before me without complaining. I observed that everybody believed that he thought as he spoke, and that in all that he did he never had any bad intention... he was accustomed to do acts of beneficence, and was ready to forgive, and was free from all falsehood. ...No man could ever think that he was despised by Maximus, or ever venture to think himself a better man. He had also the art of being humorous in an agreeable way".
- The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (Shambhala Publications)

You want team members who share your core values.

5. Where do you find members to invite onto your business team?

Locally: Networking group, Chamber of Commerce

Google businesses and visit websites

Next week in part 4 of the Your Ideal Virtual Power Team series you'll learn how to initiate productive communication with your virtual business team.

1. Bring them up to speed on your business. (questions to ask)
2. Get up to speed on their business. (questions to ask)
3. Create a joint venture relationship. (options, contract)

To your success and significance in business,

David Smith

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David Smith is the CEO of 1st Insight Communications: Business Leadership Coaching for Accelerated Results. He is also the visionary creator of The Business Leadership Wikipedia.

• Gain exposure for yourself and your business by joining our growing list of Business Leadership Wikipedia ContributingAuthors.
• Contact David Smith for a complimentary Business Growth Acceleration Session, valued at $500 Email or (503) 816-9665.

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Get help creating your ideal virtual power team.

The Virtual Team article series gives you the plan for creating your ideal virtual power team. But even the most detailed plan doesn't guarantee success. We're going to give you the support that will guarantee your success.

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We'll give you all the guidance, support and accountability you need to create your ideal virtual power team. By the end of the class, you will have your virtual power team in place and immediately begin to experience the benefit for your business. Your ideal virtual power team will be worth tens of thousands of dollars in attracting and serving your business clients during the year 2009.