From the people I get to see and consult with each month, most are Techies. People who have learnt a trade in the industry and have gotten to a point that they think they now know everything or enough about what they do to start their own business. Technicians make great business owners because they know what they are talking about. Better a Technician who sucks at business than a businessman who bullsh#ts his way through the sales process.

All businesses need someone to wear the hat of the technician. These are the people who get the job done and know the details of the business down to the smallest nut and bolt. Most small businesses are born from the technician and develop through a series of growth levels, normally from the lounge to garage to wendy-house to factory shop to warehouse.

The problem we see with technical people is the lack of business acumen and procedures. They get the job done but there is little or no paperwork or marketing. Cash flow and planning become huge issues. And they often see their business failing because of some legislative issue like tax or DTI regulations. If you are a Techie then make sure your partner or outsource with a Manager hat to advise you and keep you on the straight and narrow. If sales and new ideas is an issue, then hire a coach or consult with an Entrepreneur hat, they make great company.

The first hat we discuss is that of the Entrepreneur. This for me is the easy place to begin because it is my natural hat. An entrepreneur in simple terms is a risk taker and opportunity seeker. We like to seek out new ideas and concepts and then make a plan to get them to market. This requires vision and energy. The Entrepreneur is one who sleeps with a notebook and pen, so he can awake at 02:45 to make notes for a new business concept. Entrepreneurs have huge imaginations and the word ‘impossible’ is not a part of their vocabulary. They like to take risks and ask questions later. The ‘screw it, let’s do it’ attitude is often hard for others to follow and will lead to frustration for suppliers and contractors or staff who get done with a project only to discover it is already 3 versions behind.

Every business needs some Entrepreneurial input to keep the ideas fresh and moving forward but will also need some form of balance to keep the business on an even keel and cash flush.

If you are like me, a natural Entrepreneur then surround yourself with two types of people, Sounding boards and Managers. You need to speak your ideas to help bring them into focus and let them hatch. Managers will assist you in getting all the paperwork done to keep both you and the business out of the poo.

Every business owner and Entrepreneur has many different roles to play. Each one separate from the other, yet similar in many ways. Getting the balance right is an art, getting it wrong results in failure at work and at home. Over the next 9 weeks, we will look at the various hats or roles that any Entrepreneur needs to wear. We will unpack all the pros and cons around each hat and assist you to become a better business owner, parent and spouse and Entrepreneur.

Be prepared to answer those questions that only a coach can ask, it may get a little uncomfortable but well worth it in the end.