A Start-up Is a Team Sport

The perfect team will help you build the business you've always dreamed of.

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Ideas have power. When you start a business, you are manifesting an idea that once lived intangibly in your mind. The thing is, because it's been living in your head for so long, you have certain ways you expect the idea to be executed as a living, breathing business. Once the idea grows into a business, though, it is impossible for you to be the only person executing upon that idea. This is why you need the perfect team to help build the business of your dreams.

But what makes up that perfect team, and how do you build it?

1. Pick a perfect partner(s).

This person needs to be someone who truly sees your vision and understands how you want your vision executed. (My partner and I are like the perfect yin and yang). Make sure you two (or three, etc.) are on the same page before officially partnering.

2. Hire ambitious employees.

Start-ups are often short on money and therefore cannot afford to pay market price for the caliber of employee they want. So, you have to get creative and find people who are more interested in the experience of working with you, toward a common goal than they are in the number on a paycheck. At Happy Family, I have found many people who are intrinsically motivated, and they have been the ones who stuck with us through thick and thin.

3. Reward your employees...when you can.

In the world of start-ups, this does not translate to huge bonuses at Christmas time. It can be anything from a surprise weekday lunch or a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant. No matter what it is, it's important that your employees feel like their work is valued. It keeps them happy and motivated and ultimately will save you time in having to deal with unsatisfied employees.

Shazi Visram is the founder and CEO of HAPPYFAMILY, the leading premium brand of baby and toddler meals in the U.S. HAPPYFAMILY is sold in over 13,000 stores with 9 different lines of optimally delicious organic foods. @shaziv