Is your small business starting to grow to the point that you need to bring in other people to keep up with the day to day tasks of running the company? This is, of course, a wonderful “problem” for any small business owner to have. Growth is always a good thing, especially when it goes hand in had with the increased financial stability that allows you to add personnel to your team.

However, many small business owners don’t stop and think about how their day to day lives are going to be changed once they add the responsibility of supervising employees to their already full schedules of marketing, networking, and providing the products and services that their customers need. Entrepreneurs who find themselves supervising one or more employees for the first time often go through a period of adjustment that requires them to change their mindset about the best way to run their companies.

Building a winning team of employees can make the difference between having a business that is mildly successful and one that really takes off. Supervising employees doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be very rewarding. The key to making the successful transition from being in business completely on your own to having a staff is to recognize that you have to be both an entrepreneur and a manager at the same time.

You can’t lose your focus on building your business, but you have to broaden your horizons to incorporate the principles of effective leadership and supervision into your work persona. When you start adding workers to your team, you have to learn how to interview people so that you have a chance of making smart hiring decisions. You’ll also have to come up with a way to train your employees regarding what is expected of them. After all, they won’t know how to fulfill their roles in your organization if you don’t tell them what their responsibilities are, show them how to perform the necessary tasks, and monitor their progress.

It’s also important for entrepreneurs who are adjusting to adding new members to their team to keep in mind how important open communication is. When you’re in business on your own, you don’t have the luxury of bouncing ideas off other people. When you get used to working independently, and then find yourself sharing your work space with others, you have to get back in the habit of talking with others about what is going on in the organization.

As the boss, it’s your responsibility to set the tone for the type of workplace you want to operate. If you don’t communicate regularly with your employees, they are not likely to become committed to the long term success of your organization. You have to let your team members know that they are important, and make sure they understand the nature of your organization.

If you want your employees to become a successful part of your small business operation, you have to provide an environment where open communication is encouraged.  Keep this in mind, and you’ll be able to transition from being a small business owner going it alone to the leader of a team that can help your company achieve it’s long term objectives and reach its full potential.