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Since launching in 2005, the Enterprise Nation team has helped thousands of people start and grow their businesses. Led by founder Emma Jones MBE, Enterprise Nation continues to be the most active UK small business community and a leading campaigning voice for small business. Joining Enterprise Nation connects you with resources, community and connections you need to reach your business goals.

As a small-business owner, you have to wear many hats: salesperson, marketing director, IT manager, head of operations, bookkeeper. It can be a challenge to keep on top of every aspect of your operation and as you grow, the challenge increases. Is it sensible to keep plugging away at the things you're not so good at, perhaps at the expense of the things you are?

Independent business consultant Brian Symonds thinks it pays to recognise your strengths and weaknesses and bring in help where help may be needed. Here are his thoughts on how to manage the tricky process of keeping on top of 

I once ran a department of 160 in a national retail business that employed several thousand people. The company had specialists in all the areas that a successful start-up might eventually need : operations, buying, merchandising, warehousing, transport, finance, IT, HR, property and more. If a start-up thinks it is launching with all these skills to hand, even in the modest way relevant to a fledgling's size, the proprietor is probably one confused individual who is going to stretch him - or her - self too far and fail with their core interest. But relax - you won't need specialists in all areas when you start.

Last year I worked with an engineer who needed to turn from a declining service business into a start-up with a product to manufacture. It is to his credit that he realised he needed help to establish a web-shop and to develop all marketing material. For 20 years he had sat by the phone waiting for his customers to call with a machinery problem which he resolved. It was purely business-to-business. With the start-up he was faced with a new challenge : selling directly to the consumers in the great British public. He had excellent product knowledge, but with limited selling skills and no marketing activity he knew he needed help.

Part of the solution here was to get him taking a stand at country fairs where he could fulfil a function I always hold highly important : he could be the face of his business in front of all potential customers. He hired practical hands-on help to organise his pricing and to produce support material such as fliers. If you need help, get it behind the scenes. Few people can replicate your own enthusiasm for and knowledge of your products, and 

 have to put that passion in front of your customers.

There is another aspect in which you cannot do everything. You will lose focus if you try to meet every conceivable customer requirement. In January 1990 I joined a highly creative retail company but one with limited records. It had several small warehouses around the office. In February a severe storm took the roof off one warehouse. In moving the stock to safety we uncovered boxes of the lids off stylish tea-pots, kept in case an old dear somewhere smashed her lid and went into a store expecting to buy a direct replacement of just the lid, not even the whole tea-pot. Just think of the working capital tied up in seeking to meet the most outlandish requirement. And the inadequate records of a creative business meant that nobody knew of this stock. There is of course another maxim which illustrates my message : KISS. You cannot do everything. Get advice where advice will suffice, though be wary - you do not need the advice which comes in a bound report that will gather dust on top of a cupboard. Get real hands-on help where you need itÂ  -Â  it is more valuable. And above all else Keep It Simple.

A former commercial director Habitat and financial controller at British Home Stores, Brian now runs his own independent business consultancy 

Do you find it a struggle to fill the different roles of being a business owner? What's your solution? Please leave your comments below.

Your Say: Too many hats?

&lt;p&gt;Hello, I'm Amanda, Enterprise Nation's&amp;nbsp;adviser community manager. I oversee communications, content and events for our active and collaborative adviser community. I'm here to help our members make the most of opportunities and ensure we're constantly improving what we offer.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Previously, I've worked across a range of professional services industries specialising in diversity and inclusion and&amp;nbsp;corporate culture. I founded&amp;nbsp;an award-winning corporate&amp;nbsp;D&amp;amp;I&amp;nbsp;initiative&amp;nbsp;and led community strategies for a global board-level women’s network.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;An aspiring writer and storyteller. My&amp;nbsp;roots are from Wisconsin but I have lived in the UK for over 11 years. I enjoy&amp;nbsp;going to gigs, fitness, camping, and&amp;nbsp;far away places.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

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Adviser Community Manager

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Lucy is a jargon free, social media trainer and consultant. Lucy is a #SheMeansBusiness accredited trainer and founder of SocialDayUK the UK’s biggest social media marketing festival. Lucy is also a Director at Avviso Media, a digital marketing agency that specialises in content and social media marketing for B2B and events brands. Lucy’s passion is to up-skill women and so set up DigitalWomen with Natwest, a community created to empower 1 Million plus women through digital skills which holds regular events and highlights the great work women are doing in digital and entrepreneurship.

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Chartered Accountant & Chartered Financial Analyst

Accounting support - accountancy and audit - Audit and Assurance

As registered auditors in London, our aim is to ensure that your business derives optimum value from the audit process by providing shareholders with a&nbsp;clear picture of the business’ financial health. After agreeing and planning the scope of our work with you, we will collect, record and assess business data. We then prepare&nbsp;structured and comprehensive audit reports&nbsp;offering clear and constructive guidance that will allow you to make better informed strategic business decisions.<

&lt;p&gt;Hi, I’m Chris Dowling. I’ve been there and done it! With over 35 years of business experience to draw upon, I am here to help you too. You will benefit from my advice, and I will support you through the challenging changes your business needs to make it more successful wether you are a Start-Up or established business.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My services include:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Business mentoring Business development &amp;amp; growth&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Assessment and analysis of current position&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sales &amp;amp; marketing Cash flow and financial management&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Access to government support and grants&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Writing a Business plan&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Access to Start-Up loans.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We will define your business goals and ensure you have the knowledge, skills and processes needed to achieve them. I will be your ‘sounding board’ and ‘critical friend’, helping your business grow and expand – taking it to the next level.&lt;/p&gt;

Business Consultant

Chris Dowling

&lt;p&gt;Hi, I’m Chris Dowling. I’ve been there and done it! With over 35 years of business experience to draw upon, I am here to help you too. You will benefit from my advice, and I will support you through the challenging changes your business needs to make it more successful wether you are a Start-Up or established business.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My services include:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Business mentoring Business development &amp;amp; growth&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Assessment and analysis of curre