If you’re starting a business, you’ll need a team of dynamos to help you do the job. Successful business careers depend upon choosing people with the right skills, attitude, and objectives. Here are a few tips to guide you in your selection.

“A founding team helps you storm the castle every day. You're married to your co-founders, emotionally and financially. Chosen well, no one will work harder or care more about your company,” explains Jennifer Houser, co-founder of UpStart Bootcamp, which helps people launch their businesses more intelligently. She explains that your core business team will be working tirelessly for profit share, rather than salary, and they will be instrumental in whether the business soars or flounders. They will set company culture and call the shots. “No doubt, you want an insanely great team,” she says. So just what does that entail? People whose business careers involve entrepreneurship and launching fledgling businesses would be wise to consider what Jennifer Houser recently told MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

SKILLS FOR THE CORE BUSINESS TEAM
When looking for the right partners, find people with the right skills. Your best friend from childhood might be someone with a great sense of humor, but can that person balance the books, build a website, run a marketing campaign, or make a decision? Even if you know someone who will “do your site for free,” you have to objectively assess their skill-set to determine whether that person will make a good partner.

ATTITUDE
The saying “Attitude is everything” may be a little overstated. You don’t want to call people onboard just because they are nice or borderline manic in their elation for the company. You need qualified people, first and foremost, but from there, you need people who will keep your spirits soaring. You want to find people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty, and people who are “can-do problem solvers.” You don’t want dead weight or Debbie Downers on the team.

SHARE THE PASSION
The best teams share a common passion and dream. They’re looking to leave their legacy, earn profits beyond their wildest dreams, develop a winning reputation, or achieve personal goals. Look for someone who sees these objectives as a collaborative effort. Team players who are hungry for group success are always more valuable than individuals who are working for their own ego’s sake.