I have done a lot of work with founders over the years and whilst everyone one of them is unique I have found that there are certain approaches which I have used which work best. This is far from an exhaustive list.
1. Be part of the team – many founders are hands on and I have found that as an advisor “getting stuck in” is helpful in being accepted both by the founder but just as importantly by their team.
2. Understand the culture – this is hugely important as I often find that in smaller businesses their Coulter and values are really strong.
3. Don’t try and do everything at once – moving at a pace a small business can sustain is also hugely important. They won’t be cash or resource rich so a targeted, measured approach usually works best.
4. Win their trust – I tend to work with clients long term so I try hard to build a strong rapport with them. Showing a client that you are invested in their business and that you have a desire to be part of the journey is important
The above is how I approach new clients, I will be interested to see how others tackle this
random outpourings 