Four People Every Business Owner Needs

"I began talking about starting my own company right after college. My friend Andrea was a trusted confidant who recognized my entrepreneurial spirit. She really believed in me before I even believed in myself," says eco-designer Kelly LaPlante of Kelly LaPlante Organic Designs, based in Venice Beach, Calif.

Andrea not only served as a cheerleader when LaPlante was starting the business, but also continued to provide support as the business grew. When LaPlante introduced one of her new collections at the Sundance Film Festival, Andrea took on the job of handling the press for LaPlante, who couldn't afford a PR representative. She even cooked dinner for LaPlante's staff when they were exhausted after the festival.

"Clearly you need to have positive-thinking people around you at all times," says New York City business coach Marian Banker, who works with small business owners through her company Prime Strategies. "Your cheerleaders give you encouragement. You'll notice the word courage is in there, which is also something very important that a cheerleader helps you develop."

The Role Model

If he or she is actively teaching or training, then you might consider the role model to be a mentor. Often, however, someone is providing tremendous support through the simple concept of "do as I do." Lance Eng, a real estate broker from Los Angeles and author of Company You, a how-to on managing your life by the guiding principles of successful businesses, learned what it takes to run a business from his own role models, his family.

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