Building a 'Growth Team' and Other Tips This Week How your personal network can fuel your productivity, how confidence can defeat burnout, why your products need emotional content and more: our best tips of the week.

By Brian Patrick Eha

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

shutterstock.com

A roundup of the best tips of the week from Entrepreneur.com.

Nobody is an island, even hard-driving individualists need support in their business ventures. The people who you surround yourself with can either bolster your energy or drain it away.

To improve the quality of your personal network, productivity expert Jason Womack recommends building a "growth team" of people who will listen to your challenges and give you advice. Start by making lists of the individuals in your life that you admire and would like to spend more time with. Then ask yourself, "Who are the top three people who care the most about my personal and professional success?" Reach out to these people to let them know how much you value their input. Ask if you can be accountable to them -- while respecting their limited time -- and prepare to take off with their support as rocket fuel. More: How Your Network Can Make You More Productive

Build your own confidence to keep burnout at bay.
Burnout is always a danger for full-throttle entrepreneurs, and it can damage not only your own health but the health of your company culture. Top employees can sense when their leader has become burned out, and they often jump ship, says Stephen Courtright, a Texas A&M University professor of management. One way to stave off burnout is to ask for help when you need it. Be committed to learning on the job in order to prepare yourself for whatever might come your way. "You can't just wake up every day and tell yourself, 'I can do this,'" Courtright says. "Confidence comes from being able to meet the demands." More: 3 Skills to Prevent Leadership Burnout

Consider the changes growth might cause.
Most business owners are not content to rest on their laurels; they want to grow their companies, whether this simply means increasing revenue or a major undertaking like expanding into a new market. Creating growth projections is essential, but you should also consider how your business might change in other ways. Sometimes growth also means consolidation – laying off people or combining certain operations. Be sure these factors don't blindside you. More: What to Consider Before Your Business Expands

Emotional content is a key to viral success.
Whether it's joy, excitement or anger, people tend to share media that affects them emotionally. To make your products or promotional materials go viral, make sure they have emotional content that connects with your customers. "People often think that contagious products just get lucky," says Jonah Berger, author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On. "But it's not luck and it's not random. It's science." More: The Secrets of What Makes a Product Go Viral

After a disaster, think of your employees -- not money.
For a business owner, a natural disaster can throw one's whole livelihood into jeopardy. It's natural to think of money at such a time, but if you want to survive, your first priority should be caring for your employees. Joe Worth, vice president of operations at B2B CFO, a CFO services firm, recommends "doing everything you can to make employees' lives a little easier: organizing transportation, setting up on-site daycare, instituting flexible work schedules." Your efforts will pay off in employee loyalty and willingness to help see you through the crisis. More: How to Handle Cash Flow When Disaster Strikes

Brian Patrick Eha is a freelance journalist and former assistant editor at Entrepreneur.com. He is writing a book about the global phenomenon of Bitcoin for Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It will be published in 2015.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

Lead From the Top: 5 Core Responsibilities of a CEO

Knowing exactly what the chief executive's role entails is critical for steering a company to success.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Side Hustle

This Couple Started a Side Hustle to Improve a 'Terribly Made' Bathroom Essential. Now the Business Earns More Than $3 Million a Year.

Michael Fine and Lisa Schulner-Fine launched lifestyle brand Quiet Town in 2016 and have been growing it ever since.

Living

The 3 Lifestyle Habits That Made Me Sharper, Stronger and More Successful

These three simple yet powerful lifestyle changes transformed my productivity, energy and mindset. Here's how you can do the same.

Leadership

Everyone Needs a Mentor — But Being a Mentor Is Just as Important. Here's Why.

Mentorship isn't just about sharing knowledge. Here's why mentoring others could be your most valuable growth tool as an entrepreneur.

Living

Inspired by the Masters? Bring Your Work Hustle to the Golf Course with Mind Caddie, Now $99.99.

If the Masters made you realize that your game needs work, check out this performance coaching audio app.