Starting a business can be an exciting and challenging endeavor. For me, founding Immediate a few short years ago has been the adventure of a lifetime! I’ve learned success requires strategy and foresight, as well as a commitment to making sound decisions throughout the entire process. Whether you’re launching a new venture or planning to scale an existing one, here are my five essential strategies to help ensure your business is on track for long-term success.

1. Know the problem your solution solves

Solutions to problems matter. The more clearly you can describe your solution, the easier it will be for potential investors and customers alike to buy in. They need to understand why this new product or service might just work better than anything else on the market, so differentiate yourself by knowing the problem you solve.

Read the full article on Forbes: 15 Tech Leaders Share Advice For New Entrepreneurs In The Tech Space

2. Hire a high-performing team

Since the mission of Immediate is to positively impact the financial well-being of 1 million American workers by 2025, the key characteristic we look for in hiring is a desire to make an impact.

Buy-in and alignment from the team keep us working together toward a common goal, which is usually summed up in a company mission. Employees who want to make an impact will make a difference for most companies. For Immediate, our mission drives all of our decisions, and this keeps us moving the company forward, together.

Read the full article on Forbes: 15 Characteristics Of A High-Performing Tech Team (And Why They Matter)

3. Create a culture of collaboration

There are few things more powerful in the workplace than the strength of collaboration. Creating spaces for your team to share knowledge, give open feedback, and collaborate are all important. Whether it is one-on-one or department-wide meetings, promoting a sense of transparency and collaboration is a great way to keep your employees engaged, make them feel valued, and create a space for them to ideate.

Read the full article on Forbes: 15 Practical Ways Tech Leaders Can Build A Culture of Collaboration In Their Teams

4. The guard dogs at the gate of security

Regularly evaluate your team’s strengths in managing security. While it is important to streamline security processes, it is more important to put the right people in place to solve those problems with agility. In addition to building security into your products and being prepared for a crisis, be sure to optimize by knowing everyone’s strengths, solving problems together, and ensuring measures are put in place so you never make the same mistake twice.

Read the full article on Forbes: 16 Industry Experts Share Tips For Creating A Security-First Tech Company

5. Support your remote workers

Hold virtual open office hours at least once a week. A how-to guide can solve many problems, but we hold open office hours for our team to troubleshoot with an internal tech professional once a week. Sometimes there are several small fixes and questions, while on other occasions there is nothing. However, this allows employees to let us know what’s going on before frustration sets in!

Read the full article on Forbes: 16 Ways Companies Can Better Support Remote Workers’ Tech Needs