As a small business owner, there are many roles that need to be taken on. These include human resources, legal, finance, bookkeeping, accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, collections, and possibly security. To determine the roles that need to be performed, you need to determine the type of activity. For the purposes of this article, I will be opening a construction company that specializes in pouring concrete. In addition to the previous roles, I have now taken on the role of general contractor, part engineer, part architect, surveyor and concrete worker, as well as manager, leader and possibly translator. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Small businesses are not easy to run, nor are they easy to start; however, it is much harder to keep going than it is to start. As stated in Forms of Business Ownership, just because a business decides on a certain legal formation does not mean it is not a small business. Small businesses can have hundreds of employees. The HR role is responsible for all HR-related activities. These include recruiting, training, mandatory government documentation, payroll, benefits and compliance with all employment laws, at both the federal and state levels. Assisting employees with their legal paperwork is also a requirement of this role. Opening a small business is no easy task and there is a lot of legal documentation, insurance and licensing that needs to be obtained before starting work. Rather than paying the lawyer thousands of dollars to advise and assist with all the paperwork, it may be easier and cheaper to do all the paperwork yourself. Without a legal background and all the other roles that need to be done, this role will be a bit cumbersome. Finance and accounting are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same occupation, nor do they have the same job duties. Accounting has to do with balancing budgets, entering expenses, balancing accounts and creating reports that are very useful for predicting the future. Finance typically oversees accounts payable and accounts receivable. In a construction company all invoices should be created as part of the finance role. Customers would also be billed in this role, but bank statements and quarterly filings would typically be performed in the accounting role. The construction company also needs a foreman and a company liaison to meet with potential clients and, of course, laborers to complete the job. It is not possible that one person can take on all the roles mentioned alone, so the two most important roles would be the legal role and the HR role, so that the mandatory documentation and criteria are met for the company and the team is hired right for the task. Work. Without delegation of tasks, this small business will not only die, but die very quickly. Planning as a role is the most important as nothing can be done without planning it first. All roles in a small business are an integral part of the American economy. This is due to the large impact that small businesses have in the American economy, as stated by Nickels in "Understanding Business" (2010). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize Essay In summary, starting a new business requires taking on various roles, such as human resources, legal, finance, accounting, bookkeeping,.