In large organizations, you’ll find a board of directors, departments, and subject experts. In a small business, YOU are all of those things.

That’s why every small-business owner should build an external board of directors.

During our first year of ownership—and really, over the last decade—I’ve faced decisions I never imagined I’d have to make. These ranged from an employee trying to sabotage the business to navigating a global pandemic.

I still remember one morning, about four months after taking over, sitting at my desk when the phone rang.

“Carrie, did you know your employee is writing letters to all your customers, slandering your leadership, and trying to get them to go someplace else?”

For a moment, I was speechless. I thanked the caller for telling me and explained that the employee had been upset about not buying the business themselves.

When I hung up, anger hit—but so did uncertainty. What now? What was the “right thing” to do?

So, I called people.
– I called another printing company owner to get their take.
– I called the previous owner to hear their perspective.
– I called our attorney to understand our legal options.
– I called an old friend from a different industry to gain a neutral view.
– I reached out to our SCORE mentor, who had helped us during the buying process. (If you’re unfamiliar, SCORE offers free business mentoring through a nationwide network of retired executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals — an incredible resource for small business owners.) 

Then my husband and I then sat down and discussed our options, along with all the feedback from our external board of directors.

That’s when it clicked: I already had an external board of directors—a group of trusted individuals with wisdom, experience, and outside perspective.

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Fast forward five years, and the world faced a new challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic.
What about our employees? How would our business survive? How would we handle inventory shortages?

Once again, I turned to my informal board. Their input, advice, and reassurance helped us navigate uncharted territory.

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Today, my external board of directors is still informal—but invaluable. They’re the people I call when things get chaotic, when a problem falls outside my expertise, or when I simply need a different point of view.

When you own a small business, you can’t just walk down the hall to the legal department or marketing team. You wear all the hats. That’s why creating your own external board is critical.

Here’s what I recommend:

• Reflect on your weaknesses and find people whose strengths fill those gaps.
• Include individuals from diverse areas—finance, HR, marketing, operations, law.
• Some may be paid professionals; others might be mentors, peers, or trusted friends.

Building an external board isn’t about hierarchy—it’s about support, perspective, and having a lifeline when leadership feels lonely.