Topic > functions and functions of the staff. Line duties have to do with the performance of a particular task or contract. Personnel functions are support units such as accounting, personnel, legal, payroll, advertising, and quality control. Line function staff members are sometimes called direct labor because they directly deal with and are charged to a client, contract, or customer. Personnel functions are sometimes called indirect labor because their costs fall under general or administrative expenses. But what does a good staff member mean? How do you know which staff members you will need in your company? A cooperative person can do almost any job. Most jobs don't require a genius mindset...half of paper...n in a business scenario you have legal risks and exposures that you wouldn't have had as an employee There are significant risks in owning and operating your own business and it's a question of evaluating these risks. Work Cited Mullins, John. The New Business Road Test: What should entrepreneurs and executives do before writing a business plan? Great Britain: Henry Ling Limited, 2003. Delaney, William. The 30 most common problems in management and how to solve them. New York: AMACOM, 1982. Anderson, Paul. Technical communication: a reader-centered approach. Fifth edition. Canada: Heinle, part of the Thomson Corporation, 2003. Kountze, Elizabeth. Six steps to starting your own business. Kiplinger. Originally written 2006, revised May 2008. Online. Available:http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/starting/archive/2006/st0504.htm October 21 2008.