| |
| |
|
Small Business Information |
|
|
|
10 Hiring Tips for Small Business Owners
As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to long hours; non-existent holidays and weekends spent working. When was the last time you went to your dentist? When was the last time you had an uninterrupted night out with your partner? Whether your goal for 2005 is to find more time for family or personal enrichment --like attending classes and conferences -- you'll want to consider bringing on some help. The following tips can help you get started whether you want to bring on a team of 10 or an occasional backup! Don't expect to hire a replica of you! Each person you meet and interview will be a living, breathing human, with their own habits, mannerisms and even ideas! This is fine - -as long as their ideas and habits are not philosophically opposed to yours. My first hire, Jen, was pursuing a graduate degree, had just moved to the area and is nearly 20 years younger than I am! She's detail-oriented and relies on schedules to get things done. I'm a bit more 'seat of my pants' type of operator. She's a perfect fit because she complements my way of working! Over time she's grown into managing portions of my business that I neglected - like maintaining scheduling and billing. Know exactly what you expect from your new hire. Before you advertise for help, sit down and write a job description. List your goals for the new hire - do you want someone who can fill in on short notice when you need to take a day off, or do you want someone who can work a regular schedule? Do you want someone who can meet with clients, set their own schedules and attend meetings and events on your behalf or do you simply need someone who can pick up your overflow? By spending time working through your thoughts on hired help you are setting yourself up for a great working relationship. If you can clearly articulate the job to all applicants, they will have the opportunity to determine if this is a mutually agreeable fit. Be sure to concentrate on specific job-related descriptions, and not subjective information. Determine what type of manager you are! It's imperative that you're honest about your workstyle. After all, if you say you want an independent thinker, but really do a lot of 'checking-in' you may end up with an unhappy helper. On the other hand, if you hire someone who needs lots of feedback, you need to be sure that you are cut-out for the 'people part' of the management process. Set aside time. If you expect to hire someone by the 15th of next month you may be setting yourself up for failure. Just as you can't expect to find a perfect replica of you - you can't always put a deadline on your hiring process. In other words, plan to advertise, interview and train until you find the RIGHT person. (SECRET TIP: If you find the right person - Hire them right away and then find work for them! Never pass up a great hire!) Ask your insurance carrier about your responsibility for insuring your team members. Whether you hire Independent Consultant's or Employees is a topic for another article, however, you need to make certain that your company is covered. Determine your time-off policy. Just like you, your team members will need time off - whether to recover from the flu or just to re- charge. How will you handle these absences? Create a disciplinary and review process. Whether you need to tackle issues of poor performance, or chronic absenteeism -- have a policy in place before you bring on your first team member. Questions to address in this process include: How many emergency absences are acceptable in a given time period? How will you deal with customer complaints and concerns? How will you reward outstanding performance? What format will you use to communicate with your team? Find a reputable company for conducting background checks. If your company's product or service requires your employees to access clients' homes, children or possessions do not overlook the importance of conducting a background check. You can search on the web, ask your insurance provider, or talk to your local police authorities for recommendations on companies to conduct this check for you. In each instance, you will need the applicant's signature and understanding that you will have a third party conduct a background check as a condition of employment. Create a Fact Sheet for Applicants that you can provide along with an application to interested candidates. This sheet should cover your basic job description, expectations and hiring process. Create your training program. Whether a detailed manual or one-on-one training for a specified period of time - make sure you have a written outline. Your training program should include all aspects of the job you expect your new hire to complete. Many misunderstandings and frustrations occur simply because a new hire didn't understand the expectations of the boss. By following these tips, you are well on your way to a happy and productive working relationship with all your new help! Small Business Success Coach, Peggie Arvidson-Dailey, is the author of "How to be a Client Attraction Guru" and the creator of the Pet-Care Business Success System?. To learn more about this step-by-step program for making your pet-care business stand out from the crowd, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and FREE teleclasses, visit http://www.peggiespets.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Small-Business - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Wash Mobile Homes as a Business Washing manufactured homes, mobile homes, can be a lucrative and steady business. Generally Mobile Home owners desire to have their mobile homes washed twice per year. Looking for a Business to Run in the New Revitalized Downtown Area? Looking for a place to add a Quick Lube away from your Super Wal-Mart Competitor? Down Town Revitalization, Why You Should Be Part of Such a Committee.A study showed that within the next five years 20% of LOF- Lube, Oil and Filter Independent Owners said they had plans on adding one or more facilities. Franchising Pros and Cons Last week's question from Anthony R. on how to choose the franchise that would best fulfill his life-long dream of owning his own business sparked a number of emails from other readers wanting to offer their two cents on the subject. Keep TRACK of your Business Relationships and Gain Profits How do you know when an alliance needs to be monitored and tracked?More often than not, an alliance needs to be monitored and tracked. If you ignore your alliance partner at all, you will be losing ground and your business relationship will not be what you expect. How to Get Started As A Government Contractor Becoming a contractor or sub-contractor for the U.S. Tell Me a Story: A Simple But Powerful Tool to Build Your Business Everyone loves a good story. Whether it's the story of your vacation to an exotic place, the story of how you met your spouse, or the story of your small business, people get drawn in and feel involved. The Single Most Powerful Small Business Marketing Tool On The Planet Let me get right to the point. The single most powerful small business marketing tool on the planet is a marketing plan. The Triple A Way to Spark Your Companys Profits Winning small and home based businesses today must continually shake things up to stay in the game. Whether it's adding new marketing twists on existing products and services or anticipating customer wants with compatible new items you can add to your product mix, hatching new ideas and concepts is vital to a profitable company. Are You Satisfied With Your Business Just As It Is? Did you know that satisfaction is the number one emotion people want to experience about their life and business? Yes, fame and fortune are up there, but satisfaction is the key. Satisfaction is about contentment, gratitude and pure joy. Why Clean Mobile Homes for a Business? Manufactured and Mobile Home owners know that the weather this year will be quite harsh. It's imperative these owners to clean out rain gutters and debris from on top of their homes. Small Does Not Mean Invisible! Running a business on the net these days can be like looking up into a clear night sky; it can leave you feeling very small and insignificant.I am a one-person operation, and I also offer personal service. Franchise Companies Come and Go Each day we hear of companies entering the franchising industry. This is good news for America, right? Well, yes and know. Small Business Opportunities Magazine Business A Small Business Opportunities Magazine is one of the new small business opportunities opening up everyday. More and more companies are looking to outsource for basic services, cutting their budgets in the process and increasing profits. Do You Need Accounting Software for Your Small Business? If you're anything like me then you dislike with a vengeance doing your accounts and taxes.So how can you make this process easier, less painful and cut your accountancy fees?Well buying an accounting software package is one way. How To Create A Business Note That Is More Attractive To A Note Investor You are selling your small business (business value under $1 million for this article). You would like the buyer of your business to come in with an all-cash offer, or be able to qualify for an SBA guaranteed loan. Build Credibility, Value, and Trust on a Shoestring Setting priorities in your business? Your first job is to sell. Selling is - writing the orders; receiving the cash; feeding the beast. Small Business - Big Business...Whats the Diff? Small Business, Big Business - What's the Diff?Well a lot actually!I become frustrated and angry at the government's paying lip service to assisting small business. It appears as though all governments, bureaucrats and many accounting advisers do not know what a real small business is. How Small Business And Nonprofits Can Afford Multimedia For The Web Multimedia is everywhere on the Internet, whether in the form of floating ads at major websites, streaming video or animated presentations. Of course, there is a good reason why multimedia has become such an integral part of the web experience: it's an effective tool for capturing attention or provoking visitors to buy or contact the site owner. How To Get Slightly Famous in Print Early in my career, I wrote an article for a small business magazine about self-publishing as a marketing tool for businesses. Because I specialize in helping businesses get into print, the article only took a few hours to write. The Franchisors Heavy Load Why are we over regulation the franchising industry, what purpose does it serve? Rules and laws are fine, level playing fields are nice, but the customer votes with their dollar and the entrepreneur and companies can only sell what people are willing to give up that unit of trade we call a dollar for.The FTC, Federal Trade Commission is going to pile on more regulation and minutia to the rules of franchising, but what purpose does it serve? The free market should decide and the right to free contract will determine which businesses succeed and which fail.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
