Is It Time to Hire an Employee for Your Small Business
A Home Business Article Contributed by Alyssa Yerga
When Your Small Business Gets Bigger
Most small business owners dream that their business will grow and succeed beyond their expectations. For those who are lucky enough to realize that dream a new question arises. Should I hire employees? It isn't an easy question to answer, because there are many factors that go into the decision. Can the business sustain the cost of an employee? If you work at home, do you want to bring a stranger into the house? Will an employee really move the business forward? These are just a few of the many questions you'll have to answer before you even considering hiring help for your small business.
Is It Best for Your Small Business?
Because, by nature, most small business owners would rather give orders than take them it may be difficult to truly gauge when the need for an employee is necessary.
Could you manage to do everything with a little more time management? Something as simple as making a to- do list before you go out on errands will keep you from running all over town haphazardly.
Are there things that you do that aren't really vital to the business? For instance, if you go the post office five days a week, look for ways to cut it down to three or four.
Are you simply looking for someone to do the grunt work? It's fine if you don't want to sweep floors or empty garbage cans, but think about how much an employee will cost you in wages and benefits.
On the other hand, the small business owner's independent and self-reliant nature may stand in the way of hiring an employee when it truly is necessary.
Are you spending all your free time and weekends with your small business instead of your family? Even if you're passionate about your business, you still need to stay connected to your loved ones. An employee may make it possible to run a successful small business without sacrificing your family life.
Do you find that you fall behind on daily tasks and aren't able to catch up? No amount of time management is going to make one person be able to complete the work of two. Just because your business is small, doesn't mean it isn't overwhelming. Don't be ashamed to get the help you need to keep your business a success.
Is your health in jeopardy? If you start becoming exhausted or depressed or start suffering from anxiety attacks or insomnia, first see a doctor. Then consider hiring an employee to help take some of the physical and mental burden off of you. It doesn't matter how successful your business is if you aren't around to enjoy it.
Bringing People into Your Small Business
You don't necessarily have to hire a complete stranger as your employee. Send the word out to family and friends that you're looking to hire, and chances are someone will either be interested or know someone who is. If you choose to hire family, friends, or friends of friends, be sure they are truly qualified and set guidelines before you agree to bring them on and make those guidelines known to others, as a little insurance in case the employee doesn't work out.
If you do choose to hire a stranger, ask for references, then follow up on it. A little research at the beginning could save you heart ache in the end.
