Lynne Franks offers tips on staffing your new business.
Employing others to work for you is clearly another aspect of creating your business, but only when you can afford it. Think about your potential workload and check out your budget. Do you think you can afford it? Think about your potential workload and check out your budget. Do you think you can do everything that is necessary to start your business off on your own or will you need help?
If you intend to open a retail business of some kind, it is pretty certain that you ll need help, although an extra sales assistant could be part-time to begin with. You'll also need a part-time bookkeeper, unless you're really bookkeeping-savvy, which few entrepreneurs are.
If you're planning a service business, it's possible that you'll need office help as well as other personnel backing you up. Whether you decide to employ others now or later, there are certain things you may want to bear in mind regarding your arrangements.
Creating the right team
An open environment, both physically and creatively, in which all your team can contribute as a group, where they feel appreciated for their work and respected as individuals, is more important to employees, according to most polls these days, than high pay perks.
A company's philosophy toward social responsibility is also considered crucial to many potential employees. According to research done by Prince Charles' Business in the Community organisation, based in London, companies that are open and positive about their commitment to giving back to society receive a far higher standard of graduate applications.
Of course, finding the right team is often a case of trial and error. Word of mouth using all your contacts is often the best way, so put out the word and let people know the sort of person you'd like to work with.
What about employing friends and family? In some cases, this may work, but as in partnerships, only if your working relationship is clear and professional. Over-familiarity can confuse the relationship and not end well, from a personal as well as a business point of view.
Advertising
If you can't find the right people by networking, try advertising in the local or national newspapers. I've always found that placing a classified ad in the newspaper is more creative than using trade press, and employment agency fees can be very expensive if you re a start-up business.
Be sure about whether you really need full-time or part-time staff. Once you employ someone full-time, you re responsible for paying their taxes and other contributions, holiday pay, and sickness benefits. Are you ready for that responsibility yet?
