Kristin AndersonWhen thinking about hiring your first employee, you may find yourself asking two main questions. First: should you hire staff? Second: how do you comply with rules and regulations that come with hiring staff? Both questions are challenging, but with a little research and advice you can find some answers. We’ll start off with 4 things you should know.
Your Long-Term Business Strategy
It’s always good to start out with something easy, right? Figuring out your long-term business strategy is important for two main reasons. First, your long-term business strategy should include metrics on how much you expect your experience to grow. This is an important factor in beginning to hire staff, and in hiring your first employee. Second, developing your long-term business strategy will help you create your own new job description. By hiring your first employee, you will be able to focus on your business strategy
What Type of Employee Is Best For You
Not all first employees have to be traditional, full-time employees. Temporary, part-time, and contract employees are all good options if you aren’t sure about starting a full-time staff. Consider these pros of hiring temporary workers, and then check out some tips for getting the best temporary employees for your business.
The Cost and Market Rate of Your New Hire
The biggest concern with hiring your first employee may be cost. At the same time, it’s important to understand the going market rate for an employee of the skill level that you need for your business. It may be tempting to cut costs by offering a lower salary, but the cost of a bad hire can be much higher than a few dollars per hour. When it comes to determining the cost of your new hire, remember to factor in costs like employer taxes and worker’s compensation insurance.
How to Find Your State/Local Small Business Associations
Finally, the list of rules and regulations about hiring staff is long and complex. They also vary by location. The best resource for making sure that your small business is in compliance with all regulations is your state/local small business associations. Most organizations will provide online print resources (also available at http://www.SBA.gov), but more helpful might be the small business community. Community activities might include workshops on topics like the hiring process, taxes, and staffing. These learning opportunities can help keep you up-to-date on everything you need to know about hiring your first employee.
What’s the 5th thing you need to know about hiring your first employee? The 6th? Share your small business hiring tips below!
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by Robert S. Donovan
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