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Jess W
Intuit

Need to Bring in Some Hired Help? Tips to Get You Started

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Thanks to Ringo Starr, we all know we’ll get by with a little help from our friends. People who work for themselves know in order to “get by” (and more!), they need help from certain key, essential friends—also known as employees.  

 

Hiring your first employee is a big deal for lots of reasons. QuickBooks Community member Fobitty puts it this way: ‘I'm running a small business by myself. I need to hire some help so I have time to expand. I've talked to a few prospects, but it's clear I have no idea what makes a good employee. In your experience, what should I be looking for? Personality traits? Experience? I don't have time to get this wrong.’

 

This single quote highlights the complexity of officially expanding your team. To unpack all the issues surrounding hiring your first employees, we’ve turned to you, the QB Community members—many of whom have been there, done that

 

Hire today, grow tomorrow

There’s no arguing that people who work for themselves are, by definition, dedicated, driven, hard-working and immensely capable of achieving great things. But despite this, no one can (or should) run a growing business alone. In fact, when we asked our members what they’d do differently if they started over in their entrepreneurial adventure, a consistent theme emerged:

 

  • I would have hired someone to do all the initial setup and then be taught by someone who knows, rather than cut back on my work to learn it all myself.
  • I would have a great equal partner.
  • I would choose a business partner with skills and talents that compensated for my weaknesses but someone whose goals were the same as mine.  A business partnership is closely related to getting married and it should be approached in that manner.
  • Don't grow at rapid speeds without having a seasoned, professional team.

 

Whether you need to find an official business partner or just a helping hand, hiring earlier, rather than later, can be a smart move. A good way to figure out if you’re ready to bring on an employee is to answer some probing questions.

 

Identify the professional skills you don't have and ask yourself what your business would look like if you had those skills. How much faster would those skills help you grow your business? And what are you willing to spend to do the things you can’t do alone?

 

Know what you need

When it’s time to start looking for your future assistant, you might post an ad on a job-search site like Indeed, Monster or Reed (to name just a few). Or you might reach out to your professional network to tap into their pool of potential candidates. Some small business owners swear by referrals from friends and colleagues, while others prefer to go the official “submit CV” route to find a staff member.

 

Before you identify a potential employee, you should have a clear sense of why, exactly, you need this person. Are you looking for a specific skill-set or do you need a jack-of-all-trades? Do you need full-time help or just a part-time commitment? Is your ideal candidate experienced or are you open to hiring someone who learns on the job?

 

Think about your workplace culture

Whether you know it or not, you do have a workplace culture. Of course, when you work for yourself—or, more precisely, by yourself—you set the tone of what does, and doesn’t, happen at work. You decide what music to listen to, when to stop for lunch, how late you work each day, what time the day starts. When someone else shares your workspace, inevitably, the dynamic shifts. QB Community member Steve Chase weighs in on how to make sure the shift is positive.

 

“The key to the success of any organisation is the leadership and the people. If you get the leadership part right (you) then the people part should be naturally attracted to you. People bring talents that make you better. People you hire should bring joy to you, passion for the business, accountability and problems, too. But the problems can be good to help you really focus on what you want.”

 

Adam Fenner has this to say about finding an employee who’s a great fit for your business culture: 

 

“One of the standard questions I try to find out organically, through conversation, is what an employee’s goals are. I want to know what obstacles are holding them back from accomplishing those goals. Sometimes all it takes is talking through an issue and then following up to see if any action was taken.”

 

 

Keep it in the family

We know many of our QB Community members run their business with their spouse, a relative or even a best friend. This approach can be a winning strategy - or it can lead to grim silence at Christmas dinner. To help you avoid the latter, some of our members share some valuable advice.

 

Wendy Shelton runs her niche business with two of her daughters and 1 son-in-law. This potential recipe for disaster is actually a formula for success.

 

“To have a successful business, your employees need to be happy. This especially holds true for me because I employ my children. I want them to tell me what they need to be productive instead of feeling like they shouldn’t bother their mother. I don’t want them to feel like we have a mother-child relationship at work.

 

“Once a month, we have a staff meeting where I buy everyone breakfast. I bring notes and explain the challenges I foresee and ask for input. I also ask if there’s anything they need in order to do their jobs better. I know them well, so I gave them responsibilities based on their individual strengths.

 

“There have been a couple of disagreements. When these came up, everyone involved explained how they felt, and I compromised by meeting them halfway. But ultimately, this is my business.”

 

Cheri Drake runs her company with her sister. Here’s how they make it work:

 

“My sister and I are very compatible, and we balance each other out. I focus on marketing and our digital strategy. She’s super organised and looks at all our numbers. If she says the numbers won’t work, we won’t accept a client. I’m making it sound easy, but the most important thing is to be mature, take your ego out of the equation and have fun working together!”

  

Trust your instincts 

At the end of the day, the only person who can decide if now is the right time to hire an employee is you. As you mull over this milestone decision, we’ll leave you with some words of wisdom from our very own Community Host, Audrey Pratt. Not long ago, Audrey faced her first hiring dilemma. Here’s what happened:

 

“I was so scared to let go of control and pass on my excess work to someone else. I didn't want to give up clients or turn away work, but I also needed to make sure my clients were getting their projects completed in a timely manner. I just hired my first independent contractor, and I am SO grateful I did. Not only is my business running more smoothly, but I also have more time to unplug and enjoy my personal life.”

 

 When expanding your business - and hiring employees - there's certainly no shortage of things to consider. But hopefully, with the help of the QB Community, you can build a great team around you from the start.

 

Have you hired new people? Have you encountered any challenges? Or have you had a positive experience? Comment below!

 

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Want to join in the conversation but you're not a QB Community member? Click HERE to sign up in a flash!

 

2 REPLIES 2
Jess W
Intuit

Need to Bring in Some Hired Help? Tips to Get You Started

Hi @pioneerSC204

 

After your recent contribution to the community, I would love to know more about your business and how it has grown. Have you ever hired people? If you haven't ever hired people, would you consider it? I would love to know in the comments below!

 

Sometimes, when you're so passionate about your business it can be a hard decision to onboard someone and trust someone with your business goals. Also, the change of dynamic in your work environment can make a huge impact.


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Jess W
Intuit

Need to Bring in Some Hired Help? Tips to Get You Started

Hi, @HavingaGo!

 

Welcome to the U.K QB Community! It's really great to have you here.

 

We chatted about your business (great work!!) and you said you were a 'one man band' - have you ever considered growing your business? If you could, who would you recruit? 


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