One of the biggest decisions a new or small business owner must make is when to hire and whom to hire.  A small business owner has become accustomed to working  24/7 and having full control over every aspect of their business.  Letting go of even a small bit of control is worrisome.  However, when a business reaches a certain point it is critical for the health of the company to hire someone to help.

There are some important considerations when hiring someone:

• Write a clear, detailed job description and solicit outside applicants in order to ensure you have the most qualified person you can find for the job. Don’t make the mistake of hiring someone you know because you think it is easier and faster.  Hiring friends can eventually lead to disaster if they don’t want to follow your direction or overstep their position. Eventually you will have to replace them and that will cost time and money.  When you have your interviews, do it quickly and hire the most qualified person immediately, before they are offered a position with another company.
• To reiterate, create a clear job description. It will ensure that the applicant knows if they possess the knowledge, skills, and education for the job, and it is also a guideline for performance reviews.   Performance reviews should be completed on a regular basis in order to give the employee an idea about how they are doing and a path to follow should they need to change or improve their work.  Also, should you need to terminate that employee, you will have documentation showing your effort to address and correct the deficiencies.
• Try to strike a balance with your employee that shows you care about them and respect their input, but don’t allow them to make the big decisions. Becoming too close to an employee makes it difficult to discipline or terminate them, but alienating them by not listening to them or respecting their knowledge and abilities can cause them to not care about the success of your company.   The key to success with an employee is to be firm, be fair, and be consistent.
• Know your governing employment laws. They will probably include discrimination, overtime, minimum wage, age, gender, disability, safety, pregnancy, and immigration.  Don’t assume that your company is exempt or that they don’t apply to you.  That ignorance can cost you a lot of money.
• Classification of employees. Know what your local laws are and the difference between contract workers, a full-time employee, and a part-time employee.  Mistakes, oversights, or simply ignoring the guidelines and laws can also cost you a lot of money.
• Get an attorney. Have an attorney that can, among other things, keep you abreast of the ever-changing employment laws and regulations.  It may seem to be an unnecessary expense for a small company, but in the long run it can save you a lot of money, time, and headaches.