Guest Author - Meg Meyer

Whether you are a solopreneur, run a small business, or are the hiring manager of a larger company - it is crucial to hire the right help. Businesses that hire the wrong person for the job are losing productivity - and ultimately money. Here is how you can be ahead of the crowd by hiring or outsourcing to the right person for the task at hand.

Before You Begin

A good rule of thumb is to figure out what yourself or the other principals are best at - and consider hiring out the rest. Whatever frees you up to do your thing - is ultimately making you productive and is making the business more successful.

Be certain of the tasks that you will be delegating prior to setting out to hire someone on. What are you willing to let go of hands-on control of?

If you are the type that believes that only your way is the right way - you might need to do some self-work before bringing in help. Micromanaging creates more work for you and wastes the time of your employee, and your own time and money. Be ready to let go.


Hire or Outsource?

Now that you have figured out what you need help with and have worked through any issues - you have another decision to make. Do you want to hire an employee? Or do you want to outsource your work to independent contractors or an outsourcing firm?

If you are currently flying solo - taking on the rules, regulations, and expenses of hiring a traditional employee may be prohibitive. But you may want to have the greater degree of control over the worker - that hiring an employee provides. Hiring an employee may be ideal if you have a general set of tasks that need to be done. Be diligent about researching the national, state, and local laws governing an employer/employee relationship.

Independent contractors are essentially self-employed. They are responsible for setting their own hours, paying their own benefits and acquiring their own training. As a result - you might actually save money by outsourcing specific projects to different contractors that already know what they're doing. Examples of outsourcing to specialists include hiring a graphic designer for a logo, a copywriter, or a web designer to create a search engine friendly website.


Stay Tuned Next week for the continuation of "Profiting by Hiring Right." We'll cover where to find the workers you're looking for, and how to conduct an investigative interview.


In the meantime - head on over to my Small Business Services & Executive Business Coaching website to sign up for my newsletter for free training, tips, and access to great deals to help you and your business thrive!