Starting up your own business is exciting: after long years spent working for other people, you’re finally in control, and now the direction that you take is up to you. However, when a business is small, there’s no room for slack. Your decisions need to be the right ones if you’re going to stay afloat – and your people need to be the right people. Finding staff who know what they’re doing and who will work as hard as you do is essential to success.
Getting key tasks covered
Even before your business launches, you should have a list of the key tasks necessary for it to function, and you should know who can handle each of those tasks. They might not break down neatly into traditional roles (for instance, your sales manager may also have the skills to look after your IT), and that’s okay, as long as you’re confident that everything can be done well – you can always bring in more people when things get busier. It is, however, vital that all staff members understand their individual responsibilities.
Bringing in contractors
Sometimes, you just can’t find the right person for a particular job straight away, or you can’t provide enough hours to justify taking on a full-time employee. For instance, many companies need somebody to manage payroll and basic accounting but are not at the stage where they’re doing enough business to need that person every day. In this situation, it can be helpful to bring in contractors. Their pay will be a little higher, but you won’t have the same tax overheads, and if they’re paid via an umbrella company, then the paperwork will be simple.
Keeping up the pace
As well as having the right skills, your staff will need to be willing to work the long hours often needed during the challenging first few months or years of trading. This means that they’ll need to have a real commitment to the business. You’ll need to find people who share your passion for what you’re doing – something that’s easier if they can look forward to sharing in the rewards that lie ahead.
Getting creative
In addition to the above, a new business depends on having strong ideas and on thinking creatively in order to stay ahead of the game. This means that you’ll need imaginative people who feel confident about speaking up. It makes connecting with your employees a high priority. The good news is that this type of relationship tends to increase employee loyalty and enthusiasm.
The right approach to recruitment
With all these considerations in mind, you can’t afford to do what all too many new businesses do, which is to bring in people you know without having confirmed that they’re up to the task. Your business needs and deserves real talent, and it’s up to you to find it, even if that means bringing in strangers at an early stage or even employing people remotely. Getting the right staff is vital to ensuring that you can do the work that you need to do well, on time, and consistently over time. In other words, it’s vital to your success.
