Part-Time Hires: Small Business's Secret Weapon

What help you need and where to find it!

Hiring can sometimes feel like it's an all or nothing endeavor. You might know you need some help, but hiring full-time is not an option.

Can you find someone who wants to work for what you can pay? Are there people out there with the skills you need? Can you manage someone else to do the work you do so well yourself?

The answer is YES! You can find all these things and more using the small business secret weapon- the part-time employee!

Every small business must grow to remain profitable and if you are reading this then chances are you are either thinking about hiring more employees or you should be! Let's go ahead and clear up the misconceptions about hiring first.

1. You are capable enough to hire and employ someone to help your business grow. All the things that make it scary are actually way easier than they used to be. You don't have to be an HR or management expert to be a great manager. There are many amazing tools available that take the stress out of being a boss.

2. It's not that expensive to get the help you need. You can grow significantly with someone for just a few hours a week. How much do you have to pay depends on where you live, what you are asking them to do, and how much more you can make once they start multiplying your efforts!

3. You CAN'T do everything better yourself. Maybe that hurts to hear, but it's absolutely true. We all reach cognitive overload at some point and our work quality starts to decline. Having someone available to remove certain tasks from your plate will help you be more excellent in the areas where you need your brain the most.

If you are considering a part-time employee to take your business to the next level consider these simple tips to take the fear out of hiring.

1. No hire is permanent. In fact, I always recommend a trial period for any new hire to confirm that they are the right fit for your needs. Simply build a 3 month trial into your employment contracts so you have time to see them in action and you also have an option to part ways if things don't work out. (Be sure you have a simple employment contract in place for clear expectations for both you and your new hire!)

2. Think differently about schedules so you don't feel boxed in with your new hire. Small businesses need not feel stuck in old school office rules to succeed. Offering perks like remote work or setting their own hours can attract an entirely different crop of candidates to your business. Hiring should not feel like babysitting- so don't set up your work environment that way.

3. Don't fear paying employees and taxes! Use programs like Gusto to stay in compliance and you won't end up stressed by the many regulations tied to bringing on employees!

So what is holding you back from hiring part-time help? Hopefully nothing!

Check out my handy job listing templates to quickly get your next position posted and ready to roll!

Join me next week when I talk about my 3 favorite employee management tools.