As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to

long hours; non-existent holidays and weekends spent working. When was the last time you went to your dentist? When was the

last time you had an uninterrupted night out with your partner?Whether your goal for 2005 is to find more time for family or

personal enrichment --like attending classes and conferences --

you'll want to consider bringing on some help. The following tips can help you get started whether you want to

bring on a team of 10 or an occasional backup!Don't expect to hire a replica of you! Each person you meet and

interview will be a living, breathing human, with their own

habits, mannerisms and even ideas! This is fine - -as long as

their ideas and habits are not philosophically opposed to yours.

My first hire, Jen, was pursuing a graduate degree, had just

moved to the area and is nearly 20 years younger than I am!

She's detail-oriented and relies on schedules to get things

done. I'm a bit more 'seat of my pants' type of operator. She's

a perfect fit because she complements my way of working! Over

time she's grown into managing portions of my business that I

neglected - like maintaining scheduling and billing. Know exactly what you expect from your new hire. Before you

advertise for help, sit down and write a job description. List

your goals for the new hire - do you want someone who can fill

in on short notice when you need to take a day off, or do you

want someone who can work a regular schedule? Do you want

someone who can meet with clients, set their own schedules and

attend meetings and events on your behalf or do you simply need

someone who can pick up your overflow? By spending time working

through your thoughts on hired help you are setting yourself up

for a great working relationship. If you can clearly articulate

the job to all applicants, they will have the opportunity to

determine if this is a mutually agreeable fit. Be sure to

concentrate on specific job-related descriptions, and not

subjective information. Determine what type of manager you are! It's imperative that

you?e honest about your workstyle. After all, if you say you

want an independent thinker, but really do a lot of

'checking-in' you may end up with an unhappy helper. On the

other hand, if you hire someone who needs lots of feedback, you

need to be sure that you are cut-out for the 'people part' of

the management process. Set aside time. If you expect to hire someone by the 15th of

next month you may be setting yourself up for failure. Just as

you can't expect to find a perfect replica of you - you can't

always put a deadline on your hiring process. In other words,

plan to advertise, interview and train until you find the RIGHT

person. (SECRET TIP: If you find the right person - Hire them

right away and then find work for them! Never pass up a great

hire!)Ask your insurance carrier about your responsibility for

insuring your team members. Whether you hire Independent

Consultant's or Employees is a topic for another article,

however, you need to make certain that your company is covered. Determine your time-off policy. Just like you, your team members

will need time off - whether to recover from the flu or just to

re- charge. How will you handle these absences?Create a disciplinary and review process. Whether you need to

tackle issues of poor performance, or chronic absenteeism --

have a policy in place before you bring on your first team

member. Questions to address in this process include: How many

emergency absences are acceptable in a given time period? How

will you deal with customer complaints and concerns? How will

you reward outstanding performance? What format will you use to

communicate with your team?Find a reputable company for conducting background checks. If

your company? product or service requires your employees to

access clients?homes, children or possessions do not overlook

the importance of conducting a background check. You can search

on the web, ask your insurance provider, or talk to your local

police authorities for recommendations on companies to conduct

this check for you. In each instance, you will need the

applicant's signature and understanding that you will have a

third party conduct a background check as a condition of

employment. Create a Fact Sheet for Applicants that you can provide along

with an application to interested candidates. This sheet should

cover your basic job description, expectations and hiring

process. Create your training program. Whether a detailed manual or

one-on-one training for a specified period of time - make sure

you have a written outline. Your training program should include

all aspects of the job you expect your new hire to complete.

Many misunderstandings and frustrations occur simply because a

new hire didn't understand the expectations of the boss. By following these tips, you are well on your way to a happy and

productive working relationship with all your new help!Small Business Success Coach, Peggie Arvidson-Dailey, is the author of? ow to be a Client Attraction Guru?and the creator of the

Pet-Care Business Success System? To learn more about this

step-by-step program for making your pet-care business stand out

from the crowd, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and FREE

teleclasses, visit http://www. peggiespets. com

Author:
Peggie Arvidson-Dailey