Recently I began presenting information on the topic of hiring and things that need to be considered before bringing on an employee. Today I’m going to discuss a little bit of that information.
As entrepreneurs, we often handle many tasks that can (and should) be handled by someone else. We need to be working in our genius (where we flourish and generate revenue) and not handling many of the mundane business tasks. So how do you determine what you should hand off to an employee?
I recommend that you write down EVERY task that you do during the week. Track how much time it takes to complete each item. At the end of the week, analyze it to see what was done. Now decide which of these things you should delegate, Some of the things to consider are:
- Invoicing
- Purchasing
- Accounts Payable
- Accounts Receivable
- Bank Deposits
- Bank/Credit Card Reconciliations
- Sales Tax Returns
- 1099 processing
- Running Errands
- Responding to E-mail
Now create a job description for the position you want to fill. Include required skills such as software they need to know as well as characteristics such as punctual, attention to detail, etc). Review the amount of time the tasks took you to do to determine about how many hours a week you’ll need someone (keeping in mind someone new will take longer than you to do the work).
The next decision to make is if you want to hire an in-house employee or outsource to a company. Keep in mind if you hire an individual, they most likely will need to be an employee and not a 1099 contractor as you will have control over their work, hours, how to do the tasks, etc. These are all key indicators that they are an employee because you as the business have control over how the work is to be done.
Once you’re ready to hire, put out the word to friends, family, and business associates. Let them know you are looking for an employee, the job description, and about how many hours you need them to work. Many times they will refer candidates to you who are looking for work, and many times they are a great fit (people won’t refer if they don’t think it’s a good match).
Good luck with the search! If you have any questions on this topic, don’t hesitate to call our office at 310-534-5577, or send a message to [email protected]. We’re here to help.
Candy
