Small Businesses: When It's Time to Hire

As an entrepreneur/small business owner, you will eventually learn you can’t do it all. Hiring someone to do or share the work becomes a necessary step if you wish the business to grow.

You can do what you choose with the bank of 168 hours per week you already have — sleep, eat, work — whatever you want. When the week is over, it was still just 168 hours — you can’t make more.

Many times, entrepreneurs get stuck in thinking, “I need someone with this specific skill,” and it is true that in time, you might need that specific skill. But in the beginning, and many times during the growth stage, hiring individuals for talent — that is, their attitude and approach to solving problems or work — is easier, and you can train them for the skills they are missing.

There are, of course, some areas in which you can’t. Obviously, if you need a PhD in physics or a chemist, you need someone with the credentials as well as the skills.

But most of the work can be done by an employee with the right attitude, and a bit of “upscaling” of their skills, through training or education. There are also several programs that can help make that happen. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce or Workforce Development Agency.

The most important thing is to make sure those you hire have the right attitude to work for your organization. Remember: Culture is, most of the time, much more powerful than skills.

BEFORE YOU GO:

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What attitude and approach do you desire in your staff?

2. Do the skills you require involve certificates or degrees, or can people with the attitude you desire be trained?

3. What hiring advice do you have for those just starting to grow their businesses?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.