Key questions that demand a “Yes” before you’re ready to hire staff.

So you don’t know if you should hire or not?  It’s a hard decision to make because hiring employees takes your company and turns it into something brand new.  Even if you already have an employee or two, adding to your workforce creates significant challenges.  So how do you decide?

 

First, how big do you want your company to be?  It’s okay to want to stay small.  Not every company aspires to greatness.  If you are looking to have a nice comfortable income without a lot of hassles and frustrations, then hiring employees probably isn’t your best option.  Two will probably be the most you will want to hire to keep frustrations to a minimum.

 

[EasyDNNnewsToken:Left Justify Embed 300 x 250]If you’ve decided that you want to grow your company, get ready for an exciting adventure.  There are a few things you’ll want to consider before hiring.

 

  • Can you afford it?  Remember to include all the ancillary costs of employees besides their wages when you are making that determination: taxes, workers compensation, and insurance can add a heavy financial burden. 
  • Will you be able to manage them?  Do you have experience managing people?  If not, consider taking a class or two at your local community college or from Career Track or similar organization.  Managing people is one of the largest frustrations in the residential cleaning industry.  Solve it before you have it!
  • Do you have space for them?  If you are operating out of your home, have you considered how that will work?  Keeping boundaries will be very important to you and your family as you begin to grow.
  • Are you struggling to get everything done or are you stuck not being able to take on more work but not having enough work for another employee? 

 

When you are able to answer yes to these questions, chances are good that it’s time for you to hire.  Hiring is in itself a daunting task; make sure that you have systems in place to hire, train, and continually support the best workers who can support you as you grow – Good Luck!

Liz Trotter is founder of American Maid Cleaning as well as an entrepreneur and leadership trainer based in Olympia, Washington. She is also a former ARCSI board member, creator of the HiPEP leadership development system and the DEV daily employee training series as well as a charter member of Cleaning For A Reason.