Hiring Staff for Your Home Business

Running a home business is brilliant. It gives you a chance to work flexibly around other commitments, and to do things your own way, for yourself. For many, starting a home business comes from necessity. A mother struggling to work around childcare may decide to start an online business from home, as the only way that they can work. Someone struggling to get ahead and stand out from the crowd working for a big company may see starting up on their own as the chance to be successful. Whatever your reasons for starting up from home, you probably started small. Most home businesses start out as sole enterprises. But, at some point, if you are lucky, you might need help. Then, you need to think about taking on staff. Here are some things to think about.

What Do You Need?

What you need depends on what you do, and how your business works, but it’s never just a case of hiring someone and then wondering what to do with them. Instead, you need to think about what you need. Is it someone to help manage your time? Or do you need help with postage and packaging? Think about how a member of staff could help you the most.

Could You Hire a Freelancer?

Hiring a freelancer can be much easier than having a permanent employee. You don’t need to worry about employee rules and laws, and you only pay for help when you need it. If your business has a website, hire a freelancer when you need them or for a few hours a week to help you keep it running and with simple tasks like replying to comments. Other great options could include a VA or a social media manager.

Will They Work in Your Home?

If you hire someone to manage your social media accounts or website, this can be done solely online. You may still want to meet the person, to make sure they are the right fit, or even have face to face meetings, but it’s not necessary. They could never set foot in your home.

If, however, you need help producing products or with other physical areas of your business, they will need to work in your home. So, make sure you find someone that you are comfortable with, and that you trust in your home.

Are You Ready to Manage Staff?

Managing someone else is very different to managing your own time, and suddenly having someone else to organize can be difficult. Even with no experience, you can use your presentation skills to be a great leader with a little time and practice.

Can You Let Someone In?

Starting a business from home is a huge thing. It’s an incredibly personal experience that you go through largely on your own. Letting someone else into this can be a big step. They’ll have opinions and ideas, and they will take some of your workload. Think about how this will make you feel and prepare yourself for the change before you start to recruit the right person for your team.