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Too much work and not enough workers Here are seven alternatives to hiring

Guest post by: Donna Williams

Article Overview: If you're at the point in your small business where you have too much work, but you just aren't sure you have the business to merit it just yet, here are seven ways to get the ob done without making a giant commitment.

Too much work and not enough workers Here are seven alternatives to hiring

There comes a time in many small businesses when you have to consider whether or not you're going to hire employees.

Maybe you've reached the point where you need to grow, but you're not sure you're ready to bring on more people. Or maybe you want to stay small and lean, and don't want the bother of having employees. Or maybe it's just been a bad year (totally understandable in this economy!) and cash flow is crunched.

Whatever the reason, there's still work to be done. And today there are more ways than ever to get the work you need taken care of without hiring. Where you turn depends on what type of business you have, and your particular needs.

Here are a few suggestions on where you can get the workers you need for the work you need done:

1. Subcontractors and Freelancers
You aren't the only person who does what you do (even if you're the best!). Find a few good people you can call on when you have too much work and not enough time. Be sure to negotiate a price that will allow you to still make money on the job, though. Also, make sure you know how your client(s) feel about someone else doing the actual work. FYI...there are a lot of freelance websites on the internet where you can go to find quality people.

2. Virtual Assistants
More and more small businesses are turning to virtual assistants to help them grow and organize their businesses. VAs are independent contractors who work from home and provide a variety of professional, personal and office support. They can perform a variety of tasks, including general administrative work, writing reports, editing, creating marketing materials, making customer contacts, database development and maintenance, thank you notes...the list goes on and on. Some VAs also provide personal services to clients such as scheduling doctors' appointments, party planning, coordinating a move, and so much more. You can locate a VA through two professional organizations: Virtual Assistance U, and the International Virtual Assistants Association.


3. "Temps"
You can get temporary workers for just about any job you have - from answering the phone and general secretarial work, to manual labor...and everything in between. When you use temps, you get skilled workers, without having to pay benefits. Most temp agencies have stringent screening procedures make sure the workers they hire and send out have the necessary skills to do the job.

4. Interns
As part of their college training, many bright young students are available for temporary positions. Interns are mostly available in the summer, but many schools offer year-round internship programs. Depending on the school and the program, interns work for either very cheap or free. You, in turn, are to provide valuable on-the-job training. Different colleges have different requirements, so check with the one(s) where you think you'd have the best luck for your particular type of business.


5. Friends and Family
Who better to count on in crunch times than those closest to you? Asking for their temporary help - either on a volunteer basis, or at a reduced wage - can be a good way for them to be part of your business while providing the help you need. Get the kids involved as well! It'll teach them responsibility


6. Delivery services
Don't even think about hopping in the car and driving that brochure clear across town to the printer yourself. Remember, time is money! Instead, pick up the phone and call the delivery service. Delivery services will pick up and deliver just about anything to just about anywhere. They will charge you, but it's worth the price, believe me. And it is a legitimate client-billable expense. To find a reputable delivery service, look in the phone book, and/or ask around to see if anyone you know has any recommendations.

7. Contracted Services
When you need a specialized service on a regular basis, consider contracting it. Instead of hiring a bookkeeper, use an accountant. Instead of hiring a janitor, contract a janitorial service. Grounds upkeep, security, decorating, fish tank cleaning (yes, really!), plant maintenance, equipment maintenance, printing...all are services you can contract.

As you can see, there are many good ways to get the job done without actually adding people to the payroll. Whether to hire personnel, use an alternative, or use a combination of both depends on your business model and what makes the most sense for you and your small business.


(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

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Article Tags: administrative work, appointments, cash flow, creating marketing, database development, doctors, economy, few suggestions, independent contractors, job, marketing materials, money, party planning, personal services, professional organizations, small businesses, subcontractors, virtual assistance, virtual assistants



Related Forum Posts
Hiring immigrants - Great topic Andy! Being in Toronto we have so many different cultures in one city. Most of the programmers and graphic designers that I've worked with have been immigrants to Canada - from China to Iran to Trinidad. I haven't intentionally seeked out immigrant workers - it just worked out that the most qualified people for the job were born in another country. Even though we're pretty accepting here in Canada, you still hear the stories about doctors coming over and driving taxi cabs because they can't find work. There is sometimes additional efforts that need to be made to understand the cultural sensitivities but I've had nothing but great experiencies hiring immigrant workers.
Drop the business - Hi Kevin If I had no other alternatives I would continue to research the idea, maybe thinking about a different angle that I hadn't considered before to reach a more beneficial position. However if I had alternatives I would drop the idea until I thought of a more profitable way of doing things. For example I could buy cheap products in the store and sell it on eBay for a profit of around $20 each but it seems too much work since I currently sell a service for 40x that amount for only 3x more time required.
Template of Service Agreement/Contractor Agreement - Just wondering if anyone has some good templates of a service agreement between a company and any contract-type workers. So it would be different from an employee offer letter. I am hiring a new instructor for my school and would like to have something in writing even though they are not actually hired as employees, more like independent contractors. Thanks!
Re: Should you hire ambitious workers or employees with no goals - I don't have any permanet workers now. I outsourced everything now to freelancers. I have many workers in the past and most them are ambitious which affect my business
Re: Keeping Employees Happy - [quote="MM571":3u44n45r]1. Instead of hiring consultants to train employees, cater lunch once a month and rotate employees teaching co-workers what they know best. [/quote:3u44n45r] This has been very effective for me. The guys who work with me are all consultant/contractors by choice, but I'll frequently pay for day of consulting time to have them cross-train each other. It's been a win-win for everyone involved so far. - For me, it makes the business stronger from the added depth on the bench and brought the added bonus of loyalty from these guys. - For them, their skill sets have gotten broader and they are picking up more opportunities (not just from me).


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