Too much work and not enough workers Here are seven alternatives to hiring
Too much work and not enough workers Here are seven alternatives to hiring
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.
Too much work and not enough workers Here are seven alternatives to hiring - To learn more about this author, visit Donna Williams's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Free Download - Got creativity in the workplace Well here are 20 ways to nip it |
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.
Too much work and not enough workers Here are seven alternatives to hiring - To learn more about this author, visit Donna Williams's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Donna's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
 |
 Creating Rapport Guide Valley of Death Ideal Website Template Entrepreneur Flight Manual EQ Coaching Report |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Blogs For Startups
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
 |
Top 50 Niche Blogs 2009
Top 50 Niche Blogs 2009 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||