Planning Your New Startup ― Advice from a Small Business Planner (Part 2)

The previous Small Business Planners article looked at the importance of choosing the right location. Planning to start a new business may involve hiring individuals that can share and execute your vision.

When it comes to your business, you must think of the positions you need – just like any other business. You may need positions such as a manager, a bookkeeper, a cleaner, an assistant, a driver, a receptionist, and so forth. It’s important to decide upon all the positions you need and set up job descriptions for each. Your job description must be very detailed and cover all the important facts about the position – such as:

• The purpose of the job
• The responsibilities of the job
• The individual tasks involved
• The methods used to complete the tasks
• The relationship of the job to other jobs
  The qualifications needed for the job.

Read More: How to Choose a Business Plan Consultant in South Africa

You may already have certain team members on board. It is important that there is a written job description for them, too. It would help if you had your team work together in a way that adds value to your business and their own lives (thus building employee loyalty).

Small Business Planners Advice: Planning for the Job Positions

Make sure everyone on the team understands what everyone’s divisions are about. That way, you’ll have a harmonious team. At first, you may need to double up on some roles – divide these added responsibilities equally. That way, you’ll have a happy team. If you have to recruit staff, here are some guidelines:

1. Quality businesses require quality people working in them. So when it comes to hiring people, choose wisely. One person can destroy your business.
2. No matter how qualified they may be, the number one thing is that they fit in with your business and your ideals.
3. Check references and credentials carefully (there are a lot of fake qualifications out there).
4. Don’t hire anyone on the spur of the moment. It’s tough to ‘un-hire’ them.
5. Always give yourself some time to think over your decision.

If you need to recruit people, you need to think about the following:

• Do you need them? Employees are an enormous financial burden – and they have to be paid whether or not you’re making a profit.
• Is your job description detailed and specific for the job, so there will be fewer disagreements later?
• Determine how much you will pay them.
• Decide where and how to find qualified applicants.
• Decide how you are going to check references.

Also Read: Planning a Sustainable Business

Small Business Planners Advice: Guidelines for Interviewing an applicant:

1. Read the applicant’s CV before the interview and make notes if necessary.
2. Prepare a list of questions. Interviewing is not the time for chit-chat.
3. Set a business-like but relaxed atmosphere with free-flowing conversation.
4. Ask questions that focus on the applicant’s past performances.
5. Ask specific questions about problems the applicant may have to deal with.
6. Notice how well the applicant listens and responds to questions.
7. Note the applicant’s choice of words and body language.
8. Listen carefully to the answers and ask for more information if you need it.
9. Listen to the questions the application asks you about the job.
10. Don’t do all the talking yourself!