Intro by Skip Cohen
I ran across this very short post in Sarah Petty’s archives, which also had a link to an online resource, but it was no longer active. However, her point about hiring is perfect for this time of year, as many of you anticipate business ramping up.
Well, I started thinking about how many photographers I’ve known over the years who added employees because they needed the support, but then let them go later on because they couldn’t justify the expense.
Business is a rollercoaster, but the need to expand and add staff doesn’t have to be!
Here are some things to think about:
- Don’t hire anybody EVER without a job description. This is important to them as well as you-you’ve got to be clear on exactly what you want them to do.
- There’s a cost for everything you do in your business and fair compensation is a part of that. Not every job description is going to always lend itself to a consistent wage. While a straight salary is nice, I personally like a package that has a lower base salary but an incentive as a part of the sales the employee brings in, whenever appropriate.
- Take a serious look at the ups and downs of your business, making sure you’ve got enough consistency in incoming revenue to support another employee.
There are so many ideas on hiring a new employee, and the Internet is loaded with some great articles. Here’s one I found on FitsSmallBusiness.com that’s chocked full of great food for thought.
I also loved the author’s opening paragraph:
Your business is only as good as the people who keep it going. It’s worth spending the time to improve your hiring process, onboarding process, and retention strategies because if you don’t, you will lose employees to your competitors.
The bottom line is, don’t hire additional people without a plan!
By Sarah Petty
We get several questions about when is the right time to hire an employee. While there is no hard and fast answer, it does first and foremost come down to your financials. However, in today’s world, there are options other than hiring a full-time employee for us to consider.
At The Joy of Marketing and Sarah Petty Photography, we recently hired a part-time, home-based graphic designer. 10 years ago, most people wouldn’t have ever considered that type of work arrangement.
