4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Staffing Your Small Business

It pays to run through all of these thoroughly.

Some small business owners are truly a one-person show. They do everything from bookkeeping to marketing to inventory and customer service.

But if you have a larger operation with different moving parts, then you'll probably need to hire employees to help out. Staffing a small business can be challenging, though. Here are some key questions to run through before starting that process.

1. How much help do I need?

Maybe you've recently opened a store and need three or four full-timers on staff. Or maybe you only need one person to work for you full time and can get by with part-time staff members on top of that.

Think about your specific needs with regard to hired help. Determine how many hours of help you need each week, and in what areas. In some cases, it could make sense to hire workers on a freelance basis rather than employ them full time.

For example, let's say you need someone to work on marketing. That may not be a 40-hour-per-week job, or even a 20-hour-per-week endeavor. Rather, you might need someone to put in a few hours a week to help promote your business and expand your social media presence. In that case, a freelance marketer could be a good bet.

2. How much help can I afford?

Before you start putting job listings up, you'll need to figure out a budget for payroll. That could help determine how many different roles you end up filling.

Comb through your checking account and books to see what flexibility you have with wages. Remember, if you underpay your staff, you may not attract quality candidates -- and that could end up hurting your business instead of helping it.

In fact, one benefit of hiring freelance workers instead of regularly scheduled workers is that you'll only end up paying for the help you need. A part-timer might insist on a minimum of 20 hours per week, but there may be plenty of weeks when you only have 15 hours' worth of work for them. If money is tight, that's problematic, so it pays to look at freelance help.

3. What benefits am I willing to provide?

If you're going to be hiring full-time staff, you should be prepared to offer up certain workplace benefits. These might include a subsidized health insurance plan, paid time off, and a retirement savings plan. Figure out what you're able to offer up as a benefits package so you can put that information in your job listings.

4. How much control am I willing to give up?

There's no point in hiring help for your small business if you're not willing to relinquish control over certain aspects of it. Before you start filling roles, make sure you're truly comfortable delegating the tasks at hand. And if you're not, own that, and adjust your hiring plans accordingly.

Staffing a small business isn't easy. But if you address these questions before diving in, it could make the process a lot more seamless from start to finish.