Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing

It’s Hiring Time – Gathering Resumes

For me, going through the process of hiring new employees is fantastically frustrating. It’s a time consuming, uncertain, potentially expensive process. I suspect it’s the same for most small business owners. We would much rather spend our time growing and maintaining our businesses than dealing with things that, while important, keep us from our primary tasks. Even so, it’s time again to conduct another round of hiring here at eReplacementParts.com.

It’s always tough to get those resumes flowing in. There are lots and lots of companies out there that can help you find potential employees. In fact, the second you place any visible job ad they’ll come knocking at your door. While I’m sure their services are extremely helpful and convenient, we’re way too small to be able to pay fees of $5,000 or more per employee. It’s simply not an option, especially when we’re hiring entry level employees.

We’ve had pretty good luck using free or relatively inexpensive services to find employees. The first thing I always do when we need another employee is place a free ad on craigslist.org. If I place the ad in the morning, I’ll usually have ten or so resumes by the end of the day. It’s a great start. Also, lots of churches provide free services for connecting employers and job applicants. Try calling your local parish or synagogue. We’ve dabbled in newspaper classified ads with limited success but this can get expensive in a hurry. To be honest, I’ve found the very best way to find quality employees is through my own personal networking. I’m always sure to get the word out to friends and family that we’re hiring.

As our hiring process continues over the next few weeks I’ll make sure to keep this blog updated. I’ll talk a little more about checking references, interviewing, and making job offers. Stay tuned!

Related Topics: Uncategorized, eReplacement Parts    1 Comment    

Relationship Marketing

In my business, getting new clients is all about relationships. The quality of the photography has to be a given and customer service totally has to stand out if I want to get noticed and be remembered. I can understand why good managers are always preaching, “delegate, delegate, delegate…” because getting out into the community and making good relationships and connections can be a full time job!

This week I have spent the bulk of my time cultivating a relationship in a market that I have just begun to “tap into” for its potential. I have a great connection with a director for a kids and teen theater company. They teach acting, singing, and music for kids who want to try and get cast and find agents for the whole “hollywood scene.”

So this week I was invited to take photos of their dress rehearsal and do cast and headshots. We made a trade (which is great by the way when you can find something where 2 business can mutually benefit one another!). I gave them the cast shot that they could sell as a fundraiser for the theater in exchange for a booth at the show and the opportunity to hand out my promo material and sell the rest of the photos to friends and families.

So far it seems like it has been great. The Theater is happy because they have free photos showcasing what they do and all their hard work. And I’ve been given direct access to a pool of people who are going to need the services of someone like me on a regular basis. They’re definitely going to need to update their headshots for casting calls at least twice a year to stay current with growing and changing kids

So put away your fear, stop sitting in front of your computer monitor, and get out there and meet somebody! It’s all about free Word of Mouth connections!!!

Related Topics: Jason Meyer Photography, Uncategorized    No Comments