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“You don’t build a business. You build people, and people build the business.” – Zig Ziglar

Entrepreneurship is an art. It’s also a science. The reason there are so few successful entrepreneurs is because there’s no single factor for success. It takes a great idea, a network of resources and a ton of hard work and time to create a lasting, profitable business.

For entrepreneurs, expanding the business and hiring employees is an exciting adventure. But it can also be rife with challenges and sometimes mistakes.

The reason: The skills needed to successfully lead a growing enterprise are markedly different than what it takes to run a one-person business.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” But, becoming a great leader isn’t easy. Successfully manoeuvring a team through the ups and downs of a business can be one of the greatest challenges a business owner faces.

You work hard to develop your product or service. You fight to solve your financial issues. You go out and promote your business and sell your product. But you don’t think enough about leading your own people and finding the best staff.

Hiring the right employees can make or break your business and is more than ever critical in todays’ economy.

The cost of finding, interviewing, engaging and training new employees is high. Employees also require desks, computers, phones and related equipment, let alone the largest costs of being an employer – salaries!

Leaders view new employees as an investment and anticipate an excellent financial return over time.

How do we identify the best employees? Good question! Alan Hall, successful entrepreneur, angel investor, venture capitalist, author and philanthropist developed The 7 C’s:  How to find and hire great employees. Let’s have a look at Alan’s 7 C’s:

1. Competent: This is still the first factor to consider. Does the potential employee have the necessary skills, experiences and education to successfully complete the tasks you need performed?
2. Capable: Will this person complete not only the easy tasks but will he or she also find ways to deliver on the functions that require more effort and creativity?
3. Compatible: Can this person get along with colleagues, and more importantly, can he or she get along with existing and potential clients and partners?
4. Commitment: Is the candidate serious about working for the long term? Or is he or she just passing through, always looking for something better?
5. Character: Does the person have values that align with yours? Are they honest; do they tell the truth and keep promises? Are they above reproach? Are they selfless and a team player?
6. Culture: Every business has a culture or a way that people behave and interact with each other. Culture is based on certain values, expectations, policies and procedures that influence the behaviour of a leader and employees. Workers who don’t reflect a company’s culture tend to be disruptive and difficult.
7. Compensation: As the employer, be sure the person hired agrees to a market-based compensation package and is satisfied with what is offered. If not, an employee may feel unappreciated and thereby under perform.

If you would like to improve your Leadership skills or need assistance with Human Resource why not engage an experienced business consulting firm like Synergy Consulting Australia to take the stress out of the entire business growth process.

We provide a large range of business consulting services which includes Legal, Accounting, Marketing, Project Management & Migration services. This also includes a full market research and feasibility report before investing. www.synergyaustralia.com.au

Synergy Consulting Australia is led by Ilona Solinska. Ilona has over 15 years’ national and international business consulting experience. She has coached hundreds of businesses in the area of Marketing, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Operation, Change & Project Management and is a highly sought after presenter on a wide variety of business topics.