Small Business and Hiring Interns

The Positive effect of interns and where you can find one

If you own a small business you know how much work needs to be done on a daily basis. You may need to address manufacturing, production, marketing, sales, distribution, customer relations, employee relations and pay roll issues all within the same day.

The good news is that with all those topics on your mind, there are students and recent graduates who would love the opportunity to work as an intern to help you out in exchange for a reference and the chance to learn about your business.

There are many benefits to hiring an intern:

• Interns are less expensive to pay per hour than full time employees
• Interns are looking for experience to enhance their resume, make networking connections and receive a good recommendation. Most interns will work hard to receive a positive reference.
• Interns have access to the most cutting edge trend information through their classes, peers and broad range of interests.
  
• Hiring an intern in the future as a full time employee can save you the money, time and resources of finding, interviewing and training a new employee.

The Process of Hiring an Intern

Determine Expectations:

Before you think about hiring an intern, create an outline of the day to day duties, projects and meetings the student would be responsible for. Be sure to include your expectations of work hours, qualifications, attitude and commitment.

In exchange, be sure to outline which benefits the intern will receive from working for you. Experience? Class credit? Pay? Contacts?

The more clear you are the better chances you have of hiring the right person for the job and managing expectations.

Hire an Intern:

  One of the best places to look when hiring an intern is at the closest College or University. Most higher education institutions have a Career Services department which is in charge of placing students in jobs during school and after graduation. Career Services will also be able to help you navigate the process of offering credit as compensation.

When hiring a student it is important to be flexible with hours and to work with their class and exam schedule. Also, about 30% of students simply cannot afford an unpaid internship.

Duration:

  Most internships last for more than a month and less than a year. Some internships last for one-semester or for one summer, others may be extended or cut short depending on the relationship between the company and the intern.

Managing your intern:

 Once you hire an intern the next step is effectively managing your new employee. This may be their first job experience so it is important to clarify the four following topics on the first day:

Orientate:  Introduce the intern to the work environment, the staff, the clients and the culture.

Instruct:  Train your intern and state how the student can best complete the tasks you have assigned.

Supervise: Who does the intern report to or ask for help?

Evaluate: Giving feedback during and after the internship is vital to the success of the relationship. 

Offering Internships can be mutually beneficial to you as a small business owner and to students looking to gain experience.

 

Franchising: Small Business Opportunity

Franchising Introduction

So you're interested in opening a franchise of your favorite business and you are looking for some answers? Below are some definitions to get your franchising feet wet.

The Basics

 What is 'franchising'?

     The concept of franchising started naturally as one business owner saw an opportunity to expand his own successful business beyond his geographical region by lending his business model and trademarks to another qualified entrepreneur. This allowed the franchisee to adopt the name and original reputation for quality, value and service while offering a great product to a larger number of people.

What are the benefits if I become a franchisee?

  There are many benefits of opening a franchise. The most popular reasons to adopt a franchise business model are the use of their reputation, national branding campaigns and access to a support system as well as reduced investment risks.

  In exchange for start up and royalty fees, a franchiser offers a complete business model, commitment to building the brand, education and training, operational support and leveraged buying power.

•  The U.S. Dept of Commerce states that 90% of franchises are still in operation after 10 years, compared to just 18% for other forms of small businesses.
• A recent Gallup Poll of franchisees found that more than 94% considered themselves successful, and that more than 75% would buy their franchise again if they had to do it over.

For more information on franchising contact the U.S Small Business Association, a government run agency, which exists "to to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation." Click Here to visit the SBA website for more information on franchising.

 

Curb Appeal: Improving Appearance and Branding

Entrances That Attract

 

The entrance to your business should captivate your customer and welcome them to your establishment.

The way you choose to present your business from the outside offers insight into what customers can expect from you as a service provider. The first glance customers have of your business can have a lasting impact on the way your brand is viewed.

Here are a few ways you can improve your facade to demonstrate your values as a business:

Landscape well- Landscaping may illustrate your attention to detail, your free spirt or your businesses level of creativity.

Improve the appearance of the walkway to your business entrance by planting tall grasses, bushes, wildflowers and mosses. Window boxes, hanging plants and ground planters are a great way to add character and charm. While bricks, stones and pebbles can be used to lead a customer to your door.

Example: A restaurant that plants herbs in window boxes sends the message that they value the freshest ingredients.

Or:

A business that offers several comfortable benches for public use sends the message that anyone is welcome to rest and relax outside the storefront and that community interaction is valued.

Remove clutter- Make sure there are no unnecessary objects in front of or against your building or in your parking lot that may make a customer feel that you are unorganized.

When choosing the way you would like to be viewed superficially, think about the essence of the company and how you can portray those values through initial appearances

 

Changing the Story: Corporate and Franchisee Relations

Positively Great Company Culture

Many times corporate employees and franchisees become frustrated with each other due to disagreements about the way individual locations are run. But, both must feel that they are mutually beneficial to each other to ensure the longevity of a franchised company. Corporate employees and franchisees must communicate effectivly in order to remain in business.

The satisfaction of a franchise owner with the corporate headquarters will determine they way the franchisee interacts with its customers. Any disatisfaction that trickles down will quickly hurt the national brand.

Corporate employees often become frustrated with the management practices of franchise owners while franchisees tend to feel unsatisfied with the quality of assistance they receive.

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Peter Bregman writes about changing corporate culture by changing the stories that are told. This idea is applicable to corporate employees as well as to franchisees.

Bregman writes, "To start a culture change all we need to do is two simple things:

1. Do dramatic story-worthy things that represent the culture we want to create. Then let other people tell stories about it.

2. Find other people who do story-worthy things that represent the culture we want to create. Then tell stories about them"

Currently, many corporations tell stories of the difficult franchisees they work with or how the owners do not know how to run their business. But, what if the vocalized stories were ones of the most pleasant owners or the most creative marketing tactics? The positive stories would encourage similar behavior and employees would look for similar examples to share.

Conversely, if corporate employees act in the most positive and helpful way to assist franchise owners then the owners will begin to speak about the quality of the advice and attention they received.

For example: As an employee at the corporate office your job is to assist franchise owners with a variety of questions they may have. One franchisee is particularly upset. Instead of getting off the phone and saying, "Ugh, that woman is so difficult!" loud enough to get a response from the employees around you, say "Marsha from Ohio just called and was looking for some help with X, does anyone have any ideas on how to help her?" The follow up call will help Marsha feel like her needs are being considered and the corporate employees will see a constructive relationship develop.

As Bregman says, "We live by stories. We tell them, repeat them, listen to them carefully, and act in accordance with them"

And besides, everyone likes a good story.

 Find Peter Bregman's article here http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/bregman/2009/06/the-best-way-to-change-a-corpo.html?cm_re=homepage-061609-_-secondary-1-_-headline