I spoke to someone yesterday who told me he had hired 20 sales people over the past year and they all failed to produce. Then he asked me what it was he was failing to teach his new hires. Teach? Give me a break.

Repeating the same mistake 20 times tells me that person would be better off getting a job rather than trying to run a business.

Hire the best you can find and afford. That’s a critical rule for a small business. The small business that goes with the less costly employee with the hope of ‘developing’ talent will only waste money. While it may feel noble to give a chance to someone lacking the necessary qualifications, it’s a mistake. The large business can afford it, perhaps. For a struggling small business to hire someone based on lower cost could bring the business down.

Chris Reich
TeachU.com