It’s very easy for a small business owner to feel as if they’re understaffed. Because the nature of any business involves unpredictable seasons of “feast and famine” (i.e. busyness and then slower months), it can be mental aerobics trying to figure out when and how to hire.
One of the greatest things to remember is onboarding costs… so make sure you court before buying a ring. What this means is, you don’t ever want to go into a situation of taking time out of your busy schedule to traditionally hire new people before exploring all your options, because one wrong move in hiring someone can cost big in the long haul.
Therefore, it’s good to educate yourself on how to handle those times when you need an extra hand. There’s many ways to save time and money in this area, and one of the greatest ways to do so is by temporary staffing.
Temporary staffing is an excellent way to explore your options, while still getting the help you need when it’s needed.
This is where staffing agencies can become your best friend. Their job is to help you find help, whether permanently, or temporarily. And the best part is, they take on the valuable time you could be using to focus on other business responsibilities and endeavors.
When you decide to bring on a competent staffing agency, you delegate a necessary part of business growth to bonafide experts.
Why Temporary Staffing Makes Sense
Some people completely underestimate (or simply don’t know) the upfront and long-term costs of bringing on permanent employees. Understand that this doesn’t mean you should avoid hiring; if your business needs the help, not hiring someone who can get the job done will cost you more in the long haul. You don’t want to skimp when it comes to bringing on help.
But one major option small businesses (particularly those who wants to monitor their financial investments) should absolutely consider is utilizing temporary staffing.
Here are three ways your small business can do that.
- Busy seasons
As mentioned before, businesses know that there is a such thing as “feast and feminine” (busy months and slower months). During these times of fluctuation, you technically don’t need a permanent employee… you just need seasonal help.
This is a great time to contact a staffing agency and have them bring on that help. By this point, the busyness of the season will be an added financial boost to your company, so paying for the helping hands shouldn’t be a problem.
The busy season for your company ultimately depends on which industry you’re in. For example, retail companies tend to get busy around holidays. Hospitals tend to get busy during times of major local crisis. Construction companies are known for being busy during the spring and summer months.
- Foresight for expansion
This may not be a traditional way of thinking, but it is a wise one. Consider bringing on temporary staffing when you have plans for expanding your business (i.e. adding a new department, a new account, or spreading it to other locations). The idea behind this is you can start early with scouting out who will be the best new employees once the expansion is complete.
- Marketing
Following along with the idea above regarding expansion, temporary staffing comes in handy if you don’t have a marketing budget but need to hire new workers. How so? You might ask. Because if you work with a staffing agency to bring on that temporary staff, they’ll do the marketing for candidates for you – which will save you money in the end.
So instead of going full force with a hiring campaign, test the waters first. It’s one of the smartest things your small business can do.
