I suspect you've worked alongside many kinds of people over the years. Some good, some not so.
And when it comes to hiring for your own company, again, I bet you have come across your fair share of oddities, with a mix of brilliance thrown in.
It's difficult finding good people don't you think?
The challenge is, you're not only looking for someone capable of doing the job being asked, you are also seeking someone with more innate qualities.
Qualities such as trustworthiness and decisiveness. Together with a personality that fits in with you and your business.
This second set of qualities is perhaps more important because skills can be learned, but you can't change someone's personality.
Also, you're working as a team, so to succeed you need to be able trust the people who work for you, and ideally enjoy having them around.
Talent like this is out there, you just need to find them. And hold on to them.
Also, when looking for this new talent, look for people better than you.
I realise this sounds a little odd, but there's a reason, one that a giant of the advertising world, David Ogilvy, encapsulates well:
"If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants."
This leads me to today's small business tip: Hire people better than you.
You will not build a successful business if it's entirely reliant on you.
But with a team you can trust to deliver projects successfully, and to a high standard, your business can expand, and you can relax.
You may even find yourself stepping away from the hands-on work to oversee business operations. A win for your business, a win for your workers, and a win for you.
Best, Lindsey