For any business, the employees are the key to making success occur. Deciding what type of individuals to hire is another part of the start up process you'll need to think through.  While it's tempting to choose the candidate with the most experience and skill, there is something to be said for hiring those who are young, inexperienced, and fresh out of college. Forbes Magazine has some reasons why choosing the new kid may benefit your company in the long run.

1. New employees are eager to learn and please. They're excited to come to work still and aren't worn down yet.
2. New employees don't have bad habits or preconcieved notions of how work should be done. They are a clean slate that you can mold into what's best for your company.
3. Looking for someone with the "right attitude"? New employees are go getters and want to try everything possible which makes for a great can-do spirit.
4. Bringing in someone young can bring fresh ideas to old problems. They may be able to think of something you haven't been able to yet.
5. Often times new employees are looking for somewhere where they can grow and a company they can stay with. By getting them in at the bottom and giving them their first "big break", you may be able to keep them around for years to come.

For a student in small business management training, like the course offered at Ashworth College, why else do you think it's a good idea to bring in an employee with very little experience?

While managers are the ones in charge, no business will thrive without the work of it's employees.  Good managers know that keeping their best employees with the company is essential to it's success and upward growth.  For that reason, those in management careers need to find out exactly what types of behavior will keep their employees happy and content. 

• Saying "thank you" lets someone know they're appreciated, and nowhere is this more vital than in the business world.  If employees feel overworked and undervalued, they may start looking somewhere else for gratification. 
• "Stay interviews" are ways to just check up on employees and find out what you need to do to keep them around.  This gives them a chance to tell you what they need or what they don't feel as though they are getting in their current work environment.  By listening to their needs, you may be able to prevent them from leaving.
• Realize that each of your employees are individuals and just because you do something for one employee doesn't mean all employees will want the same treatment.  Even if you let one employee telecommute, it doesn't mean every employee will now want to do that.  Some just work best being in the office.  If, perhaps, another employee does want the same treatment, you aren't obliged to give it to them.  You can simply say "so-and-so got this because they earned it."

How else can managers help their staff?

Check out our small business management career diploma to learn more!

Most companies offer full time employees a chance to take some paid vacation time do use as they please, but one man in management careers is taking that a bit farther.  Bart Lorang, who is the CEO of a Denver-based internet start-up called FullContact API, actually pays his employees to take a paid vacation.  While the company itself gives the employees their salary while they're gone, Bart actually gives them $7,500 to use on the trip itself.  There are, however, conditions they must abide by.

His rules aren't necessarily rules you'd expect from a CEO.  “One, you actually have to take a vacation to get the money,” Bart said. “Two, you have to disconnect from work, so that means no calls, no emails, no tweets, no work of any kind.”

Bart himself admits to not being great at following that rule.  There's even a picture of him working on vacation in Egypt.  Nevertheless, studies show those who check out of work while they're on vacation come back refreshed and more excited about their projects.

What do you think of this boss?

When looking to open up a small business, the idea can be very appealing.  Being your own boss and being able to decide what your company does financially and product wise sounds interesting, but there are things you don't consider.  There are sacrifices you will need to make and risks you need to take to end up working in small business management careers.  Here are a few of those risks you'll want to consider.

• Talk to owners of similar businesses so you can get an idea of how much your startup costs will be.  Many people underestimate the amount it will cost to form their own business and find themselves in trouble by going way over budget.  By talking to similar companies, you can get a better idea of how much you'll need to have.
• As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch meaning when you gain one thing, you'll have to give up something else.  By starting your own company you will probably have to give some things up.  For example, you'll need to spend time cultivating your business so it probably won't make money right away.  This will most likely mean you will have to wait a little longer to retire.  It also may mean you will initially make less than working at the job you had previously.
• If you have a family, they will also need to make sacrifices.  For example, if you have children you may not be able to save as much for their education right now; or take family vacations for a little bit while your new business gets started.  Once your business becomes the success you hope it will, things should fall back into place, but for the time being it's a sacrifice for everyone.

What other lessons do you know?

This week, the Avengers opened in theaters with the highest revenue yet.  Although the story of masked vigilantes fighting crime is unrealistic and extreme, the truth is many of those heroes have something in common with people looking to go into business management careers.  Entrepreneurs share many personality traits with the superheroes gracing the movie screens.  Here are a few ways.

1. Superheroes don't give up and neither should managers.  Those working as managers and supervisors also need that same desire to suceed and accomplish their goals and the persistance to not give up.
2. Each superhero has a talent where they are considered the best.  Lightening speed, super strength, extreme flexibility, and the ability to fly are all talents posessed by those who wear the superheroes uniform.  The same way they are the best at what they do, entrepreneurs need to strive to be the best at what they do.
3. Maintaining your vision of what you want to accomplish and what goals you want to reach is necessary for superheroes.  Each one has their own goal and they're not ashamed to strive for it.  Just like them, managers need to be crystal clear on what their goals are.
4. If the Avengers taught us anything, it's that while these heroes are strong by themselves, they're unstoppable as a team.  By working together and helping each other out, the heroes of the film and comics were able to defeat an army, not just a lone villian.
5. The reason any superhero comes to town in the first place is to solve a problem which is exactly what start up businesses need to do.  The whole point of the organization is to remedy a problem, fill a need, or perform a service and that should be the goal all the way through.

What other similarities do they have?

When working in small business management careers, you'll want to do everything possible to ensure your business takes off.  To help with revenue, it's important to try to save some money where you can.  For this reason, many start up businesses choose to rent their equipment rather than purchasing the tools. But why should you consier renting instead of buying?  Here are some reasons:

• Getting a loan in order to purchase your equipment takes time.  Borrowing the equipment does not take any time.
• It's cheaper to borrow equipment than it is to purchase new ones.  Buying it half price may help, but it is not a foolproof option.
• One hard fact of life is that businesses can fail.  While many are successful and go on to be thriving companies, some aren't so lucky.  If the company doesn't survive, you can give back the leased equipment.  With purchased equipment it's still all yours.

However, if you do this, you must file paperwork. One site says, "most leasing companies will expect you to provide your written equipment lease proposal, recent financial statements, and tax returns for the previous year.  In your lease proposal, you must clearly define the nature of your business, why you need to obtain a lease, the types of equipment you need, and other significant details that will help convince the company to grant you an approval."

Would you rent equipment?

When in management, it can feel overwhelming to consider all of the things you need to accomplish.  Instead of panicking, look at the larger picture.  Focus on your end goals and what you want to do in order to get them.  By focusing on the end result, you will be able to analyze exactly what steps need to be taken in order to reach your dreams.  Forbes created this scenario with someone who's goal is to double their revenue of their company.  Fill in your own answers for your company.

• What would you like? To double revenue this year.
• What will having that do for you? I’ll feel secure, be happy, have peace of mind, have less stress and a cash cushion, feel confident that we got to the next level and the business is scalable, work less, know my team can step up. [What he really wants is to feel safe—to let go of control and know it’ll be ok]
• How will you know when you have it (specifically)? Doubled revenue from last year.
• So there you are in the future and you have what you want. What risk might you take to ensure this change is going to happen? I might have to let go of some control–delegate more, promote some high performers and let a few low performers go, let my VP Sales run with our plan, stop micro-managing our VP Operations.
• What will likely happen if you don’t solve this the way you want? What will be the impact on your business and life? We’ll be stuck in the same rut we’ve been in for 3 years, we won’t be able to grow the business and sell it for the $70mil+ that we want to, my family members and I won’t get to cash out and we’ll one day have to wind the business down—without securing our and our children’s financial future.
• What might someone have to believe about the world/company/situation to get this? That this is possible, that they have the team to achieve this outcome, that more clients want what we have, that we can find these clients.
• What might you have to believe about yourself? That I can let go and things won’t fall apart, that my team wants to rise up.
• What can you appreciate about the current situation prior to change? [What’s great about holding onto control?] I know what the outcome will be—even if it isn’t what I want, I trust myself and don’t have to rely on others.

Would you ask yourself these same questions?