Every small business owner eventually reaches a critical juncture: the moment when daily operations start to resemble a juggling act, the email inbox transforms into a black hole, and the mere thought of someone else handling certain tasks sparks a glimmer of hope. This pivotal point often signals one thing: it’s time to hire.
In a recent episode of the Moxie Creative podcast, “Small Business Growth: Hiring the Right People at the Right Time,” co-host Kelly Cain, a seasoned entrepreneur with three successful businesses under her belt, shared invaluable insights into navigating the complexities of growth and building a team that truly elevates your business. For small business owners, solopreneurs, and aspiring entrepreneurs in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and beyond, this episode is a masterclass in making strategic hiring decisions and fostering a thriving work environment.
The Initial Leap: When the Work Outgrows You
Kelly’s journey into entrepreneurship began, like many, as a “technician” who believed she could do what she did, but better, and for herself. Her first business, an advertising agency, started with just two partners. The initial hiring trigger was clear: they needed to offer a service—website development—that neither founder possessed.
This immediately presented a dilemma: outsource or hire in-house? They initially tried outsourcing to a web company within their building. While a viable option for many, they quickly realized the external company’s responsiveness didn’t align with their client’s needs. This led to their first in-house hire: a website designer. The lesson here is crucial: if a core service is critical to your client’s experience and your business’s agility, bringing that expertise in-house might be the better choice, even if it feels like a big step.
Recognizing the Need for More Hands (and Brains)
After adding their first specialist, the demand continued to grow. “We just started getting more and more clients and again, not turning things around in a timely manner,” Kelly recalls. This is a common pain point for growing businesses. When quality or timeliness begins to suffer, it’s a clear signal for additional support.
Their solution? Starting with an intern. This allowed them to “unload some tasks” with a lower initial investment, eventually leading to a full-time hire. This graduated approach to hiring, often starting with part-time or intern roles, can be a smart way to test the waters and manage financial risk.
Kelly also shared instances of “bringing puppies home”—talented individuals who appeared as opportunities, even when the immediate “need” wasn’t screaming. This proactive approach, where you “make room” for exceptional talent, can be a game-changer, especially in today’s competitive job market. If you encounter someone you believe could be a significant asset, sometimes it’s worth creating the role.
The Red Flags: When Intuition Guides Hiring
The decision to hire isn’t always about a bursting pipeline of work. Sometimes, it’s about anticipating future needs and protecting your existing team’s well-being. This was the case when Moxie Creative recently hired Tyler, a new graphic designer. While the pipeline wasn’t “crazy full,” Kelly observed “red flags”—signs of stress and potential burnout among the existing creative team, particularly their creative director, Michael.
“When your business is to be creative,” Kelly explains, “when people are burned out, creativity lacks.” Her experience taught her that pushing creatives too hard leads to diminished quality and morale. Despite initial reluctance from Michael to admit the need for help, Kelly’s intuition and past experience guided the decision. The result? A happier, more balanced team, even if it meant assuming the immediate cost of a new employee.
This highlights the importance of:
- Proactive Hiring: Don’t wait until you’re drowning. Anticipate growth and potential burnout.
- Employee Well-being: A happy, well-rested team is a creative and productive team.
- Trusting Your Gut: Experience often provides an invaluable intuition about when and whom to hire.
More Than Just More People: The Right People and Systems
A critical insight Kelly shared is that not all chaos can be solved by simply adding more people. Sometimes, the issue isn’t a lack of hands, but a lack of the right people or efficient systems. “Sometimes you don’t need more people, you need different people,” she wisely notes, or “you need better systems.” If you’re adding staff and the chaos persists, it’s a sign to re-evaluate your processes or team structure.
This can lead to tough conversations, sometimes involving re-evaluating roles or even making difficult personnel changes. While challenging, prioritizing the overall health and effectiveness of the business and the team is paramount.
The Magic of the Right Team: Culture Over Everything
In a small to mid-sized business, the team dynamic is especially crucial. Kelly challenged the popular LinkedIn mantra that “your team is not your family,” asserting that in a creative agency like Moxie, where the work is deeply personal and emotional, a strong, family-like bond is essential.
Key elements of the “magic” of the right team:
- Safe Space: A supportive environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, even if they’re “putting themselves out there” creatively.
- Mutual Appreciation: Recognizing and valuing each other’s strengths and weaknesses, fostering collaboration rather than competition.
- No Blame Game: Focusing on solutions rather than assigning blame when mistakes happen. As Kelly says, “Let’s just fix it. Let’s work together. We’ll cry later.”
- Honest and Earthy Communication: A culture of transparency and direct, yet supportive, feedback.
- Passion and Self-Sufficiency: Hiring individuals who are passionate about their work and capable of operating independently, aligning with a management style that avoids micromanagement.
Kelly emphasizes the importance of hiring for culture first. While skills can be taught, attitude and fit within the team dynamic are often more critical for long-term success, especially in a small, close-knit environment. This involves involving the whole team in the hiring process and conducting multiple interviews to assess cultural alignment.
Strategic Growth: Navigating the Fear of Growing Too Fast
Many business owners, out of a desire to maintain quality and avoid disappointing clients, fear growing too fast. Kelly understands this apprehension. However, she also notes that she’s “never learned how to grow steady.” In service-based industries, workflow often ebbs and flows, requiring a willingness to take calculated risks.
Her philosophy embraces calculated risks and a flexible approach to growth. She’s been through periods of rapid expansion and learned when to cap team size to maintain a desired level of personal involvement and avoid over-management. The ultimate goal is to grow in a way that enhances service, rather than diluting it.
Practical Advice for Hiring and Sustaining Growth
Kelly offers several actionable tips for business owners:
- Hire Slow, Fire Fast: Take your time to vet candidates thoroughly to ensure a good fit, but don’t hesitate to make changes quickly if a hire isn’t working out.
- Invest in Training and Onboarding: Even skilled hires need time to learn your specific workflows and culture. Provide a supportive environment for them to grow.
- Outsource What You Don’t Do Best: You don’t have to hire for every single task. Consider outsourcing non-core functions like bookkeeping, accounting, or payroll. This frees up your time to focus on strategic growth and areas where your expertise is essential. As Kelly advised, “Outsource bookkeeping, accounting, payroll. Outsource that.”
- Recognize Your Limits: Understand your comfort level with managing people. If you prefer to work “in” the business rather than just “on” it, carefully consider your team size and structure.
- Continuously Learn and Adapt: The business landscape is always changing. Be prepared to evolve your team and processes as needed.
Tune In and Get Inspired
Is your business feeling stretched thin? Are you dreaming of a future where certain tasks are handled by capable hands?
Consider these questions: What’s one thing you can delegate or outsource this week? What area of your business, if supported by the right person, would unleash significant growth? And if you’re looking to expand your team, are you prioritizing culture and the right fit above all else?
