Play Ball! The Who's Who of an All-Star Lineup

STARTING LINEUP Building A Small Business Team After a long, cold recession, small businesses have begun to expand and hire new employees. But in the business game, you need the right number and mix of talent to succeed. Here, we take a look at how smal| businesses are growing their teams and what players are crucial to a team's success. Small Businesses Are Hiring Following the recession, small businesses have enjoyed a hiring trend. Since October 2009, small businesses included in the Intuit Small Business Employment Index* have created 685,000 jobs. A hiring upswing among small businesses mirrors the growth of the National Employment Index. Intuit Small Business Employment Index 102 100 98 96 94 National Employment Index Intuit Small Business Employment Index 92 90 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Coming Up Short Despite a hiring trend, a recent Gallup poll suggests many small businesses might not be hiring as many people as they really need. Among small businesses who did hire new workers last year, 42% report they hired fewer people than needed. 49% 42% Hired as many as needed Hired fewer than needed 9% 1% Hired more than immediately needed Didn't know/didn't answer Replacing and Expanding Though most small business hiring was to replace an employee who left, many reported that the main reasons for hiring were growth or increased revenue. 21% said they hired new workers to support growth or expansion plans, and others pointed to a stronger economy and better sales. 13% 21% 5% Support growth or expansion plans Economy is getting better Revenue or sales increased Justify New Hires Many of these small businesses aren't hiring as many people as they need because owners are worried about revenue and cash flow. Of the businesses who reported hiring fewer people than necessary, 79% said they were concerned revenue wouldn't justify new employees. Worried revenues or sales won't be able to justify more employees Worried revenues or sales won't be able to justify more employees Hard to find qualified employees for positions available 79% 70% 62% 51% 31% Worried about the potential cost of healthcare Some other reason Key Positions For The Small Business Roster So when a small business is ready to hire new employees, what kind of person should it recruit? The success of a small business depends on the people who make up the team. In that way, setting up a small business team can be a lot like setting up a baseball roster. The average small business might have one person who fits several positions. Or, they may have several people qualified for each position. Either way, both business and baseball depend on the right mix of talent to be successful in the game. The manager determines the best ways to help the team meet its goals. The manager knows the ins and outs of the team and the situation at hand to make decisions, but also relies on the expertise of the other members of the coaching staff. Why You Need One: Every team needs a leader who can make decisions and still turn to others for help. MANAGER Your bench coach makes sure the day-to-day operations of the team run smoothly. He'll assist the manager in making team decisions in all areas. Why You Need One: When the manager can't be there to make calls on the organization's operations or game plan, the bench coach is there to step in. BENCH COACH Your pitching coach keeps an eye on your competitors and lets the team know how to handle obstacles and tackle challenges. They spend long hours planning ways to keep your team's edge against the competition. Why You Need One: A good pitching coach will survey the competition and serve as a mentor to help members of your team grow to their potential. PITCHING COACH Always looking for the best people to add to your roster, your scout has extensive knowledge of the team and an eye for upcoming talent. À scout uses a network of contacts to connect with people who might contribute to your small business team. Why You Need One: Good team members are key to your organization's future success. SCOUT Your starting pitcher gets the ball rolling on new projects and objectives. With minimal guidance, the starting pitcher takes initiative to pursue any new venture for the team. Why You Need One: A self-starter actively contributes to innovation and growth in a small business. | STARTING PITCHER Your relief pitcher is a dependable team member the rest of the group can rely on in a pinch. They are always willing to step in and help out when needed. Why You Need One: Having a team member you can always count on to get the job done is essential. RELIEF PITCHER Your lead-off hitter looks for opportunities and takes chances to bring your entire team success. The lead-off player leads the rest of his or her fellow teammates to try their best to benefit the organization. Why You Need One: Among the players dealing with day-to-day operations, it's good to have a player who leads fellow teammates and who can look for opportunities to advance the team. LEAD-OFF HITTER Your clean-up hitter is always willing to roll up his or her sleeves to finish a project. They know that the team's success relies on individual contributions, and work with other team members to get a job done. Why You Need One: A successful team needs someone who can work well with other people to bring success to the entire organization. | CLEAN-UP HITTER Let's face it, a small business wants everyone on the team to be a slugger. The home-run hitter brings power, confidence, and skill to the team. A home-run hitter can energize the rest of the team like nothing else can. Why You Need One: Aside from being key to the team's outward success, the home-run hitter does just as much to motivate and energize the rest of the team. HOME-RUN HITTER SOURCES Baseball-Reference.com | BaseballProspectus.com Out Of The Park Baseball | Los Angeles Times Bureau of Labor Statistics |Gallup Intuit Small Business Employment Index QuickBooks Online intuit. 20 JDW 20 ADW 60 jnr 60 dəs 60 nON Jan 10 Mar 10 May 10 Jul 10 Sep 10 Nov 10 Jan 11 Mar 11 May 11