Time is always an issue for the small businessperson. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time for anything. That’s why many business owners make the mistake of not properly training new employees. An employer must believe training as an investment instead of a cost. It’s best to have a well-defined and well-written job training program for each position in your company. Surveys reveal inadequate training as one of the biggest reasons ex-employees give to justify their lack of success. As mentioned earlier, having to go through the hiring process is a tremendous expense for small businesses. Why not take some of that money and “invest” in the employee you already have?
Denise O’Berry in “The Little Big Show” tells the story of an ice cream shop owner who had a new employee close the shop one night. He told her to be sure to turn off the light in the case before leaving. When the time came for her to leave, she couldn’t find the light switch. So, she unplugged the case and ruined the owner’s inventory. If this owner had taken the time to come up with a few written procedures with explicit instructions, he would have saved himself a lot of money.
