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Between Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner
By Gabby Printz | March 18, 2011
An article in this week’s edition of Buffalo Business First reports that although levels of entrepreneurship are the highest they have been in the last 15 years, few of these new enterprises are hiring employees. This data comes from a recent study conducted by the Kauffman Foundation. It seems that while the recession is providing a ripe environment for start-ups (particularly, new tech start-ups), it’s not easy for these individual proprietors to establish and staff their new enterprises.
Niagara County Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) counselor Andrea Lizak weighs in: “The main problem is that entrepreneurs can’t afford to hire, so the transition [from entrepreneur to business owner] is difficult.”
Are we reaching a phase in which entrepreneurial growth does not necessarily coincide with job creation or economic growth? Kauffman Foundation president and CEO Carl Schramm says that this trend could have “both short- and long-term impacts.”
It’s clear, however, that the small business sector is growing…gradually. The monthly small business index (compiled by the National Federation of Independent Business Owners) “has hit its highest level since December 2007,” Kent Hoover reports for Business First. Businesses are also investing in equipment (computers and software), according to a study by the NPD Group. So why aren’t small businesses hiring?
What we see here are two parallel issues:
From a broad perspective, how do we invest in small business in a way that promotes job creation? What kind of regulatory atmosphere fosters job growth in the small business sector?
On an individual level, how does one make that transition from sole-proprietor to small business employer?
I don’t know about you, but I’m not an economic strategist. So I’ll defer to the real economic advisers for solutions to our nation’s high unemployment.
But for the individual entrepreneur, we have some insight:
As a sole-proprietor, you are the entirety of your company. But, as you might come to find, you can’t do everything. Still, it’s not as simple as finding the right person and signing their paychecks (if you can even manage to do that, that is). Other administrative and tax-related steps must be taken, such as applying for an EIN, filing I-9s and W4s, and reporting new hires to the state. The SBA outlines these steps in this comprehensive article.
If you’re not yet at this point, then you’re main challenge is how to grow your business. For that, we encourage you to talk to a counselor and explore what specific resources are available to you. You can also check out our small business self-audit to determine what areas you need to work on to establish your business or take it to the next level. Also, I recommend tuning in to this video series put on by SBA and Dell about small business growth strategies.
It’s important to know that this kind of information and support is out there. Because in the grand scheme of things, it’s in everyone’s interest when a small business succeeds, grows, creates jobs, and contributes to our rebounding economy.
What are your thoughts on small business and job creation? What is your experience with the transition from sole-proprietor to small business owner and employer? Let us know in a comment below.
Topics: In the News, Resources, Start-Up | 2 Comments »
March 20th, 2011 at 4:56 am
Growing your business to include employees is extremely challenging. Making sure that you are in a position to manage imployees is important. If you plan on performing the work you have been and managing the business, it will be difficult. Managing employees takes time and lots of effort. The initial hiring is a process in itself. Although the unemployment rate is very high, job applicants are hard to find. The response is always minimal in my business. Then training, managing and motivating is the next step. Running a business day to day is challenging but the rewards are gratifying on a daily basis.
March 20th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Great insight, Donna.