Already have a small business but thinking about hiring new staff? Here are some helpful questions that will help you decide who the best fit is for your company.

Once you have established your business, having an outstanding staff is essential for it to be successful.

Hiring employees is one of the most important tasks for a business owner. But how do you know who is the right person for the position? Who will bring the most into the company? Who will make the business succeed to your expectations? Anyone can put on a good act for 30 minutes and try to sell themselves as someone that will be the best fit, but how can we tell?

Here are some good questions that will help you see beyond the candidate’s responses:

• Give an example of a time when you had to make a quick decision.
• Give an example of a situation when you exceeded your manager’s expectations
• What have you done that demonstrates your willingness to succeed in a job?
• How would you convince me that you can adapt to a wide range of people, situations and environments.
• Why should I hire you??

Remember: your business is only as good as your people.

"If you can DREAM it, you can DO it." - Walt Disney

How to set up a facebook page for your business

Today, most companies worldwide use facebook to advertise their companies, so why not you too? Here are some basics you should know about setting up your facebook profile.

Facebook is a great way to advertise your business online; it already has over 300 million users. It offers a large platform to build up a company’s presence and target people that have interest in your industry. It also offers excellent and low cost marketing opportunities for every small business, so to save a little on advertising take advantage of this.


Once you have created your page, take some time to research your competitor’s pages to have an idea of how they are marketing their business. Notice how many fans/friends they have, how many people “like” them, what they are posting, photos, videos, etc. Remember, this is the face of your company, so make it as professional as you can so your clients will take you seriously.

These are just some quick tips for starting your own facebook page.


If you have not yet signed up for it, you should absolutely do so as soon as possible!!



-Caroline

The best tip to start your own business

Research..Research..Research!!!

The best way to help your business idea take place is doing the research. Without research you won’t even know what is happening in that industry. First, there needs to be 3 crucial facts you must consider. The business needs to be something you are great at and have the talent for. It also needs to be something you are absolutely passionate about, because you may be doing this for the rest of your life. And finally, the business needs to make sense. You may love to paint space helmets but if there is no demand for that, your business may not be the most successful out there. So start by opening books or using the web to get started!

-Caroline

Tips on developing a website that will differentiate your business

• State what your business does best and define your niche.

• Create a strategy that will differentiate you from your competition convincing your customer that there is no other company out there like yours and why they should pick you.

• Do not create a quick webpage just to have one, create the best webpage out there; remember, this is the face of your company.

• Think about what unique offerings make your company successful and highlight those points on the webpage.

• Incorporate your webpage into a mobile internet application giving your customers access to it anywhere at any time.

• And, we suggest that you take a course or go to a workshop like our “Getting Your Business Online” workshop (check our calendar for the next one), to make sure that your site will not only be helpful and of interest to people, but will also be search engine-ready to make sure it gets found! A beautiful website that never comes up in the search engines won’t be helpful to your business.

-Caroline

Training for New GA's Begins

The enthusiasm continues as training for new Graduate Assistants in the SBDC . It's always such a great experience for us to meet these enthusiastic college graduates as they go on their journey to learn even more about business ..... all with fresh ideas and fresh energy! Today is proving no exception as they express opinions, share thoughts, and learn our procedures.

Call in and make an appointment to talk about your business today!

Welcome to our new Graduate Assistants in our Winthrop Region SBDC office!

This week, we welcomed new GAs to our Rock Hill office at Winthrop University. They are enthusiastically and anxiously awaiting their assignments to work with clients, helping them get their businesses off the ground. Meet Wiseman Chimbani, Reba Prevost, and Caroline Portugal. You'll find them personable, qualified, and ready to assist you in the all important task of creating your business plan.