Common mistakes to avoid when starting a business

A large part of your new business' success will be determined by the quality of the people you recruit. Hiring people always means investing in your business and it requires careful consideration. Taking this investment seriously can make it more valuable and improve your chances of success.

Ensuring that you hire high-caliber people with the right mix of skills is not easy, but it will pay dividends. 

How you employ new people will depend on your business needs. For example, it will depend on whether the work is constant, how long it will last, and the number of hours available.

You need to explore all the options available to you. These include:

• recruiting permanent staff on a full or part-time basis
• fixed-term contract employee
• temporary staff
• freelancers
• consultants
• contractors

While employing relatives and friends might seem easy, they may lack the right mix of skills needed. Additionally, personal relationships can complicate ending employment.

For more information, see recruiting staff.

The Labour Relations Agency provides advice on recruitment, selection and induction.

Failing to delegate

Being your own boss may be a key motivator to setting up your own business. However, delegating the right task to the right person is important for both you and your business. Failing to delegate could mean you take on too much and increase your stress levels.

A good way to tackle delegation is to identify a few key tasks of your own that are very valuable to the business. Hand over the rest to your team - see skills and training for directors and owners.