Wells Fargo/Gallup Survey: Three-quarters of small business owners say finding qualified employees is difficult; close to three in ten call on their spouse for unpaid help.

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PR Newswire:

Running a small business is no easy task — and neither is finding employees to help keep the business going. In a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, 74 percent of small business owners who hire paid employees said it was difficult to find qualified employees — up from 65 percent in March 2005. The major barrier to finding and hiring qualified employees was the cost of providing benefits and insurance — cited by 58 percent of those surveyed. Forty-four percent said it was the actual task of finding talented employees that was most challenging.

When small business owners are unable to afford to hire new employees, nearly half (47 percent) said they turn to family members for unpaid help. Of those, 57 percent say they ask for help from their spouses, representing nearly one-third of all business owners surveyed.

“Having quality employees is critical to the success of my business, and it can be a challenging process to find and hire them. At times, I need to rely on family members and friends when I need an extra set of hands,” said Monique Hayward, owner of Dessert Noir Cafe & Bar in Beaverton, Oregon. “When I do find and hire employees, I provide them as much support as I can because my business would not be as successful without them.” Carry on reading.

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By Cris Zimermann - April 7th, 2008 - In Small Biz.
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