I own/run an international model agency in Calgary, Alberta and I need
to hire an assistant that can make sure that my schedule is always
arranged and make sure that all that I have to do is done etc... The
company is very very well known, has won many awards and has a great
reputation in the Province for Philanthropy.  I have tried the
employment agency route but it is not working and it costs way to much
money. I am willing to pay 12.00/hour for this position and I know I
will need someone junior for this price. Where do I start?

We also need a business plan written for our company because I started
the business 15 years ago , right out of high school and we have never
had a proper plan. Many people say I should try business schools or
college's and let them use this place as a project. What should we do?

Lastly, I need a bookkeeper/general manager. I can not separate them
cause we only have about 3 days a week of books and so I thought the
other 2 days could be dealing with the staff reviews, equipment
leases, conducting internal meetings and basically keeping the place
on track. I am the creative type and I need someone to balance that
off. We can offer about 35, 000/year for this position. Where do I
start?

We have a good problem here cause the company is outgrowing the way we
do things now but the bad side of it is that we are all getting very
frustrated.

Any suggestions? Practical steps?

Hello—

I have carefully researched your questions all night and have your
answer.

I, too, run a small business and have been through the processes that
you’re discussing. I’ve been through growth spurts as well as the
frustrations of cutting back. As the economy goes, so goes my company
it seems like. I will do my best to walk you through the issues
concerning you. If any of what I’m telling you is not clear, please
don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.

I have found that the main key to finding the right person for the job
is getting enough qualified applicants so you have a choice. You’re in
a good-sized city, so it’s partly a matter of proper advertising,
talking with the right people, asking the right questions, and finding
someone who’s a proper fit.

The first step is deciding what type of employee you’re looking for.
Write descriptions of both jobs. Decide which aspects of the job are
the most important. Rank them, so you have an easily accessible sheet
with which characteristics you need most.

You’ll want to create an application form that people can fill out.
Make sure you ask for names, addresses, phone numbers, employment
history and any other information you’d like to know that would be
important when evaluating your candidates. Be sure to attach your job
description to the application, so potential employees will know up
front what they could expect.

Create a budget for your job searches. Make sure you dedicate certain
funds to finding the people who are going to lead your company into
the future. If you scrimp here, you may not attract the best possible
individuals to apply.

Next, you need to decide how to get the word out. As I understand it,
this is the topic you’re asking for the most information. There are
many different inexpensive ways to find applicants: newspaper ads,
Internet ads, bulletin board postings, targeting fliers, postings with
your province workforce commission, talking with area schools, talking
with other area employers, and etc.

Talk with your current employees and ask them to refer people they
know who might have an interest in the position. Good employees likely
will be happy to find other people who would make good employees. (You
may even want to make it a contest: Offer a bonus to any employee who
refers the person you end up hiring.)

Talk with those you meet about the positions. Your business contacts
can end up serving you in more ways than one. Tell them about the kind
of people you’re looking for and ask them if they know of anyone they
can recommend. Talk with people at your Rotary Club meeting. Talk with
clients, etc.

Call your area industry groups. If you belong to a modeling
association, call them and ask them to post the positions on their
bulletin boards and in their magazines. Also, you may find it helpful
to ask for the jobs to be posted with related industry groups. If
you’re looking for a general manager/bookkeeper, perhaps you want to
advertise with an area business managers group.

You may want to advertise in your local newspapers. Make sure your ad
is effective. And make sure your ad has enough space, so you have
enough space to describe the job and what you’re looking for.

Specifically, I would contact local colleges for your assistant job.
If you can find someone who’s just graduated who can dedicated
him/herself to your company, you may find a real winner. People right
out of college often have a great deal of enthusiasm, as they want to
prove themselves. I would also contact past clients of yours. Are
there current or former models who would like to be your assistant?
These individuals already understand the industry and what’s involved.
And if you find someone you trust and get along well with, it may be a
good fit. For this job, you’ll also want to advertise in places where
your ideal candidate would see the ad. You’re looking for someone
reliable, energetic, who can be organized and get the job done right.
Which kinds of publications do these people read in your area? You may
find your best results if you talk with your business contacts about
whom they might recommend. You might find that someone at a different
business that you work with regularly is looking for something
different.

Regarding the general manager/bookkeeper position, perhaps you’ll want
to contact professional development and training schools for managers
or accountants. These kinds of schools will have people who have been
around the block a few times, who are studying to move up in their
careers, and who now have the information they need to get the job
done right. You may also want to advertise in local business magazines
and newspapers. It sounds as if the ideal candidates for this job
would read these types of publications.

Develop quality interview questions. Make a list of the questions you
want to ask. These questions should coincide with your job
descriptions. You want the questions to be targeted toward the answers
you’re looking for. Ask open-ended, leading questions (not questions
that require a “yes” or “no”). Your goal should not only be to find
out whether the person is qualified for your jobs, your goal should
also be to decide whether the person is the “right fit” for your
company. Also make sure you answer any questions the interviewee has.
And notice the level of interest the interviewee shows toward the
position.

One good idea that very few businesses do when it comes to hiring is
not only have yourself interview the candidates. But select one or two
of your prized employees to sit down, either individually or as a
group, to talk with the potential hirees. Some successful managers do
this practice in order to gain an added, important perspective. This
will also allow your current employees to feel as though they have a
role in the hiring process and will ease the transition for your
existing employees when you bring a new person on board.

You may read “How to Write a Job Analysis and Description.” The link
is http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,304062,00.html

You may read “How to Write a Job Ad.” The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,303959,00.html

You may read “10 practical hiring tips.” The link is
http://www.semmes.com/publications/laborarticles/labor5.htm

To help you find good places to look for good employees, you may want
to read “9 Places To Find Employees.” The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,303957,00.html

You may want to use the Internet to help you look for good employees.
The link is http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,291122,00.html

You may read “Hiring tips from top headhunters.” The link is
http://www.dunhillhouston.com/headhunter_tips.htm

You may read “Use Job Applications and Resumes to Narrow the Field.”
The link is http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,303961,00.html

There are laws about what you can and cannot ask during job
interviews. You may want to read “13 Questions to Avoid.” The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,303963,00.html

You need to make sure your company complies with your state workers’
compensation laws. You’ll want to check your state’s BWC information.
You may also want to read an article online. The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,300259,00.html

You noted that you’re considering hiring a business plan consultant to
create your business plan. Business plans are important. They allow
you to organize your thoughts on paper, so all managers in your
company understand where your business is at the moment and where it
is headed. Business plans typically look three-to-five years into the
future. But they can be for any time frame that you want them to be.
Business plans are mainly for your own benefit, unless you’ll be
looking to solicit potential investors with the plan in which case,
you’ll want to make your plan more professional looking.

You may, of course, contact the business department of an area school
to do this for you. But I actually would recommend you doing it
yourself the first time. This way, you will understand what goes into
preparing this document. And you can adjust it as you create it to
your liking. You may wish to create a business plan committee at your
company consisting of however many individuals you want it to include.
The more minds, the better the plan.

I’ve created several different business plans. It’s recommended you
create a new business plan each year. That way you can have an updated
look at your business.

I’m going to include some links to some sample business plans online
and some other information below about what should be included and how
to create such a document. But I also am attaching below the outline
to my latest business plan. Feel free to use it verbatim if you want.
It’s a basic business plan with all the information that you’ll want
to include:

1.0 Executive Summary
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Mission
1.3 Key To Success
1.3.1 Internal Factors
1.3.2 External Factors
2.0 Company Summary
2.1 Company Ownership
2.2 Company History
2.3 Company Location
3.0 Services
3.1 Product and Service Description
3.2 Competitive Comparison
3.3 Sales Literature
3.4 Sourcing
3.5 Technology
3.6 Future Products and Services
4.0 Market Analysis Summary
4.1 Market Segmentation
4.2 Target Marketing Segment Strategy
4.2.1 Market Needs
4.2.2 Market Trends
4.3 Service Business Analysis
4.3.1 Industry Participants
4.3.2 Competition and Buying Patterns
4.3.3 Main Competitors
5.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary
5.1 Strategy Pyramids
5.2 Value Proposition
5.3 Competitive Edge
5.4 Marketing Strategy
5.4.1 Positioning Statements
5.4.2 Pricing Strategy
5.4.3 Promotion Strategy
5.4.4 Distribution Strategy
5.4.5 Marketing Programs
5.5 Sales Strategy
5.5.1 Sales Forecast
5.5.2 Sales Program
5.6 Strategic Alliances
5.7 Milestones
6.0 Management Summary
6.1 Structure of Organization
6.2 Management Team
6.3 Gaps in Management Team
6.4 Plan for Personnel
7.0 Financial Plan
7.1 Important Assumptions
7.2 Key Financial Indicators
7.3 Break-even Analysis
7.4 Projected Profit and Loss
7.5 Projected Cash Flow
7.6 Projected Balance Sheet
7.7 Business Ratios
7.8 Long-term Plan



You may read “Does It Pay To Hire A Business Plan Consultant?” The
link is http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,290724,00.html

You may read Entrepreneur Magazine’s “An Introduction to Business
Plans” online. The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,287323,00.html

You may read an outline regarding what your business plan should
include online. The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,287355,00.html

You may read Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Creating a Business Plan that’s
You.” The link is http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,291612,00.html

You may read Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Projecting Income.” The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,296233,00.html

You may read “Determining Your Competition.” The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,298576,00.html

You may read “Plan Your Plan” online. The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,287329,00.html

You may read “Compose A Winning Business Plan.” The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,226430,00.html

You may read “Business Plan Risks.” The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,297099,00.html

You may view a sample business plan online. The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,287390,00.html

I found a group of web links to government web sites that can help
with your business plan. The link is
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Your_Business/YB_SegArticle/0,4621,287379----2-,00.html

Business Pro 2003 is some rather effective and affordable software
that can help you out greatly. With this software, you’ll be able to
project income with charts and graphs, outline and format your
business plan and read sample business plans. I believe it retails for
$99. You may read about this software online. The link is
http://www.bplans.com/common/products/?affiliate=entreprene&manager=bs

It sounds as if you’re certainly on the right track in order to fix
the frustrations your staff is feeling due to your increase in size. A
business plan can go a long way to fixing these problems. It will help
you foresee future needs, as your business continues to grow. And it
can help with overall morale.

To conduct this research, I searched the following terms:

"hiring tips"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22hiring+tips%22

"hiring the right employee"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22hiring+the+right+employee%22

"how to find good employees"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22how+to+find+good+employees%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

business "growing pains" frustrating
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=business+%22growing+pains%22+frustrating

I hope this helps. Again, please ask for clarifications for anything
here that isn’t clear.

darrel-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by kelzoid-ga on 30 Nov 2002 05:49 PST

Hi Darrel, 

Thank you for these suggestions. When you say there are laws about
what you can and cannot ask during job interviews. And you suggest I
may want to read “13 Questions to Avoid.” Is this Canadian based?
Also, can you suggest the specific places to advertise in Calgary,
Alberta? I was looking for specific help related to this city.

---

Clarification of Answer by darrel-ga on 30 Nov 2002 07:39 PST

Hello Kelzoid--

Thanks for your response.

I could not find any reference to questions you can and cannot ask
during the hiring process in Canada. I did, however, find some good
information about other hiring standards in Canada that you should be
aware of.

First, be sure to read "Virtual Workshop - The Employment Equity Act:
Fulfilling Statutory Obligations." This is some good information on
hiring published by the Canadian government. The link is
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://canada.gc.ca/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcanada%2Bgovernment%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8

There is quite a bit of good information that you may want to review
in the 1996 Employment Equity Data Report. The link is
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://canada.gc.ca/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcanada%2Bgovernment%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8

You may read about the rules governing hiring techniques from the
Canadian government web site. The link is
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://canada.gc.ca/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcanada%2Bgovernment%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8

You've also asked for me to make some recommendations about where you
may want to advertise your positions. I would be happy to do that. But
in order for me to better serve you, could you tell me how much you're
willing to spend on this type of advertising?

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks,

darrel-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by kelzoid-ga on 30 Nov 2002 10:54 PST

I am willing to spend 500.00 but if there is a major opportunity out
there if i spend more than please tell me ok

I just placed an ad with workopoliscampus.com but I would like some
more resources.

---

Clarification of Answer by darrel-ga on 30 Nov 2002 14:17 PST

Kelzoid--

Thanks for the figure you provided. It sounds like you're off to a
good start with the web site. I checked it out, and it appears the
site gets a good amount of traffic.

You can get quite a bit of good ad space for $500. Here's what I would
recommend:

1) Look at the possibility of advertising in the Calgary Herald, the
largest paper in the area. I would place an ad in the classified
section for a week or two. Make sure you write your ad to let
potential applicants know exactly what the job is and exactly what
you're looking for in an employee. You will want to submit this to the
Herald to be listed under the "Employment" section. For the general
manager/bookkeeper position, you likely would want to post it under
either the "modeling/acting" or "professional management" sections.
For the assistant position, you likely would want to post it under
either the "modeling/acting" or "general help" sections.
To place an ad in this newspaper, you'll need to contact the paper's
classified department. "For papers Tuesday - Saturday, your ad must be
processed before the advertising deadline of 3 p.m. Mountain time on
the day before publication.
For Friday's "Wheels" section, your ad must be processed before the
advertising deadline of 7 p.m. Mountain time on Wednesday. For
publication on Sunday & Monday, the deadline for processing is 12:30
p.m. Mountain time on Saturday.
Additional Contact Information
By Phone: 403-235-7355
Toll Free: 1-800-838-8994
By Fax: 403-235-8647"

You may read this online. The link is
http://classifieds.canada.com/calgary/placead/index.aspx

2) For the general manager/bookkeeper position, I'm sure your hope is
to find someone who has a bit more experience and can start the job
with little training. People who have an interest in management or
bookkeeping likely read the "Business in Calgary." So if you advertise
here, you'll be getting word out to a white-collar audience. This
paper has a readership of 100,000 each month. To advertise in this
paper, you should contact one of the following people in the paper's
advertising department:

Doug Armstrong
Phone: (403) 569-4718
Email: armstrongd@businessincalgary.com 

Regan Smith 
Phone: (403) 569-4719
Email: smithr@businessincalgary.com 

Ken Guenther
Phone: (403) 569-4713
Email: guentherk@businessincalgary.com 

Bonnie Taylor
Phone: (403) 569-4716
Email: taylorb@businessincalgary.com 

The link to Business in Calgary is
http://www.canada.com/calgary/specials/bic/

3) Contact several area business schools. If you speak to someone in
administration or professors at your area business schools, you may be
able to find some good candidates. You'll want to tell these people
what your company does and what you're looking for in both a general
manager/bookkeeper and an assistant. Professors often keep in touch
with graduates long after graduation and may know of qualified people
looking for a good job.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can clarify further.

darrel-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by kelzoid-ga on 30 Nov 2002 22:05 PST

Would you look up the business school contact person that is
responsible for assisting students and grads in finding employment at
Mount Royal College, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology &
University of Calgary? Also will you see if they have any programs
that would to my needs? Maybe some of them will apply to our needs and
get us students to do research and business plan assistance?

---

Clarification of Answer by darrel-ga on 01 Dec 2002 07:36 PST

Kelzoid,

I'm certainly happy to help. I enjoy business research and business
development and the like.

At Mount Royal College's Bissett School of Business, you could contact
any of the following:

Michael Bellas
Victoria Calvert

The number to the school is (403) 240-6833

At Southern Alberta Institute of Technology I couldn't find a contact
name. But I have a phone number to the Training Center. The number is
North American Training Solutions: (403) 210-4453. If you ask to speak
to one of the instructors, I'm sure that person could lead you in the
right direction.

At the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business, I would
recommend contacting the following:

Someone in David Saunder's office. He's the dean of the school His
number is (403) 220-5689  Email: david.saunders@haskayne.ucalgary.ca

Ruth Williams
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Position:  Instructor 
Department: Strategy & General Management 
Program:   
Phone:  (403) 220-7146 
Email: ruth.williams@haskayne.ucalgary.ca 


 Jaana Woiceshyn
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Position:  Associate Professor 
Department: Strategy & General Management 
Program:   
Phone:  (403) 220-7705 
Email: jaana.woiceshyn@haskayne.ucalgary.ca 
 

 P. Michael Maher
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Position:  Professor, Faculty of Management 
Department: Strategy & General Management 
Program:   
Phone:  (403) 220-7195 
Email: mike.maher@haskayne.ucalgary.ca 
 

 Ashis Gupta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Position:  Professor 
Department: Strategy & General Management 
Program:   
Phone:  (403) 220-6723 
Email: ashis.gupta@haskayne.ucalgary.ca 
  
 
 
And at the University of Calgary's Fine Arts College, you may have
some luck finding a recent graduate interested in acting, modeling, or
the like. This type of person likely would take a keen interest in
your business:

DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4 
Phone (403) 220-5421 Fax: (403) 284-0713
Department Head: Douglas McCullough 


UNIVERSITY THEATRE SERVICES
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
General Administration - 403-220-4901 
Booking Information -University Theatre and Boris Roubakine Recital
Hall - 403-220-4910
Booking Information - Rozsa Centre - 403-220-3458 
Technical Information - 403-220-4920 
Front of House information - 403-220-4906 


When it comes to finding someone to help with your research and
business plan, I would recommend talking with the representatives of
the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business or at the Mount
Royal College's Bissett School of Business.

Please let me know what else I can do.

Thanks,

darrel-ga

The researcher had a great willingness to keep helping out. Alot of
the information is very helpful. I now have to get to work. If you
think of anything else you can add comments for me.