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01829 740194 | [email protected]

  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
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    • Why Choose Us?
    • Team
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  • Domestic
    • Domestic Projects
    • Outdoor Kitchens
    • Outdoor Living
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Blog

The First Steps to Employing Staff

February 21, 2020

As your business expands, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the amount of work. In this Pro Landscaper Magazine article, our director, Holly, discusses the things to keep in mind when you decide to employ someone to help in the office.

A question I am often asked is how to make the first steps to employing someone in the office. In many cases, this is the primary stage to opening up your business to the outside world, and it’s the point where you realise that you can’t do all of the invoicing, health and safety paperwork, accounts, sales, customer service and marketing – all while also managing to have a life!

If you are turning down work because you can’t physically service the client, or you find you don’t have the time to plan ahead and are just trying to keep abreast of the most imminent projects, it’s time to enlist help. Firstly, decide what responsibilities you need to pass on to someone else.

two businesswomen shaking hands in an office

If you’re weak at accounts, look for someone who has some bookkeeping experience. If you need to bring in more enquiries, look for someone who may be able to be creative with your marketing. Whatever the role, it’s important to ensure you have a clear set of needs so that when you interview you can get a good feel for specific strengths the candidate may possess to benefit your business.

Working alongside someone new, especially if they are going to have access to all your business details, requires a certain amount of trust, so it’s often good to advertise the position with people you know – whether in your personal or business network. There is generally someone who knows someone looking for exactly the position you require and even if it’s not someone you have ever met, it’s good to have that connection.

Sometimes it’s difficult to provide a route of progression for a position within the office. If you feel that you can provide this by eventually passing on more responsibilities, communicate this in the interview. This is what some candidates will be looking for, but some may not so be clear about the potential future.

Decide where you are going to put them. Do you work from home? If so, are you comfortable having someone in your house or a home office, or can they work from home? Technology now means it’s easier to redirect calls and communicate effectively than ever.

Once you have the new recruit in situ, it’s essential to set aside time to spend to enable them to gain a good understanding of your business ethos and how it functions. Reiterate your expectations clearly, this will save time and mistakes in the long run.

business woman holding lightbulb

Be open minded; once you have someone in position, embrace the fact that they will bring new ideas and a fresh approach. It’s so easy to be blinkered and stuck in your ways, but they are likely to find more effective methods and ways of carrying out tasks with fresh eyes. Let them tailor the role to suit them but don’t be afraid to tell them when you think something won’t work if you’ve tried it before.

Most of all, make sure you can afford it. Don’t forget to account for employer NI, employer insurance (if you don’t already have this), pension payments and any other associated costs setting them up – desk, computer, phone, software, etc. You may want to advertise the position as part time, potentially leading to full time if you want to minimise the initial outlay. Generally though, if it frees up your time to focus on other parts of your business, you will never look back.

Month

    November

    • Urban Director talks work and personal life in Pro Landscaper Magazine

    August

    • Penthouse Roof Terrace – Liverpool
    • Covid-19 announcement

    July

    • Benefits of Commercial Landscaping: Draw in customers and boost sales
    • 6 Reasons To Install A Fire Pit In Your Garden

    May

    • The Renson Canopy Range
    • Why You Should Have An Outdoor Kitchen
    • Kamado Joe Ceramic Grills offer

    April

    • Urban Landscapes continue to follow government guidelines

    March

    • Urban Landscapes Covid-19 Update
    • Urban Landscapes Coronavirus Policy

    February

    • Whatever the Weather: preparing for adverse weather conditions
    • Learning to adapt
    • Attracting more valuable projects
    • The First Steps to Employing Staff
    • Don’t Forget the Plants: Soft Landscaping Design
    • Being Tech Savvy For Your Business
    • The Health Benefits of Outdoor Spaces
    • Let’s Hear it From Holly and Mark Youde
    • Our exciting partnership with London Stone
    • Growing Ranks

    June

    • Make The Right Choice: The Do’s and Dont’s of Recruitment
    • All For Show: Why Industry Shows are Good for Your Business
    • Entering Awards: The Pros and Cons of Taking Part in Industry Awards
    • When Opportunity Knocks
    • Growing Pains and Gains: Growing Your Own Business

    September

    • For Better Or Worse: Being in Business With the Other Half
    • We’re Pro Landscaper Business Award winners!

    January

    • How to create cosy outdoor living spaces for all year round
    • Basic gardening tools everybody should have
    • Planning a Dementia Friendly Garden
    • Marshalls Register Award for Best Driveway Transformation over 70m
    • A Week in the Life of a Cheshire Landscaping Company

    October

    • 42 Under 42
    • 2018 BALI Awards
    • Modern day love of Fire Pits
    • MUD SLINGING AT WORK
    • THE BENEFITS OF RECRUITING AN APPRENTICE
    • WE MUST BE MAD …!
    • WE ARE PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF THE LANDSCAPING INSTITUTE
    • IS THERE A HOSEPIPE BAN?
    • AWARDS UPDATE JULY 2018
    • Award Winning Landscape Design
    • Commerical Landscaping, Wilmslow
    • Pro Landscaper Business Awards

    December

    • Festive Wishes
    • APL Awards
    • Commercial Landscaping, South Manchester
    • Landscaping Services, Cheshire
    • Fire Magic Outdoor Kitchen, Cheshire
    • Outdoor Living Area, Cheshire
    • Commercial Landscape Contractors, South Manchester
    • The Silver Lining
    • Flower Power
    • Compact & Bijou Outdoor Cooking
    • Outdoor Living on the Wirral
    • RHS Tatton – Show Garden
    • An unexpected guest
    • Exclusive Event 30th March 2017
    • Outdoor Living Area, South Manchester
    • Blistering Ovens
    • Pullover Power
    • Shropshire Lad
    • DoubleTree by Hilton, Chester
    • Teaching an old dog new tricks!
    • APL Membership

Categories

  • Urban Landscapes News
    • Awards
    • Charity Work
    • Commercial
    • Events
    • Large Projects
    • Pro Landscaper Articles
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    • Small Projects

Our Work

  • 01
  • 02
  • 03
  • 04
  • 05
  • 06

Heathlands Care Home

Directly with the client, we constructed and installed a beach themed garden, suitable for Dementia patients

Penthouse Roof Terrace – Liverpool

Roof terrace with garden studio and different areas to enjoy, including a seaside themed area

Contemporary Garden Chester

A cool contemporary project on a new build property in Chester.

Contemporary Courtyard Chester

In this small courtyard development in Hoole, we created a cool split level space for the client who wanted a modern feel.

Urban Landscapes HQ

Urban RHS Tatton

Our Work

Commercial
Heathlands Care Home

Heathlands Care Home

Directly with the client, we constructed and installed a beach themed garden, suitable for Dementia patients

Read More
Large Project
Penthouse Roof Terrace – Liverpool

Penthouse Roof Terrace – Liverpool

Roof terrace with garden studio and different areas to enjoy, including a seaside themed area

Read More
Medium Project
Contemporary Garden Chester

Contemporary Garden Chester

A cool contemporary project on a new build property in Chester.

Read More
Small Project
Contemporary Courtyard Chester

Contemporary Courtyard Chester

In this small courtyard development in Hoole, we created a cool split level space for the client who wanted a modern feel.

Read More
Outdoor Kitchens
Urban Landscapes HQ

Urban Landscapes HQ

Read More
Outdoor Living
Urban RHS Tatton

Urban RHS Tatton

Read More
 
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