When you run your own business you can't live in a vacuum.

Not if you want to build a successful business.

You must have on board the right people who are engaged in the process and the vision and bring them along with you.

The people you want around you are raring to go, bringing you tons of customers, delivering your products and services to those customers in a way that keeps them coming back; and helping to make your business  profitable.  They are people who will also eagerly spread your message.

This means attracting and keeping great people with attitudes and values that mesh with yours - as well as building your existing people into great people.

It means focusing on the people you already have and the people you want to have in the future.

When it comes to your employees you need to see and understand things from their side.   Your staff are people too, with their own aspirations, hopes and dreams.  Understand what they are looking for in a job; in an employer (not everyone wants to own and run their own business - which is a relief I'm sure to business owners) and in a manager.

They are going to spend a lot of their time at work wherever that may be - so why would they not be looking for it to be enjoyable and stimulating?  If you have people who are just wanting to clock on and clock off - you need first to look at yourself and how you are leading and managing them.  Businesses are a reflection of their leader.

And if they came to you like that, then perhaps you need to look closely at your recruiting and hiring processes.  When the right systems aren't in place and someone leaves suddenly, it's usually up to the owner to step in and cover their position - as well as doing their own work.  This is where what I call 'hiring desperation' comes into play.  It's the "I'll-take-anyone-as-long-as-they're-breathing" method of hiring.  And part of that disastrous game is spending the whole interview 'selling' the applicant and talking them into saying yes.

The cracks appear when things settle down again and all the red flags ignored in the desperation interview begin to appear.   Check out my Top 7 Hiring Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.