Are You Hiring?

Are you hiring? When you saw the title of this article, your instinctive reaction was probably something along the lines of “Are you kidding… In this economy?” Your secondary response most likely was “I actually wish that we were busier so that I was in a position to hire more people”.

As business owners we all wish that we were in a position to provide someone else with a job. While your underlying desires and intentions are in principle good, the underlying problem is that you’re just “wishing” and subsequently dismissing the issue of real job creation. What if anything are you earnestly doing in the interest of creating real jobs?

The way that I see it, we all have a shared responsibility when it comes to job creation. At last report there were approximately 14,000,000 unemployed workers in America. This statistic has undoubtedly increased as a result of the sizeable number of high school and college graduates who are now entering the work force and are as well unable to find a job, let alone suitable employment.

Depending on which report you read, there are some where between 27 million and 34 million business enterprises in the United States. From a purely statistical perspective, if half of these businesses were able to create just “1” job… the U.S. unemployment problem would be solved and there would literally be full employment… without any help or impedance from the federal government.

In one regard, I would agree that this seems a bit idealistic. On the other hand, it’s not exactly far fetched either. The real issue that I’m attempting to address here is… What CAN you do in your business to help create jobs? If your response is that there is simply nothing that you can do, then I would state that you are absolutely wrong. The basis of my position is the true story about a young man named Johnny who also thought at first that there was nothing he could do to help improve things where he worked.

Then Johnny had a very simple idea about how he could improve his own work… That simple idea ultimately transformed the entire company! If you don’t know the story about “Johnny the Bagger” then you owe it to yourself and your people to Google it and then watch the video. If you’ve seen Johnny’s story previously, you need to watch it again.

It is my earnest belief that every business is capable of making a meaningful contribution to the process of job creation. So, what would you have to do in order to create “1” job? What’s holding you back from doing this?

If you’re not prepared to “step it up” just now in an effort to create a job – then what CAN you do to help other business owners to create jobs? Be a Johnny! Start looking for ways to do something! Even if you truly think you can’t… You CAN make a real contribution toward job creation.

Let me give you a personal point of reference. As you may be aware, I have print published two books within the past year and am currently putting the finishing touches on book number three. Printed books require printing presses and ink. Books require paper stock and binding. Book covers require graphic art work and layout. Books require sales outlets. Books have to be shipped to the purchaser or distribution outlets. Books have to be marketed and advertised.

I would hope that you are getting both my message and my point. What ever business venture you may be in… Who receives the benefit of the additional work if your business sells one more car, one more washer & dryer, one more heat pump, one more water heater, processes one more mortgage application, insures one more life or delivers one more bouquet of flowers?

How many different companies, components and people does it take to manufacture and then deliver “1” of what ever you sell or service to market? As an example, a single automobile has over 10,000 components. Selling one more car directly affects 1,000’s of companies and people. What happens when your business and a thousand of your fellow business colleagues across the country all sell “1” more unit each? The all important answer is… that it creates a “job”.

So, get out there and do everything in your power to do what ever it takes to sell or service “1” more customer each week (even if you have to break even to do so) and you will find that you can in fact make a real and meaningful contribution to your industry’s and nation’s job growth!

Copyright © 2012 Developing Forward  | Thomas H. Swank, CBC | All Rights Reserved.