Prepare to Hire: Five Reasons Small Biz Owners Should Look to Hire

Need Advice? Intuit Payroll and Small Business Expert Rhonda Abrams Offer Tips and Free Hiring Book

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - The economy is uncertain. Unemployment continues. And consumers are pinching pennies. However, now may be an unprecedented time for small business owners to hire. There’s tremendous opportunity for small businesses to find great employees, spend their own valuable time where it counts most, and grow their companies.

To help small business owners make smart choices about hiring employees, Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), the leading small business payroll provider with more than 1 million customers, has partnered with small business expert Rhonda Abrams. Together, Intuit Payroll and Abrams help guide business owners in making thoughtful hiring decisions by providing a free copy of Abram’s new book: “Hire Your First Employee: the entrepreneur’s guide to finding, choosing and leading great people.” They also offer hiring and management advice including a free webinar on 1/28 at 9:30 a.m. PT.

“For many small business owners, now is the right time to start thinking about hiring and growing their business,” Abrams said. “And this optimism isn’t new -- more than half of the Fortune 500 companies actually started in a recession or depression.”

And many entrepreneurs are ready. A Sept. 2009 Intuit Payroll survey found that 44 percent of small businesses plan to hire employees this year. And that could be good news for the American economy, because small businesses create 65 percent of new jobs.

To help make the process of becoming an employer easier and learn to be a more effective leader and manager, Intuit is providing a free copy of Abrams’ just-released book (a $24.95 value) at www.intuitinc.com/hire, while supplies last. This complete guide provides useful information on a full range of small business employment issues, such as:

* How much to pay and how much you can afford.
* Whether to hire employees or contractors, full-time or part time.
* Conducting effective interviews and choosing the best people
* Understanding employment laws
* What benefits and policies to adopt.

“Entrepreneurs are eager for the economy to turn around and grow their business,” said Nora Denzel, senior vice president of Intuit’s Employee Management Solutions division. And if you’ve never hired an employee, that’s a big step. We’re making it easier with free information and advice to help them find, hire and keep great employees. Their determination combined with our experience can help them achieve their business dreams in 2010 and beyond"
Five Reasons to Hire

While not all small businesses may be ready, there are many opportunities for those who are considering hiring. Here are Abrams’ five reasons why hiring now could be the right move:

* There are unique opportunities. Every recession brings opportunities such as weakened competition and customers looking for inexpensive alternatives. Look to see if these opportunities require extra help or if you’re able to leverage them on your own.
* Talent is more abundant. Bold entrepreneurs can benefit from lower labor costs, and a growing talent pool of people who are more open to working for a small company.
* A growth spurt is coming. Don’t be caught napping when the economy returns to full force. Hiring now, or having a plan in place, will help you scale quickly to meet increased demands for your product or service.
* Now is the time to focus on what matters. Sole proprietors often spend a lot of valuable time on tasks that don’t bring in any money. Instead, hire someone to do that and make better use of your time.
* Your inner creativity is valuable. The 9-5 workplace is so last century. Today’s employees are often contractors, or part-time workers. Or they may work from home. Be creative in thinking about your business. You’re not just hiring someone to do a task, you’re building for the future, and possibly adding people full time when business picks up.

Where to Find More Hiring Advice

More tips on hiring and managing employees are available at intuitpayrollblog.com. Here visitors can also sign up for Abrams’ upcoming free hiring webinar on 1/28 a.m. PT.
About Intuit Inc.

Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax®, simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit’s leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. The company’s financial institutions division, anchored by Digital Insight, provides on-demand banking services to help banks and credit unions serve businesses and consumers with innovative solutions.

Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.2 billion in its fiscal year 2009. The company has approximately 7,800 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.