Excellent points even for those of us who are not marketers. Thanks for pulling this article together with such a practical spin.

Excellent article, Debbie. Great way to think about the trade-offs between time and money - something all of us small business people need to think about regularly. Thanks for sharing.

Great article, Jack. One addition to think about is the tried and true Employee Referral method. If you're hiring your first employee in a new company, think about talking to past employees in similar businesses to get their referrals. Also ask people you interface with who are not employees, especially if they have similar jobs to the one you are hiring for. Most people will only make a referral of someone they feel is competent for the work. This can save you hours of screening.

Kelleen, As a recovering banker, you did a great job in describing the complexity of where we are now. Too bad our congressional leaders haven't had the benefit of your clarity...

Barbara, What a great article! You've brilliantly stated a lot of thoughts I've had over 12 years in my own business (happy birthday to me this month :^).

It also makes me think that I should do more publishing myself - thanks for the encouragement on that front too.

Deb McClanahan BroadBand HR Consulting San Mateo, CA and Tumwater, WA

Many people find that navigating all of these choppy waters is just too complex and time-consuming. So they turn to a professional recruiting firm to do some or all of the process for them. It need not cost you an arm and a leg to hire someone wonderful that is a great fit for you. We sometimes do just a piece of the work - that can be really cost-effective for the smaller business.