{"id":8508,"date":"2021-09-29T13:47:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T17:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=8508"},"modified":"2026-02-12T04:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:36:12","slug":"hiring-managing-employees-small-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hiring-managing-employees-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How to hire and manage employees in a small business"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/people-leadership\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">People &amp; Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to hire and manage employees in a small business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-09-29T13:47:58-04:00\">September 29, 2021<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How to hire and manage employees in a small business\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hiring-managing-employees-small-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/staceymcintosh\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/11\/Stacey-McIntosh-350-1.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" height=\"40\" width=\"40\" fetchpriority=\"high\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Stacey McIntosh<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When you first launched your business, you probably did almost all the work yourself. However, if you really want to grow, you\u2019ll need to think about hiring your first employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an exciting step and shows your company is going in the right direction. However, if you\u2019ve never employed someone before, it does come with extra responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at how to recruit employees for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/size\/small-business\/\">small business<\/a> and how to be a good boss once you\u2019ve hired them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#guide-anchor-link\">Guide to hiring for small business owners<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#but-anchor-link\">But first\u2026 do you really need to hire staff?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#finance-anchor-link\">Finance and budget for hiring your first employee<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#how-anchor-link\">How to recruit staff for a small business<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#manage-anchor-link\">How to manage staff in a small business<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Reimagine your HR process<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>When your people perform at their best, so does your business. Download our free guide to discover how you can transform your small business workforce.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-862070cb-71e9-4e95-9bd8-ddaafdadab39\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1314039604-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"2 women discussing at work\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1314039604-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"guide-anchor-link\">Guide to hiring for small business owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a lot to think about when hiring for a small business. This includes practical, financial, administrative, and personnel management issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It might feel like a lot to take on board at first, but it\u2019s fairly straightforward in practice. It might be helpful to create a checklist of tasks you need to do when hiring someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research from Sage shows that many people who dream of starting a business tend to overestimate the complexities of running a company and over-index on the personality traits that are required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when it actually comes to things like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/innovation-hiring-people\/\">hiring employees<\/a>, it might be easier than you might think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"but-anchor-link\">But first\u2026 do you really need to hire staff?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re going through a busy period at work, taking on an employee might seem the obvious thing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in some situations, it might be less expensive to outsource the work instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freelancers often cost more per hour than employees, but if you only need someone for a short period of time it might work out cheaper overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find freelancers on websites like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upwork.com\/\">Upwork<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiverr.com\/\">Fiverr<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"finance-anchor-link\">Finance and budgets for hiring your first employee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also worth looking at your numbers to see if you can actually afford to employ someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Review your current sales data and forecasts to work out your expected revenue for the next year (if you\u2019re using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/products\/sage-50cloud\/\">cloud accounting software<\/a>, you can find this information quickly and easily).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That will tell you if it\u2019s going to be possible to pay someone a steady salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Costs of hiring staff include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Using a recruitment agency:<\/strong> They will typically charge around 20% of the employee\u2019s final salary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Job boards:<\/strong> Expect to pay between $50 and $300 for ads on sites such as Indeed or Monster.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The salary:<\/strong> The median US salary for full-time roles is about $36,000 in 2021. Of course, you may pay more or less depending on the experience and skills of your employees. You can use job boards and websites such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.co.uk\/index.htm\">Glassdoor<\/a> to get an idea of how much similar roles are compensated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These costs can seem like a lot at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But remember that the new employee is likely to help you generate income too \u2013 and may soon pay for themselves. It will also give you more time to look for new leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-anchor-link\">How to recruit staff for a small business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most business owners will have been employees themselves in the past, so you\u2019ll already be somewhat familiar with the recruitment process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recruitment is a bit of an art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s about finding people who are capable of doing the job and who would also fit in and add something to the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to hire good employees for small businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Decide what the job will be:<\/strong> Think about what you want your new employee to actually do and create a precise job description and title. This should describe their responsibilities as well as desired skills, experience and education.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Advertise the job:<\/strong> Use either a recruiter or a job board. After posting the job, you\u2019ll start receiving responses. Next, you need to read through all the resumes and create a shortlist of people you\u2019d like to know more about.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Interviews:<\/strong> Depending on the job and the number of applications you receive, you might want to begin by doing some short telephone chats to get a feel for each candidate. You can then narrow your list further to do in-person or video call interviews.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prepare for the interview:<\/strong> Interview preparation is one of the key skills for a good manager. Spend some time to think about the questions you\u2019d like to ask the applicant. Job interviews normally cover:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The candidate\u2019s employment history \u2013 what jobs they\u2019ve done in the past and why they\u2019re leaving their current position.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any achievements they\u2019re particularly proud of.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Evidence of specific skills (such as a portfolio or certificates).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Getting a feel for a candidate\u2019s motivations and why they\u2019re interested in working for your company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Questions from your candidate for you to answer. An interview is a two-way process, so expect them to ask you questions about what they will be doing and how your company works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Equal opportunities:<\/strong> When thinking about how to hire staff for small businesses, you have a legal obligation to interview candidates fairly. Employers must comply with equal opportunities legislation when it comes to inviting people to interview and hiring.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create a job offer:<\/strong> Once you find someone who is right for the role, offer them the job. You may need to negotiate the salary, so go in with a \u2018ballpark\u2019 figure in mind. Besides the salary itself, they may also have certain expectations of benefits. Once this has been agreed, create a formal job offer, including a contract and a start date.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Set up payroll:<\/strong> Most employees are paid biweekly. So you\u2019ll need to set them up on your company\u2019s payroll and ensure they receive their salary on time. To make this process a lot more efficient you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/products\/sage-50cloud\/features\/\">cloud payroll software<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Phew! So now you know how to hire employees for a small business. The next question is how to manage them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Boss your finances with Sage 50cloud<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Enjoy less admin, more automation, simplified payroll, and get paid faster with Sage 50cloud.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/products\/sage-50cloud\/#gate-47450dd8-67ad-4add-a931-3850268e87ad\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-6719\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Take a test drive today!<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1279589946-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"woman putting on headset working on computer\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1279589946-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"manage-anchor-link\">How to manage staff in a small business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve just hired your first employee, you\u2019ll want to help them perform at their best, which will benefit you and your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing how to motivate staff and thinking about the wellbeing of employees are some of the key traits of a good manager and employer. Fortunately, this can all be learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are our tips for a first-time manager of a small business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Day one intros<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On their first day, your employee will probably be feeling nervous. So, give them a big welcome, show them around the premises and help them settle in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/virtually-onboard-new-employees\/\">working remotely<\/a>, you can do this via a series of video calls, using the likes of Microsoft Teams or Zoom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Share an onboarding pack<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019ll be worth providing your new starter with an onboarding pack. This can feature details about the business, your employee\u2019s responsibilities and any key contacts they need to know about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As your business grows and you have more employees, the induction process could involve time for new starters to meet the team and learn about what each person does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Source employee details<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You will normally need to get certain details from your new starter, such as a completed W-4, bank details, and other personal information including their address and an emergency contact. Store all this information in a secure folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or, to make this easier, use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-business-cloud\/hr\/\">cloud HR software<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the benefit for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll save time and there\u2019ll be less chance of errors occurring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Provide clear expectations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure your new employee knows what is expected of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sit down with them (or via a video call if they\u2019re working remotely) early in their first week (on day one or two ideally) and explain their duties, including timeframes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Think about training<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the job and the employee\u2019s experience, you might need to provide them with some basic training so they can start doing the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And as your employee develops in their role, they may require further training and career development. This doesn\u2019t have to be expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are lots of ways that your employee can learn, from free courses and YouTube videos to online course offerings that may have a cost attached but won\u2019t break the bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you do need to spend a bit more money for courses, remember that the outcome will be an upskilled team member who can provide real value to your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Frequent performance reviews<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be useful to check in with your new employee and find out how they\u2019re doing and give frequent feedback \u2013 especially in the first couple of months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having regular one-to-one meetings will help your employee to stay on top of their workload, ask for advice and feedback, and get the support they need to succeed in their role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Find out about their professional ambitions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking about how to motivate staff, ask your new employee about their professional ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might find that there are certain projects they could take on that really align with their personal interests. This will help you get the most out of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Get to know them and develop a company culture<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be really helpful to get to know your employee on a personal level and find out about some of their hobbies and interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doing some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/company-culture-small-business\/\">non-work socializing<\/a> together (be that lunch or after work drinks) is good for morale and means your employee feels personally invested in the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if they\u2019re working remotely, it doesn\u2019t mean they have to miss out here \u2013 socializing can work virtually too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts on hiring your first employee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Recruiting your first hire is a really exciting time for any business. But it does also come with several important responsibilities and commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staying on top of these can really help your new starter (and your business) thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Reimagine your HR process<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>When your people perform at their best, so does your business. Download our free guide to discover how you can transform your small business workforce.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-862070cb-71e9-4e95-9bd8-ddaafdadab39\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1314039604-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"2 women discussing at work\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1314039604-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ready to hire your first employee? Discover how to interview, hire, manage and support your first member of staff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":346,"featured_media":9342,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[195,153,284],"business_type":[40],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[96],"imagine_tag":[230],"coauthors":[587],"class_list":["post-8508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-leadership","tag-boss-your-business","tag-growing-a-business","tag-hiring","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Stacey McIntosh","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-681887339.jpg","imagine_tags":{"230":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/346"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8508"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=8508"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=8508"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=8508"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=8508"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=8508"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=8508"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}