Should you hire your kids? If you are looking for ways to “hire” your 18-and-under kids to work in your family small business and actually be productive, let’s chat on Facebook Live. Below the video are some notes.
- Don’t pay your kids an “allowance” but IF you choose to pay them, make it for actual work.
- Have them complete timesheets and pay them AFTER they do the work (IF you pay them at all…) just like real life.
- Choose age-appropriate tasks. Hiring your 15-year-old to file paperwork, maintain the office and answer phones is acceptable. Operating heavy machinery is NOT.
- Document the job as if you were hiring anybody else. Make sure you have a job description and “employment agreement.”
- Give them a fancy title and a name badge if you’d like (works wonders with the littles.)
Homework for YOU
- Make a list over the next TWO weeks of *everything* you do – specifically the ‘menial’ tasks
- Rate them from 1-5 (1 = important 5=brain falling out of head)
- Items ranked 3-5 might be able to go to kids
Tasks for Younger Kids
- empty wastebaskets / office maintenance
- bring in mail and sort out junk mail
- sort mail (not open)
- help make lunch & snacks
Tasks for Tween Kids
- open / sort mail and file papers
- social media / Instagram research
- cook simple meal with supervision
- baby-sit younger siblings (with adult in the home)
- pack/unpack displays marketing materials etc.
Tasks for Older Kids
- meal prep and meal planning
- baby-sit younger siblings
- social media / Instagram content generation (you get final approval)
- answer phones
- accompany you to shows/conferences/sales etc.
- social video production