This guest post is part of our ongoing Small Business Perspective series, and is written by Monique Wakefield, owner of Paws-n-Tails in Dallas, TX.

Last month I wrote about how sole proprietorship means no back up. This month’s article is based on when you do seek help. I recently found myself in a situation where I was unable to do a job for one of my best clients, so I had to hire someone to do it for me. I knew someone who was in the same field as me, and thought they would be perfect. I checked their qualifications, and they were highly recommended  by a number of sources. The client later called to inform me of some mistakes that had been made, some of which actually caused damage to her house.

Fortunately, I was able to work things out with the client. However, there is a valuable lesson here. Just because you hire someone in the same field as you does not mean they will  give your clients the same level of service you give.

Hiring help is usually necessary in order to grow your business. But you have to be very careful when doing so, because they are carrying with them your reputation. Here are a few tips for getting the right person in whichever position.

First, make sure you give them adequate training. Even if they have been doing exactly the same job before you hired them, it doesn’t mean they did the job the way you want them to. It may seem easy to take a shortcut here and just let them fly on their own, but if and when they crash, it will be your reputation that goes down in flames, not theirs. Once you are confident that they are well-trained, check their work periodically. Of course, you don’t want to micromanage, but you are their boss, and it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure things are done correctly.

And regardless of how much faith you have in the person, and this is very important, don’t give them too much responsibility too quickly. That was actually the error I made in the above situation. You should always test the waters before you jump in head first.

Finally, try not to get too frustrated with people just because they aren’t perfect right away. First of all, there is a learning curve for everything, and even a seasoned pro will have to make some adjustments when they are hired onto a new job. Also, not everyone is automatically going to have the same ideas of what is an acceptable level of service.

Many people get so focused on volume and money that they forget the most important thing: doing a good job.  Next time you are looking for help, think about some of the things discussed here.  If you find characteristics or habits in the person that you think might not be beneficial, be prepared to train them, or find someone else.