Q: Where can I look to find good help?

A: I recently hired someone for an important position. I'm pleased with her potential. The odd thing is she had a good job and was happy there. I found her through an agency.

Now I've griped about the $12,000 I had to pay the agency, but I wouldn't have made this hire otherwise. No ad would have brought her in. She hadn't even considered looking. The agency manager was in a networking group with her and thought we'd be a great fit.

Have you ever tried to talk do-it-yourselfers out of their projects? Unable to convince them, you think they're idiots, because doing it themselves is going to cost more in the long run than hiring a professional. Well put me down as an idiot, because twice in the past 16 months I've done my own hiring. If I looked at what it cost me, I'd be rejoicing over that $12,000 investment.

You attract good employees by being a good company. With servicing clients, directing current employees, and finding jobs, managing a good company is a full-time job. Let someone else do the hiring for you. —Phil Rea has conducted more than 13,200 sales calls and trained more than 1,750 salespeople. For more information, call 866.441.7445.