Growing Your Business

Guide: Growing Your Business Part Four

Hiring Employees

Attract, hire and retain the right team, legally.

First things first: Congratulations on taking the biggest step in growing your business and adding talent to your team. It's a big step to hire your first (or second or third or 20th) employee. You'll want to make you take all the steps to not only hire the right employee but also to hire legally.

Hiring employees is often the only way a company can grow beyond the scope of its owner. Bringing together a team for your business can be challenging, from determining if you're even ready to hire an employee to completing new hire forms to filing taxes to simply finding, hiring and retaining the right talent to grow your team and your business.

KCSourceLink resources can help you. Check out the tips and resources below on how to hire an employee and retain them. As always, your Resource Navigators are just a phone call (816-235-6500) or email way if you should have questions along the way. Our services are always free.

Both states offer a variety of programs to help business employ workers from that state. Check out Kansas Works and Missouri Works for business programs and career services business representatives.

Insuring Your Employees

Insurance in Kansas

Insurance in Missouri

Many Chambers of Commerce offer group health insurance to their members.

Start with KCSourceLink's Hiring Checklist to get the scope of what you'll need to prepare and do before, during and after you hire a new employee, then drill down into these resources for more tips and guidance.

7 Ways You Know It’s Time to Hire Someone (Infusionsoft)
10 Steps to Hiring Your First Employee (SBA)
KC Employer Resources (Mid-America Research Council)
Employee or Independent Contractor? Know the Rules (IRS)
Independent Contractor or Employee Brochure (IRS)
Really Easy Employee Handbook (Opus Communications)
Understanding Paychecks (Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City)

SKIP TO PART FIVE: ASSEMBLING A SMALL-BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD

Resources for Hiring Employees

Have questions? Start with the list of KCSourceLink Resource Partners below. But also know that you can always call our Resource Navigators, and we'll point you to the right expert to field your HR questions.

Provider Information
Alphapointe Alphapointe is a Nonprofit that sells more than 50,000 brand name business supplies to companies in the Kansas City area, as well across the U.S. at our online store. This store supports our mission to create jobs for the visually impaired in our community.
Capital Access Center The Capital Access Center is a free service to help a business find Capital Resource Partners. The Capital Access Center (CAC), part of the Kansas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and funded through the 2020 CARES Act, is a consulting service to small business owners needing Capital (Loans, Lines of Credit, etc).
Central Exchange Central Exchange is a preeminent membership organization in the Kansas City area which provides the venue and voice for women seeking to reach their full personal and professional potential.
Craig School of Business - Center for Entrepreneurship The Center for Entrepreneurship exists to train, mentor and support entrepreneurs. Our staff will provide one-on-one business coaching and connect clients to needed programs and resources.
Enterprise Center in Johnson County The Enterprise Center in Johnson County (ECJC) is a venture development organization providing resources and connections to accelerate the success of early-stage companies.
Francis Institute for Child and Youth Development The Francis Institute for Child and Youth Development is a Professional Development Institute creating a high quality adult workforce for the care and education of children and youth from birth to 21 years of age.
Full Employment Council, Inc. The FEC is a business-led private non-profit corporation whose mission is to obtain public and private sector employment for the unemployed and the underemployed residents of the Greater Kansas City area. FEC accomplishes this goal by working in collaboration with businesses, local units of government, educational institutions, labor and community-based organizations. This partnership responds to employer needs while reducing unemployment, underemployment and the public dependency of area residents.
Job One Job One enhances the lives of adults with disabilities by providing a lifetime of meaningful employment choices. We do this through entrepreneurship and partnership with the business community.
Kansas City Women's Chamber of Commerce CONNECT, EMPOWER, INSPIRE...through the collective strength of business women and those who support women in business in Kansas City!
Metropolitan Community College - Corporate College For over 30 years, the Metropolitan Community College Corporate College has served Kansas City by providing a) customized training and consulting services for regional businesses; b) short term training programs for high workforce demand industries; and c) professional development opportunities.
Missouri Department of Economic Development - Kansas City Region The Business Development team within the Missouri Department of Economic Development is ready to assist your existing Missouri Business.
Missouri Enterprise, Kansas City and Northwest Missouri Missouri Enterprise is a dedicated manufacturing expert & your partner to strengthen & grow your company. We assist manufacturers in the following areas; workforce development, technology, lean principles, exporting, quality, food safety & more.
Missouri Film Office The Film Office is devoted to saving filmmakers time, effort and money in arranging a shoot.
Missouri SBDC at University of Missouri Kansas City During the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBDC at UMKC is OPEN for (virtual) business; both with our trainings (all online through Zoom) and our appointments with counselors. We learn fast and adapt to changes to keep solving these problems for customers! Contact us at sbdc@umkc.edu to talk about financing options or plans to stay in the game during this time.
Social Security Administration The Social Security Administration provides information to business owners as it relates to issues with social security and questions about the self-employment tax.
Square One Small Business Services by Mid-Continent Public Library Square One Small Business Services at Mid-Continent Public Library supports local entrepreneurs through access to information, programs, and opportunity. Whether owning a business is a brand new dream or your life’s work, MCPL is committed to helping you succeed.
The Black MasterMind Group Charitable Foundation The Black MasterMind Group is designed to create strategies to help the Black Entrepreneurial Community; Start, Stabilize, Sustain, and Scale businesses in the black entrepreneurial community. The Black MasterMind Group works collaboratively with organizations, community leaders, business coaches, trainers, educators, and business leaders, to teach entrepreneurial financial literacy and business strategies helping the black entrepreneurial community secure funding.
The Family Conservancy The Family Conservancy supports child care and preschool providers with a wide range of professional development training and consultation.
The Sewing Labs The Sewing Labs is a non-profit community resource center providing classes and jobs training in sewing-related arts in the KC urban community. Our newest program, The Sewing Salon, will provide an unconventional entrepreneurial hub for marginalized and at-risk individuals to develop their sewing businesses.
Workforce Partnership Workforce Partnership is committed to building a workforce development system that meets the needs of both job seekers and employers throughout the Eastern Kansas area.
Wyandotte Economic Development Council The Wyandotte Economic Development Council is a non-profit economic development corporation whose mission is to promote and strengthen Wyandotte County Kansas' economy through innovative approaches to programs, partnerships, and leadership in industrial, residential, office and retail markets.