I built something for free for small business owners because had no idea what I was doing when I started Equity Activations and we need all the help we can get when it comes to being entrepreneurs.

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But first, I came from a long line of workers - nary an entrepreneur in sight. My entire family were W2 workers and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I just want to give you a peek into what it’s like to be a generational worker who was taught that getting paycheck, stability, and security were the goals.

Perhaps I should have suspected I was bound for something a little different when I got my Master’s Degree in Theatre (first person in my family at the time to get a Master’s Degree….and they looooved it was in something like the arts. JK. They didn’t) or when I just knew in my bones I could work a full time job and still work on my playwrighting (I still do this) while others were “Artists or die!” I didn’t want to die for art. Or starve. I liked health insurance and being able to pay bills on time and saving and having a work community.

But in 2023, I got laid off and the job market was a really funny place for someone who was VP (and still is). Not quite junior enough for some roles and too senior for others, I still have a hard time finding my place in the job market. So I started a company.

Luckily, my dear cousin Renee Jones had started many companies offering services and she helped me get myself up and running structurally. But, tools, business development, operations, budgeting, etc? Whew. That’s where my community has come in full force and for them I am grateful.

But I was on Threads (my favorite current social platform) the other day and I saw one of my favorite small business accounts talking about how hard it is to hire. And something clicked. I know how to hire very well. I live and breathe Talent Acquisition. I offer my services to small to midsize corporate companies and organizations. Why am I not helping these small businesses that could be brick and mortar or e-commerce? In a world where many many people are being kicked out of jobs and some are looking at entrepreneurship as a way to make a living and find some joy, why don’t I contribute to their journey?

Also there is a time and place to get paid. I definitely can afford to have more revenue coming in. I’m not going to be a PT Barnum and sell you that entrepreneur life is easy and you’ll make seven figures in no time. Nope. It’s hard. I try my best to do business development and I’m still not great at it. But I try. I also believe in community. This is a rough time for a lot of people so I always want to help the community.

So I built something for small business owners for free. My Small Business Hiring Checklist is for any small business that doesn’t live and breathe Talent Acquisition. Best practices aren’t just for big corporations. They are for your bakery, hoodoo shop, Astrology readings, online clothing store, and more. How and who you hire can make or break your business. I put together some really basic tips to help those who are focused on getting their business up and running and aren’t well versed in best practices on hiring. And it’s free. Because I believe when your business starts to thrive, you’ll reach out when you need to level up and I’ll be there. Or I can find someone for you.

You can find the guide here. Yes, you have to put your name and email in but I want to stay in touch and help anyway I can. This is a time when we all look in our toolbox and figure out what we can share to uplift the community so this my gift to you. Please share with anyone you think might benefit.

IIf you follow me you know I feel like the gap between the Recruiting community and the Candidate community is wide. I want to bridge that gap. I'm honored to speak to Dawn’s Bytes, Bits & Brilliance: Career Insights and Inspiration - Podcast about how a job description should be a document you use AFTER you get hired to chart your performance and many other best practices on hiring. This is the way. Here’s a snippet!

There’s no need to let your talent problems continue. Recruiters are busy recruiting but we can solve your training challenges to ensure you are getting the best candidate assessments you need to make your business stronger.