People & Team

The morning Bhandari uncle's shop fell apart

It's a Monday morning in Haldwani. Bhandari uncle arrives at his hardware shop at 8:30 AM, same as every day for the past 22 years. But today, something is different. His helper Dinesh — the man who has been running the stockroom, loading trucks, pulling out the right pipe fitting before Bhandari uncle even finishes writing the order — is not there.

Bhandari uncle calls him. Dinesh picks up and says, calmly: "Kaka, mujhe maaf karna. Main kal se nahin aaunga. Mere cousin ka business hai Rudrapur mein, wahan jaa raha hoon."

Just like that. Eight years of working together. No notice period. No handover. Gone.

By 10 AM, the shop is chaos. A contractor comes in wanting 50 bags of cement. Bhandari uncle knows it's in the back, but which stack? Dinesh always knew. A plumber asks for a specific Ashirvad CPVC coupling — 1 inch to 3/4 inch reducer. There are twelve types of couplings in the same rack. Dinesh could find it in 30 seconds. Bhandari uncle takes five minutes and still picks the wrong one.

By noon, he's missed two deliveries, given one customer the wrong pipe size, and hasn't been able to step away from the counter even once to eat lunch.

That evening, sitting on his gaddi, Bhandari uncle thinks: "Twenty-two years I've run this shop. But today I realized — for many things, Dinesh was running it."

This chapter is about the people who work with you. Not machinery, not inventory, not accounting — people. The most important, most unpredictable, most rewarding part of any business.

For a small business owner, your team might be one helper. Or two. Or your spouse and a part-time delivery boy. It doesn't matter. The principles are the same: find the right people, treat them well, set clear expectations, and build something together.

Get this right, and your business can grow beyond what you alone can do. Get it wrong, and you'll be stuck doing everything yourself — or worse, dealing with the mess someone else made.

1. When to hire your first employee

The most common mistake small business owners make is hiring too late. They wait until they're completely overwhelmed, until customers are complaining, until they've burned out. By then, the damage is already done.

Signs you need help

How do you know it's time to hire? Look for these signals:

• You are the bottleneck. Orders are coming in, but you can't fulfil them fast enough. Customers are waiting. You're saying "kal aa jaana" too often.
• You're dropping things. You forgot to call that supplier. You didn't follow up on that payment. A delivery went to the wrong address. When one person tries to do everything, quality slips everywhere.
• You can't take a day off. If you being sick means the shop doesn't open, you don't have a business — you have a job that owns you.
• You're doing low-value work instead of high-value work. Bhandari uncle was spending two hours a day arranging stock instead of talking to contractors and closing orders. His time was worth ₹500/hour on sales but he was doing ₹100/hour work.
• You're turning away business. This is the clearest signal. If customers want to buy but you can't serve them, you're leaving money on the table.

Pushpa didi's tipping point

Pushpa didi ran her chai stall alone for the first two years. She'd wake up at 4:30 AM, set up, make chai, serve customers, clean up, buy supplies, and close at 7 PM. Seven days a week.

The breaking point came during a tourist season rush. Between 7-9 AM, she'd have 15-20 customers waiting. But she could only serve one at a time — boil, pour, collect money, make change. People would see the line, walk away, and go to the stall across the street.

She was losing 20-30 cups a day — at ₹20 each, that's ₹400-600 per day in lost revenue. ₹12,000-18,000 per month.

She hired Kamla's niece, Sunita, as a helper for ₹6,000/month. Sunita handles serving, collecting money, and washing cups while Pushpa didi focuses on making chai.

Result: No more lost customers during rush hour. Daily sales went from 80 cups to 110 cups. That's 30 extra cups × ₹20 = ₹600/day extra revenue. Minus Sunita's ₹200/day salary, net gain: ₹400/day or about ₹12,000/month.

The hire paid for itself twice over.

The cost of hiring vs the cost of NOT hiring

Most small business owners think about hiring as a cost: "₹8,000/month for a helper, that's a big expense." But they don't calculate the cost of not hiring:

Key question to ask yourself: "If I hired someone for ₹X per month, would they help me earn more than ₹X per month in additional revenue — or save me enough time that I could earn that myself?" If yes, hire.

2. Where to find good people

In big cities, companies post on LinkedIn, Naukri, Indeed. In small-town Uttarakhand, the hiring process is different — and in many ways, better.

Word of mouth — still the best method

When Bhandari uncle needed to replace Dinesh, he didn't post a job online. He told three people: his neighbour Pandey ji, his supplier Ramesh bhai, and the chai stall owner at the chowk. Within two days, he had four candidates — all vouched for by someone he trusted.

"Jisko main jaanta hoon uska reference chahiye," says Bhandari uncle. "Koi ajnabi aayega toh mujhe kaise pata ki cheating toh nahi karega? Paise toh nahi uda dega?"

In small businesses, trust is everything. Word-of-mouth hiring works because:

• The person who recommends someone puts their own reputation on the line
• The candidate already knows the community
• There's social accountability — if they do a bad job, everyone knows

How to use word of mouth effectively:

1. Tell 5-10 people you trust that you're looking for someone
2. Be specific about what you need: "I need someone who can handle the counter, is honest, and can work 8 AM to 6 PM"
3. Ask for at least 2 references for anyone recommended
4. Don't hire the first person who shows up — talk to at least 2-3 candidates

Local networks and institutions

Vikram, who runs a franchise food outlet in Dehradun, needed staff — a cook, two servers, and a cashier. He contacted the local ITI (Industrial Training Institute) and a nearby hotel management institute. Within a week, he had a list of recent graduates looking for their first job.

"ITI and polytechnic grads are underrated," says Vikram. "They have basic training, they're eager to prove themselves, and they're local — they won't disappear after three months because they got homesick."

Other good sources:

• Self-help groups (SHGs), especially for finding women workers
• Panchayat members who know who needs work in the village
• Local WhatsApp groups
• Notice boards at temples, community centres, shops
• Other business owners who might know someone between jobs

Online portals — for specific roles

For skilled or semi-skilled roles — an accountant, a delivery driver, a social media handler — online platforms can help:

• WorkIndia, Apna — good for blue-collar and grey-collar hiring
• Naukri, Indeed — for more skilled positions
• Local Facebook groups — surprisingly effective in small towns

Priya needed a part-time developer for her agri-tech app. She couldn't find one in Uttarakhand at the rate she could afford. She posted on a remote jobs board and found a freelance developer in Jaipur who worked 4 hours a day for ₹25,000/month. It worked perfectly — they communicated via WhatsApp and Google Meet.

3. Hiring right

Finding candidates is one thing. Picking the right one is another.

Attitude vs skill

Neema was hiring a helper for her homestay in Munsiyari. Two candidates came:

Candidate A: Had worked in a hotel in Nainital for 3 years. Knew how to make beds, serve food, handle check-ins. But during the conversation, he seemed disinterested. Kept checking his phone. When Neema asked, "What would you do if a guest complained about a cold room?" he shrugged: "Blanket de dena."

Candidate B: A local woman named Basanti. No hotel experience at all. She'd never used a booking system or made a bed the "hotel way." But she was attentive, asked questions, smiled naturally, and when Neema asked the same cold-room question, she said: "Pehle sorry bolungi, phir extra razai laungi, aur chai bhi bana dungi."

Neema hired Basanti. Within a month, guests were mentioning her by name in reviews.

For small businesses, attitude almost always matters more than skill. Skills can be taught. Attitude can't.

What to look for:

• Willingness to learn — Do they ask questions? Are they curious?
• Reliability — Will they show up on time? Every day?
• Honesty — This is non-negotiable, especially when they'll handle money
• Initiative — Do they wait to be told, or do they see what needs doing?
• Temperament — Will they be polite to customers even on a bad day?

Trial periods

Never hire permanently from day one. Give every new person a trial period — 1 week for simple roles, 2-4 weeks for skilled roles, 1-3 months for important positions.

Bhandari uncle's rule: "Pehle 15 din dekho. Kaam karta hai toh rakhna. Nahi toh seedha bol dena — bura mat maanna, lekin yeh kaam aapke liye nahi hai." He's clear, direct, and respectful. No drama.

During the trial period, watch for:

• Do they show up on time?
• Do they learn quickly or do you have to explain the same thing five times?
• How do they behave with customers?
• Are they careful with stock/money/equipment?
• Do they take initiative or stand around waiting for instructions?

Setting clear expectations from day 1

The biggest source of employer-employee conflict in small businesses is unclear expectations. The owner thinks one thing, the employee thinks another, and resentment builds.

On day one, make these things clear:

1. Working hours — "8 AM to 6 PM, with one hour lunch break. Sunday off."
2. Salary and payment date — "₹10,000 per month, paid on the 5th of every month."
3. What the job involves — "You'll handle the counter, manage stock, load deliveries."
4. What is NOT acceptable — "No using the shop phone for personal calls during work. No smoking inside. No giving credit to anyone without my permission."
5. How they'll be evaluated — "I'll check in every Saturday. If something's not working, I'll tell you directly."

Write it down if possible. Even a simple one-page note signed by both parties is better than a verbal agreement that gets forgotten.

4. Training and onboarding

You've hired someone. Now what? Most small business owners make the mistake of throwing new hires into the deep end: "Dekh lo, samajh aa jayega." This wastes time, creates mistakes, and frustrates everyone.

Show, don't just tell

Neema spent three full days training Basanti before letting her handle guests alone.

Day 1: Neema did everything herself while Basanti watched. "Watch how I greet guests, how I show the room, how I explain the meal timings."

Day 2: Basanti did everything while Neema watched and corrected gently. "Room dikhate waqt, pehle view dikhaao — window khoolo. Guest ko view dekhne do, phir bathroom dikhaao."

Day 3: Basanti did everything on her own. Neema was available but only stepped in when needed.

By day 4, Basanti was handling check-ins, serving meals, and managing basic guest requests confidently.

This is the Show → Assist → Release method:

1. Show — You do it, they watch
2. Assist — They do it, you guide
3. Release — They do it alone, you verify

Vikram's training manual

Vikram's franchise came with a training manual — a simple laminated booklet with pictures showing how to prepare each menu item, how to clean the kitchen, how to handle a customer complaint. When a new cook joins, Vikram doesn't explain everything himself. He hands over the manual and says, "Read this tonight. Tomorrow, the senior cook will show you the actual process."

"Manual se consistency aati hai," says Vikram. "Har cook ek hi tarike se banata hai. Customer ko har baar wahi taste milta hai."

You don't need a fancy manual. Even a simple checklist works:

Pushpa didi's helper checklist (written on a laminated card):

Morning routine:
□ Arrive by 6:30 AM
□ Clean counter and stove
□ Fill water container
□ Set out cups, sugar, tea leaves
□ Light stove by 6:45 AM

During service:
□ Serve chai within 2 minutes of order
□ Always collect money before giving chai
□ Keep counter clean after every 5 customers
□ If sugar/milk running low, tell didi immediately

Closing:
□ Wash all cups and utensils
□ Wipe down counter
□ Turn off gas properly
□ Lock the supply cabinet

5. Managing people

Hiring and training are the beginning. The real work is managing people day after day, month after month. This is where most small business owners struggle.

Communication — the daily huddle

In a big company, there are meetings, emails, Slack messages. In a small business, communication is simpler but no less important.

Bhandari uncle starts every morning with a 5-minute conversation with his new helper, Suraj:

"Aaj kya-kya deliver karna hai?" "Kaunsa stock kam hai?" "Kal koi complaint aayi thi?"

Five minutes. No meeting room. Just standing at the counter with a cup of chai. But those five minutes ensure that both of them know what the day looks like.

Good communication habits for small businesses:

• Daily check-in (2-5 minutes): What needs to happen today? Any problems from yesterday?
• Weekly review (15-30 minutes): How was the week? What went well? What didn't? Any stock issues? Customer complaints?
• Immediate feedback: Don't save up problems for a month. If something goes wrong, address it that day — calmly, privately, directly.

Trust but verify

This is the hardest balance. You need to trust your employees — nobody can work well when they feel like they're being watched every second. But you also can't be naive. Money and inventory disappear in businesses where no one is watching.

Practical ways to verify without micromanaging:

• Count cash at the start and end of each day
• Keep a simple stock register and do random checks
• Talk to customers occasionally — "Sab theek hai? Suraj ne acche se help kiya?"
• Install a basic CCTV camera (₹3,000-5,000 for a simple setup) — not to spy, but for security and accountability

Bhandari uncle checks his stock register every Saturday. He doesn't do it secretly — Suraj knows. "Main check karta hoon kyunki business mein check karna zaroori hai," Bhandari uncle explains. "Isse Suraj ko bura nahi lagta — he knows it's not about distrust, it's about the system."

Dealing with underperformance

When an employee isn't doing well, most small business owners either ignore it (hoping it fixes itself) or explode in frustration (making it worse). Neither works.

A better approach:

1. Be specific. Don't say "Kaam theek se nahi ho raha." Say "Pichhle hafte teen baar delivery late hui. Monday ko Sharma ji ka order galat gaya."
2. Ask before assuming. Maybe there's a reason. "Kya problem hai? Kuch dikkat hai toh batao."
3. Set a clear expectation and timeline. "Delivery time pe honi chahiye. Agar next do hafte mein improvement nahi dikhi, toh hum aage sochenge."
4. Follow through. If they improve, acknowledge it. If they don't, act on what you said.

Neema had a helper who was consistently late — arriving at 9:30 instead of 8 AM. She talked to her once. Then again. The third time, she said, clearly but kindly: "Didi, mujhe 8 baje koi chahiye. Agar aapke liye 8 baje aana possible nahi hai, toh shayad timing ka koi aur arrangement sochein." The helper started coming on time.

Motivation beyond money

Money is important. We'll talk about compensation in the next section. But people don't stay only for money. They stay because they feel:

• Respected — You say "please" and "thank you." You don't shout. You acknowledge their effort in front of customers.
• Valued — You ask their opinion. "Suraj, tera kya sochna hai, yeh naya cement brand rakhein ya nahi?"
• Trusted — You let them handle things without looking over their shoulder every minute.
• Growing — They're learning something, getting better at something, being given more responsibility.
• Flexible — When their child is sick, you let them leave early without docking pay. When they need an advance before a festival, you give it without drama.

Pushpa didi gives Sunita the second Saturday of every month off, plus any festival day Sunita asks for. Sunita's mother once said to Pushpa didi: "Itni acchi malik kahan milti hai." Pushpa didi replied: "Malik nahi hoon, saath mein kaam karti hoon."

6. Compensation and pay

Let's talk about money. This is where many small business owners get uncomfortable — either paying too little and feeling guilty, or paying a fair amount but feeling like it's eating into their profit.

Minimum wages — know the law

Every state in India has a minimum wage. In Uttarakhand (as of recent rates):

• Unskilled worker: approximately ₹10,000-11,000/month
• Semi-skilled: approximately ₹11,000-12,500/month
• Skilled: approximately ₹12,500-14,000/month

These change periodically. Check the latest rates at your local Labour Commissioner office or the state government website.

Important: Paying below minimum wage is not just unfair — it's illegal. Even if someone agrees to work for less, you're legally obligated to pay at least the minimum.

Fixed salary vs variable/incentive

Fixed salary = same amount every month, regardless of performance. Simple, predictable, easy to manage.

Variable/incentive = base salary + extra for performance. More complex, but can drive better results.

Bhandari uncle pays Suraj ₹12,000/month fixed. But during the construction season (March to June), when the shop is busiest, he adds a performance bonus:

• If monthly sales exceed ₹8 lakh: ₹2,000 bonus
• If monthly sales exceed ₹10 lakh: ₹3,500 bonus

"Jab shop zyada kamata hai, toh Suraj ko bhi milna chahiye," says Bhandari uncle. "Isse uska motivation bhi badta hai aur mera kaam bhi hota hai."

When incentives work well:

• Sales roles — bonus tied to revenue or number of customers
• Delivery roles — bonus for on-time delivery rate
• Production roles — bonus for zero-defect work or meeting targets

When incentives can backfire:

• If the targets are unrealistic, people get demotivated
• If the formula is confusing, people don't trust it
• If you change the rules after promising something, trust breaks permanently

When to give raises

A good rule of thumb:

• After successful trial period completion — even a small bump shows you noticed their effort
• Once a year, at minimum — at least matching inflation (5-7%)
• When they take on more responsibility — if they started handling stock and now also manage deliveries, their pay should reflect it
• When your business grows — if your revenue goes up 30%, giving a 10% raise is both fair and smart retention

Bhandari uncle's Diwali bonus

Every Diwali, Bhandari uncle gives his employees a bonus. It's not a fixed formula — he looks at how the year went and decides. Last year, he gave Suraj one month's extra salary (₹12,000). The year before, when business was slower due to road construction blocking access to the shop, he gave ₹5,000.

"Diwali pe bonus dena humare yahan ki riwaz hai," he says. "Log isse expect karte hain. Agar na doon toh bura lagta hai. Aur honestly, Suraj mehnat karta hai — uski mehnat ka hissa usse milna chahiye."

7. Retaining good people

Finding good people is hard. Losing them is worse. Every time someone leaves, you lose:

• Their knowledge of your business
• The time you invested in training them
• Customer relationships they built
• Weeks or months of reduced productivity while you find and train a replacement

Why people leave (it's not always money)

The common assumption is: "They left for more money." Sometimes that's true. But more often, people leave because of:

1. Disrespect — Being shouted at, belittled in front of customers, or treated like they don't matter
2. No growth — Doing the same thing for 3 years with no new responsibility, no raise, no recognition
3. Unpredictable management — The owner is friendly one day and furious the next. Walking on eggshells.
4. Overwork without compensation — "Just 30 minutes extra" every day becomes 2 hours, with no overtime pay
5. Better opportunity — This one you can't always prevent, but if the first four are taken care of, people think twice before leaving

Dinesh didn't leave Bhandari uncle for more money. He left because his cousin offered him a partnership — a chance to build something of his own. Bhandari uncle couldn't match that. But he could have prepared for the possibility.

Creating a good work environment

You don't need a Google-style office. A good work environment in a small business means:

• Consistent behaviour — No mood swings. The employee should know what to expect from you every day.
• Fair pay, on time — Never delay salary. If cash flow is tight one month, tell them in advance: "5 din late hoga, but zaroor milega."
• Basic dignity — A chair to sit on. A lunch break. Access to clean water and a toilet. These sound obvious, but many small businesses skip them.
• Acknowledgment — "Aaj accha kaam kiya" costs nothing. Say it more often.
• Festivals and occasions — Small gestures matter. A sweet box on Diwali. A half-day off on their birthday. Chai and samosas when a big order comes through.

Growth opportunities even in small businesses

"My business is small — what growth can I offer?" More than you think:

• Teach them new skills (Bhandari uncle taught Suraj how to read engineering drawings — now Suraj can advise contractors directly)
• Give them more responsibility over time (Pushpa didi lets Sunita handle the early morning setup entirely)
• Help them grow even outside your business (writing a recommendation letter, helping them open a bank account, encouraging them to take a night course)
• If your business grows, promote from within (Vikram promoted his first server to shift manager)

8. Family as team

In Uttarakhand — and across India — family is often the first team.

Rawat ji's orchard

Rawat ji's apple orchard in Ranikhet is a family operation. During harvest season (September-October), everyone pitches in. His wife manages sorting and grading. His son handles logistics — coordinating trucks, tracking market prices. His daughter-in-law manages the direct-to-consumer orders through WhatsApp.

"Parivar ke bina toh yeh orchid chal hi nahi sakta," says Rawat ji. "Mandi ka aadmi subah 5 baje phone karega, truck raat ko 2 baje aayega — koi employee 24 ghante available nahi rahega. Family rahti hai."

The advantages of family in business

• Trust — You know them. They know you. No background checks needed.
• Flexibility — Family members often work odd hours, take less salary, fill in when needed.
• Commitment — They have a stake in the business succeeding. It's their livelihood too.
• Low cost — Especially in the early stages, family help reduces the salary burden.

The problems with family in business

• Blurred boundaries — "Are you my boss or my brother?" Disagreements at the dinner table become disagreements at the shop counter.
• Hard to fire — If your nephew isn't good at the job, can you let him go? In most families, no. So underperformance goes unaddressed.
• Unequal effort, unclear compensation — One sibling works 12 hours, another works 6. Both get "an equal share." Resentment builds.
• Succession conflicts — "When papa retires, who takes over?" This has broken more family businesses than competition ever will.

Setting boundaries

If you work with family, establish these rules early:

1. Define roles clearly. Who does what? Write it down. "Beta, marketing tum sambhalo. Beti, accounts tumhare zimme. Main production dekhunga."
2. Set working hours. Business talk at the shop. Not at dinner. Not at 11 PM.
3. Pay fairly. If your brother works full-time in the business, pay him a salary. Don't let "family" become an excuse for free labour.
4. Have a conflict resolution method. When you disagree — and you will — how will you decide? Majority vote? Eldest decides? Outside advisor?
5. Plan for succession. Talk about it before it becomes urgent. Not pleasant, but necessary.

Rawat ji has already told his son: "Orchard tera hai, lekin agar teri behen ko business mein interest hai, toh usko bhi hissa milega — ya toh orchard mein, ya paise mein. Fair hona chahiye."

9. Freelancers and part-time help

Not every role needs a full-time employee. Sometimes, you need someone for a few hours a week, or for a specific project.

Ankita's freelance designer

Ankita needed packaging design for her pahadi food brand. She couldn't afford a full-time designer (₹30,000-50,000/month for a good one). Instead, she found a freelance designer on Instagram who charged ₹15,000 for the complete packaging design — labels, jar stickers, shipping box design, everything.

"Full-time designer ka mujhe koi kaam nahi tha daily," says Ankita. "Saal mein do-teen baar packaging update hota hai, naye products launch hote hain. Freelancer se kaam chala leta hoon."

Priya's freelance developers

Priya's agri-tech app needs ongoing development, but the workload isn't constant. Some months there's heavy feature development. Other months it's just bug fixes and maintenance.

She works with two freelance developers — one for the front-end (React Native), one for the back-end (Python/Django). They bill hourly. In busy months, her dev cost is ₹60,000-70,000. In quiet months, it's ₹15,000-20,000.

"If I'd hired full-time developers, I'd be paying ₹1.2 lakh/month fixed, regardless of workload," says Priya. "As a startup, that flexibility is survival."

When to outsource vs hire full-time

Common roles that work well as freelance/part-time:

• Graphic design, packaging design
• Social media management
• Accounting/bookkeeping (part-time CA or accountant)
• Website and app development
• Photography for product shoots
• Delivery (shared with other businesses)

Common roles that need full-time employees:

• Shop counter / sales
• Kitchen / food preparation
• Housekeeping and hospitality
• Warehouse / stock management
• Customer-facing service roles

10. Legal basics of employment

You might think, "I have one helper — do I really need to worry about legal stuff?" Yes. Not because inspectors are lurking, but because doing things properly protects both you and your employee.

Offer letter / appointment letter

Even for a small role, give a simple letter that states:

• Name and role
• Start date
• Salary and payment cycle
• Working hours and days off
• Trial period duration
• Basic terms (notice period, etc.)

This doesn't need to be a 10-page legal document. One page is fine. It creates clarity and prevents "he said/she said" disputes later.

EPF and ESI — when do they apply?

EPF (Employees' Provident Fund):

• Mandatory for establishments with 20 or more employees
• Both employer and employee contribute 12% of basic salary
• For smaller businesses, it's voluntary — but offering it is a good retention tool

ESI (Employees' State Insurance):

• Mandatory for establishments with 10 or more employees (in some states, even fewer)
• Provides medical benefits to employees earning up to ₹21,000/month
• Employer contributes 3.25%, employee contributes 0.75%

If you have fewer than 10-20 employees, EPF and ESI are not legally required. But as your team grows, keep these thresholds in mind. Crossing them and not complying can result in penalties.

Shops & Establishments Act

If you operate a shop, restaurant, or commercial establishment, you're likely covered under your state's Shops & Establishments Act. Key requirements:

• Register your establishment with the local municipal body
• Maintain working hours within legal limits (usually 48 hours/week)
• Provide weekly holidays (at least 1 day per week)
• Keep records of employees, their hours, and their wages
• Display the registration certificate at the premises

The registration is usually simple and cheap (₹100-500 in most states). Not doing it can result in fines if an inspector visits.

Keeping salary records

Maintain a simple register or notebook:

• Employee name
• Month
• Days worked
• Salary paid
• Signature (or digital confirmation)

This protects you if there's ever a dispute about unpaid wages. It also helps you track your labour costs accurately.

Bhandari uncle keeps a ruled notebook. Every month, one line per employee: name, amount, date paid, and the employee signs next to it. Takes 5 minutes. "22 saal mein kabhi koi jhagda nahi hua salary ko lekar," he says. "Sab likha hua hai."

11. Common people mistakes

After observing dozens of small businesses across Uttarakhand, here are the mistakes that come up again and again when it comes to managing people.

Mistake 1: Hiring too fast, firing too slow

When you need someone urgently, the temptation is to hire the first warm body that walks in. Resist. A bad hire costs more than an empty position.

At the same time, when someone isn't working out, owners delay for months — "Shaayad sudhar jaayega." He won't. Address it quickly, set a deadline, and if nothing changes, part ways respectfully.

Mistake 2: Not documenting anything

No appointment letter. No salary records. No job description. Then when there's a disagreement — "You said ₹10,000, I heard ₹8,000" — there's nothing to refer to. Five minutes of writing today saves five days of headache later.

Mistake 3: Treating employees like family but not paying like professionals

"Woh toh ghar ka member hai" — a common phrase. And it's nice in spirit. But when "ghar ka member" means you expect them to work extra hours without overtime, skip their day off during busy season, and accept a lower salary because "apna hi toh hai" — that's not family, that's exploitation with a warm label.

Be warm. Be friendly. But pay properly, give days off, and maintain professional boundaries. You can be kind and professional. They're not opposites.

Mistake 4: Over-dependence on one person

This is what happened to Bhandari uncle with Dinesh. When one person holds all the knowledge — where things are stored, which customers get credit, what the supplier's number is — you're one resignation away from chaos.

How to prevent it:

• Document processes — Even a simple list: "Where is the cement stored? Who are the top 10 customers? What's the daily routine?"
• Cross-train — If person A knows something, person B should know it too
• Keep a contact list — Suppliers, customers, delivery guys — this should be written down somewhere you can access, not just in one person's phone
• No single points of failure — If your business can't function without one specific person (other than you), that's a risk you need to fix

After Dinesh left, Bhandari uncle spent a week writing down everything he'd kept in his head for 22 years: which rack has which fittings, which contractor gets what credit limit, which suppliers deliver on which days. He put it in a register. When Suraj joined, the training took days instead of months.

"Yeh register pehle banana chahiye tha," admits Bhandari uncle. "Dinesh ke jaane ke baad banaya. Ab agar Suraj bhi chala jaaye, toh itni problem nahi hogi."

Putting it all together

Let's come back to where we started.

Six months after Dinesh left, Bhandari uncle's shop is running smoothly again. Suraj handles the counter and stock. A part-time delivery helper comes in from 2-6 PM. Bhandari uncle's daughter helps with accounting on weekends.

Three things changed:

1. Documentation — There's a register with supplier contacts, stock locations, customer credit limits, and daily routines. If anyone leaves, the knowledge stays.

2. Clear expectations — Suraj has a written one-page appointment letter. His salary, working hours, weekly off, and bonus structure are all agreed upon and documented.

3. No single point of failure — Suraj and Bhandari uncle both know how to operate every part of the shop. The delivery helper can manage basic counter duties in a pinch.

"Pehle lagta tha ki ek acche aadmi ke bina business nahi chalega," says Bhandari uncle. "Ab samajh aaya — system banana padta hai. Log aayenge, jayenge. System rehna chahiye."

Your team is the backbone of your business. Whether it's one helper or fifty employees, the principles are the same:

1. Hire carefully — attitude over skills
2. Train thoroughly — show, don't just tell
3. Communicate constantly — daily check-ins, weekly reviews
4. Pay fairly — at or above market, on time, every time
5. Document everything — roles, pay, processes, knowledge
6. Respect always — dignity is not optional

People are not machines. They have good days and bad days. They have families, ambitions, and worries. The business owners who understand this — who treat their team as partners in the work, not just hired hands — are the ones who build businesses that last.

In the next chapter, we step back and look at the big picture. You've learned about pricing, sales, marketing, operations, and team. But how do you make the big decisions? When do you expand? When do you hold back? When do you pivot? That's Strategy & Decision Making.