If you are a small business owner and you want to get an intern, then you are already on the right track to growing and expanding your business. Unlike larger, more established businesses, small business owners don’t have a human resources department that can help create an internship program. To further complicate the matter, most small business owners are so busy that they don’t think they have the time to manage an intern even if they got one.  Internships come in many different forms, but there are certain steps that everyone must take to ensure that the internship is a valuable experience for both the employer and the student. In this article, we are going to cover the legal issues surrounding internships, how to effectively structure the internship program, and some quick tips on how to mentor and manage an intern.

                Before you start hiring interns, you are going to want to seek the advice of your attorney to make sure the internship opportunity is in accordance with the Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulations. The DOL outlines the legal requirements for compensation that distinguishes between an intern and an employee. If you plan on hiring interns for paid positions, then you shouldn’t have too much to worry about with legal issues. However, if you plan on hiring interns for unpaid positions or offering to help them receive academic credit, then you need to be extremely careful when designing the internship. The debate about unpaid internships is currently a very hot topic, so you should always consult your legal representative before you create an internship program.

                Once the legal requirements are out of the way, you can create an internship program. One of the biggest things colleges look for when approving employers to offer internships is honesty in the job description. Many small business owners try to get an intern to help relieve them of some of their busy work, like filing or organizing mail. Most colleges will instantly deny a request like this because they want their students to get real world experience related to their major.  A good rule for employers to follow is to have the intern spend no less than 75% of their time working on real projects. If you don’t have a ton of work for the intern on a particular day, you can always let the intern sit in on meetings and conferences.  This may sound trivial to you, but it can be a major learning experience for the intern. Structuring your internship to be learning based will be mutually beneficial to both you and the intern. You get an intern to help you on your projects and an extra set of ears in case you miss anything from meetings. At the same time, the intern gets to work on real projects and gain professional experience.

                One of the top reasons that small business owners say they don’t hire interns is because they don’t think they have enough time to manage an intern. However, the amount of productivity that an intern can bring to a small business is worth the time to get an intern. By giving feedback and guiding the intern in the right direction, you can make sure that you are receiving high quality work. Many companies hire interns with the end goal that when they graduate they will be able to be promoted to a full time position. By being a good mentor, you can establish a professional relationship with the intern and understand their capabilities better than you ever could through an interview. 

As a small business owner, you should be taking advantage of the power of internships to grow your business. Before you create an internship, you want to make sure that the school you decide to hire interns from will be the right fit for your company. You also want to make sure your job description meets the school’s standards for quality internships; otherwise, they will not let you hire interns. By asking the right questions, you can make sure that both you and the intern get the most out of the experience.

The first thing you want to find out is who the main point of contact is at the school. Some schools have a centralized structure where there are one or more people that can answer all of your questions on how to create an internship. Other schools are decentralized, so you are going to have to find a different contact for each type of internship you plan on offering. After you figure out who you should talk to, it is a good idea to get all of their contact information so you can refer back to them throughout the process.

                Some good things to find out are what the schools expectations of the employer are from the internship point of view.  Each school has a different set of rules regarding the relationship between the employer and the intern. Some schools require the intern to be constantly supervised and mentored, while others allow a little more relaxed relationship where the intern can do some independent work. The type of work the intern will be doing is also important.  Many schools have regulations on how much time an intern can spend on non major related work. For example, many small business owners try to hire interns to answer calls or do busy work for them. This is a guaranteed way to get your small business banned from offering internships at that university.  

                Learning more about a school’s on campus recruitment opportunities can also be vital to finding the best candidates. Many colleges have career fairs, business workshops, and recruiting events throughout the fall and spring semesters. By attending these events, you can hire interns that are highly motivated to work for your company.  Attending events also helps you build your brand awareness on campus, which will increase your applicant pool.

                 Knowing the right people to talk to and learning the schools exact expectations of you as the employer, will help you create an internship that will benefit both you and the student. Finally, attending recruitment events will help you build brand awareness on campus for your small business and ensure that the best students apply for your internship.