Hi Everyone,
I am at the point where my business is growing and I need to hire staff.

I use interns from the local school for their internship which is a 12 week nonpaying position.

I would like to keep a girl that is nearing the end of her 12 weeks commitment as a paid member of my staff.

How do you pay your decorators with some skills and alot of potential but not a lead at the moment?

Do you pay by the hour? a percentage of the price of the cake? or a straight salary?

I am in Orlando Florida so I know pay and rates are different all over the country but I would like to get an idea how employees are paid?

thanks for your input and suggestions,
Michael

I don't have anyone helping decorate (can't quite bring myself to give up control
But, I did hire somebody to wash dishes, organize my equipment and clean up afterwards. I pay her by the hour...more than minimum wage but not much more as it is not a skilled position.
If I were you, I would offer the job to one of the interns you have used that has proven to have skill...or at least a good work ethic and willing to learn. Offer them whatever the going rate is in your local grocery...or a little bit more. Then they can continue to learn while making a little bit of money. It might be win/win for both of you.
Then if you are able to take on more cakes as a result of their help...then give them a bonus for a great job or increase their wage.

Have fun and congrats on being able to expand!!

i would love advice as well. we're in the process of creating our business plan and I need some serious help with salaries/ hourly wages.

$10-20/hour depending on skill level, local comps, and responsibility is a good starting point.

Don't forget that when you hire an employee, you are responsible for income withholding, part of their social security, unemployment insurance, payroll taxes, etc. It's also a must to have worker's comp coverage, even for unpaid interns (or employees paid under the table).

Read this link for more info:
http://www.business.gov/business-law/employment/hiring/first-employee.html

FYI, QuickBooks offers a free payroll component if you only have 1 employee (any more than 1 and you have to pay).

Thanks for that website....

Whatever you offer, let the person know the amount will rise with their skill level. That way, if they think the starting pay is too low, they will know they'll make more as they gain experience.