So who does the hiring around here?

Managers don’t hire new workers. VPs don’t hire. Government jobs bills and even tax credits don’t hire.So if none of the above do it, then who? Before we answer, here’s just a little recap of some recent economic policy news.The Jobs Bill: (aka “Mini-Stimulus”) includes a $13 billion program allowing companies to avoid paying Social Security taxes for the remainder of 2010 on new hires who have been unemployed for at least 60 days.Employers also would receive a $1,000 tax credit for each new worker who stays on the job for at least a year.
Tax breaks for each new employee you hire: President Obama’s proposal would give a tax credit of up to $5,000 to companies for every new employee they add to their payrolls this year.Sounds like the government thinks they’re the ones that are going to be doing the hiring around here. But — I may be preaching to the choir here — but the last 12 years as a business owner, the last two as a marketing consultant and an author have taught me it works like this:The small business is confident it will be able to “do its thing” without feeling handcuffed by too much government interference. Because of this confidence, the “key players” innovate. They develop products and services that solve problems and satisfy the wants and the needs (more importantly, the wants) of their ideal customers and clients.The small business gets more and more savvy with its marketing and ends up creating an even greater demand for its products and services. Its marketing positions it as unique and valuable. The leads are flowing, and it becomes tough to keep up, so it hires a new salesperson.And it continues: The small company’s salespeople are sharp. They’re trained in the art of ethical persuasion.They know what to say and when to say it. They take care of their new clients and pay attention to their current ones. Because the marketing is creating demand and the sales team is on fire, the company realizes it needs to “speed up” production. Our fictitious small business brings in some new “technicians” to keep the wheels rolling along.Our small business continues to grow. It needs a bigger office space and production area. The company moves into a new facility. In the process, a real estate commission is paid to a broker. A local contractor gets the deal to construct the new office. The contractor goes out and hires people.Answer the question now: Who does the hiring around here?Answer: A small business that is confident about the future and knows how to market, sell and produce.Mike “Mike D.” Dolpies heads a Tilton-based company that offers Internet marketing and Web site development services, and is also the author of “Street Smart Persuasion.” He can be reached at AskMikeD.com.