HIRING

Over sixty percent of the self-employed and micro-business owners indicate that their business has experienced a significant decrease in sales and/or revenue in 2009 and 2010, and almost fifty percent say they have had to utilize their personal savings or retirement savings to address cash flow issues, according to a study undertaken by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).

While Congress and the Obama Administration are hoping that small businesses will continue to be the engine of job creation and spur recovery, the sluggish economy has had a negative impact on the operations and hiring plans of many small businesses. Over sixty percent of self-employed and micro-business owners indicate that their business has experienced a significant decrease in sales and/or revenue, and almost fifty percent say they have had to utilize their personal savings or retirement savings to address cash flow issues, according to a study undertaken by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).

If you’re experiencing hiring challenges, one solution might be to broaden your search to include members of Generation Y. Also called Millennials, they were born roughly between 1979 and 1988. Businesses that ignore these 20-somethings are shutting the door on a huge universe of potential employees—employees that might be a perfect fit for micro-businesses.