This article is part of "Starting Up Your Small Business," a series exploring steps small-business owners can take when starting out, transitioning, or scaling up. Harris, Green, and Moseley shared their best advice for hiring to scale a small business. The best way they've found to identify contractors who'll meet their needs is by asking for referrals from other business owners and getting references from each candidate. "Whether they're charging a lot of money or they're charging bare minimum, we want to make sure that they are a match to our business," Harris said. Find people who care about your missionSmall-business owners should look for employees who understand their company's mission.

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