Pengwuino said:
I need more help when it comes to tracking inventory and keeping any potential employees in line lol.
There are a lot of options for tracking inventory nowadays. Anything from old-fashioned tracking of orders and invoices to bar code systems. If you'll be building computers from components, so need to track individual components in your inventory, you might want a system where you have three levels of tracking: in stock, in assembly (or whatever you want to call it; it's still in your store, but not available as inventory for another customer's purchase), and out-of-stock/sold. This way, if someone cancels an order, you know what components you still have in-store.
Detailed invoices are the best way to be able to double-check inventory records.
As for keeping employees in line, make sure any rules you have are sensible and clearly explained to every employee at the time they are hired. Writing up an employee manual can be helpful for this. If the thing starts looking the size of a phone book, you've probably gone overboard on rules. Things to make sure they know when you interview are what sort of hours you expect them to work (will they work a regular shift or will they be working a set number of hours per week but not necessarily the same hours every day; will they be expected to work overtime and how will they be compensated for it; if they might be asked to work overtime, such as to meet delivery deadlines during a busy period, how much notice will they have and will they have the choice to not work those extra hours if they can't?) Hourly employees often work more than one job, so making sure they know what sort of schedule to expect is important for them to ensure they don't have conflicts with a second job.
You might get lucky and find some employees who are really motivated and self-starters, but most need very clear instructions of what needs to be done each day. This doesn't mean breathing down their neck all day micromanaging them, but it means having a list of tasks ready for them to do when they are idle. If they are supposed to be waiting on customers and there are no customers, make sure they know to do things like tidy up the shelves, unpack items or stock shelves, clean dirt from the counter and front door, etc. This is also important to explain when you hire them, that even though their primary responsibility might be customer service or stocking shelves, that you will expect them to pitch in with other tasks/jobs as needed (possibly even including cleaning bathrooms). This clarifies for them right up front that it's not an option to refuse to do some of the more menial tasks when business is slow, which is important when starting up and you don't have the volume of work and number of employees to have people specializing in certain jobs. Also, expect new employees to be more hindrance than help at first. They need time for you to teach them the job before they can truly work independently, but as they learn the job, you can back off and let them work independently more and more. Perhaps try to get your first employee in a week or two before the store opens, even if it's just half days, to give them a chance to learn the store layout, inventory, and help with the last minute details prior to opening.
Little things, like thanking them for the little extra helping they did in a day, or letting them know they've done a good job even if it's just what their job description says will help them feel appreciated and motivated to keep up that good level of work.
They also need to be told outright what things are absolutely unacceptable. For example, if the store opens at 10 AM, they need to be there sufficiently before 10 so they are READY TO WORK when the doors open. If an employee is slacking off, call them to a back room to discuss the matter away from other employees and customers. There are subtle things you can do in arranging your office to establish levels of authority as well. For example, if you need to talk to an employee about a problem with their conduct, sit them down across from you on the other side of your desk. If you want their input on something, and want to inspire collaborative/team thinking, have them pull their chair around to your side of the desk, or sit around a small table instead of at your desk.
Think about the people you've worked for who you really liked and really hated as your bosses and consider what they did or didn't do to gain your respect and inspire you to be a good employee, then try to emulate the good and avoid the bad.