Also be very careful about training someone, because of taxes and unemployment insurance requirements (which can vary by state).
When you are training someone it's very hard to claim they are an "independent contractor" because of the very nature of what is going on. If that person doesn't pay their taxes and the IRS gets a whiff of what was going on they can come after you for the money and fine you etc.
If your training arrangement goes bad you might also find yourself discussing unemployment with the state; I know someone who spent several years paying off a claim after a trainee filed for unemployment. They had a verbal agreement that the trainee was a contractor but this did not stand up with the state when push came to shove.
There also is the matter of liability, if they screw something up when you are training them who would be liable? Would your E&O cover acts of a trainee?
This is not the kind of business where people are required to do an apprenticeship so I'd pass on the opportunity to train someone.
I also question how ethical it might be, we're in a down cycle and who knows how long it will last? Anyone just getting into this business now might be in for a rough ride. If they're semi-intelligent, willing to research and learn on their own they don't need a mentor. And if they aren't intelligent and ambitious enough for that they aren't going to make it through a down cycle anyway. |
