You Can't Do It All (And You Shouldn't Try): Hiring Help for Valentine's Day (part 2)
PART 2 of 2
This one ended up longer than I expected, so I’ve split it into two parts. Yesterday covered hiring different roles. Today we’ll go over the paperwork.
Check out part 1: Get Your Studio Ready
Check out part 2: Design Smart, Not Hard
Check out part 3a: You Can’t Do It All
Check out part 4: Flying Solo on Valentine’s Day
Caring for Your Help: Feed and Water Your Team
This sounds basic, but people forget it when they're stressed.
Plan meals now. Not the day before. Now.
Buy drinks, especially water. Stock snacks and treats. Figure out meal breaks. Will everyone break at once or stagger?
Hungry, dehydrated people make mistakes and slow down. Taking care of your team isn't nice to have. It's essential!
Your Checklist:
Plan meals for each work day. Let the team know which meals you will be providing
Buy water and drinks
Stock snacks and treats
Schedule meal breaks (all at once or staggered).
Let the team know how much time they will get for the meal & and other policies you may have.
Set up break area or designate where it’s acceptable to eat if you don’t have dedicated break room space
Budget for team meals, snacks & drinks
Getting the Paperwork Right (Before You Need It)
The chaos of Valentine's Day is not the time to realize you don't have someone's driver's license on file or that you never collected their W-9. Paperwork feels tedious when you're focused on flowers, but it protects you legally and financially. Handle it now, before your temporary help shows up for their first shift.
Set Clear Expectations in Writing
Before anyone starts work, they should know exactly what to expect. Create a simple document that covers the basics:
Work schedule: What time should they arrive? How late will they work? Will hours vary by day? Be specific. "You'll work late" is vague. "You'll work 8am-7pm on February 13th and 7am-9pm on February 14th" is clear.
Meal policy: Will you provide meals, or should they bring their own? Can they leave the premises for lunch, or do you need them to stay on-site? How long are meal breaks?
Dress code: What should they wear? Closed-toe shoes? Dark colors? No strong fragrances? Are tools provided or should they bring their own?
Physical requirements: Be honest about the physical demands. Will they be standing all day? Lifting heavy buckets? Working in a cooler? People deserve to know what they're signing up for.
Payment details: What's the hourly rate? When will they be paid? How should they track their hours?
If you're working from your home studio, add these specifics:
Private areas: Which parts of your home are off-limits? Be explicit. Don't assume people will know that your bedroom or personal office isn't part of the work space.
Parking: Where should they park? Is street parking okay, or do you need them to use a specific spot? If parking is limited, address it now to avoid first-day confusion.
Bathroom and break area: Where can they take breaks? Which bathroom should they use? These feel like awkward details to specify, but people appreciate knowing these things upfront.
Essential Documents to Collect Before Day One
Don't let anyone start work until you have these documents on file:
Driver's license copies for anyone making deliveries: If someone will be driving your vehicle or their own vehicle for deliveries, you need a copy of their driver's license for your records. Talk to your insurance agent NOW about coverage requirements. Some policies require you to add temporary drivers to your policy. Some have automatic coverage for employees. Find out before someone gets in an accident.
W-9 forms for contractors: If you're hiring people as independent contractors rather than employees, get their W-9 completed before they start working. You'll need this information to issue 1099 forms at tax time. Trying to track people down in January to get tax information is a nightmare. Handle it now.
Emergency contact information: Get a name and phone number for each person's emergency contact. If someone gets hurt or sick during a long shift, you need to know who to call.
Signed acknowledgment of your expectations document: Have each person sign that they've received and understood your expectations document. This isn't about being distrustful; it's about ensuring everyone is on the same page and protecting yourself if disputes arise later.
The Pre-Work Meeting That Prevents Problems
Schedule a meeting with your entire team before the first work day. Not a quick chat as people arrive for their shift when you have a million things on your mind; an actual scheduled meeting where everyone is present and focused.
Use this meeting to:
Review roles and responsibilities: Make sure everyone understands what they'll be doing and how their role fits into the overall operation. If you have multiple designers, a driver, and someone handling customer service, everyone should understand how the workflow connects.
Walk through the space: Show people where supplies are kept, where completed arrangements should be placed, where to find order tickets, how to use your POS system if they'll need to, where the first aid kit is located.
Answer questions before stress hits: Create space for people to ask questions when you have time to answer thoughtfully. Once Valentine's week starts, you won't have bandwidth for extended Q&A sessions.
Set communication expectations: How should people get your attention if they have a question during a busy time? Should they text you? Find you in person? Write questions down for later? Establish this now so you're not constantly interrupted.
Build team culture quickly: Valentine's Day is intense. A little team bonding before the pressure hits makes those long days more pleasant. Learn people's names (and how to pronounce them correctly). Share a meal if possible. Acknowledge that it's going to be hard work, but you're grateful they're helping.
Insurance and Liability Considerations
This is the part no one wants to think about, but you have to:
Call your insurance agent and ask specifically about coverage for temporary help. Questions to ask:
Are temporary employees automatically covered under my general liability policy?
Do I need workers' compensation insurance if I hire help for just a few days?
What's required for vehicle insurance if temporary help is making deliveries?
Am I covered if someone gets injured while working for me?
Different states have different requirements. Some require workers' comp coverage even for temporary help. Some don't. Don't guess. One injury could cost you far more than the insurance premium.
If you're hiring people as independent contractors rather than employees, understand the distinction and make sure you're classifying people correctly. The IRS has specific rules about who qualifies as a contractor versus an employee. Misclassifying workers can result in penalties and back taxes. When in doubt, consult with an accountant or HR professional.
What Happens If You Skip the Paperwork?
Here's what can go wrong if you don't handle paperwork properly:
Someone makes a delivery and gets in an accident. Your insurance company denies the claim because you didn't have them properly listed as a driver.
Tax time arrives and you realize you don't have complete information for your 1099 contractors. You're scrambling to track down addresses and Social Security numbers from people who no longer respond to your messages.
A temporary worker gets injured during a shift. You don't have workers' comp insurance and you're personally liable for their medical expenses.
The IRS audits you and determines you misclassified employees as contractors. You owe back payroll taxes, penalties, and interest.
A dispute arises with temporary help about payment or hours worked. You don't have any documentation of what was agreed upon, and it's your word against theirs.
These scenarios aren't fun to think about, but they happen. Protect yourself by handling the boring administrative work now, before problems arise.
Your Checklist:
Create expectations document
Specify meal policy
Share work schedule and hours
Clarify private areas if working from home
Assign parking spots
Collect drivers licenses
Confirm insurance coverage
Get W-9s completed
Schedule pre-work team meeting
Review roles and responsibilities
Answer questions before chaos starts
Create written expectations document covering schedule, meal policy, dress code, physical requirements, and payment details
Add home studio specifics if applicable (private areas, parking, bathroom/break areas)
Gather emergency contact information for each team member
Have each person sign acknowledgment of expectations document
Collect driver's license copies for anyone making deliveries
Obtain completed W-9 forms for all contractors before they start work
Contact insurance agent to confirm coverage for temporary workers
Verify vehicle insurance requirements for delivery drivers
Confirm workers' compensation insurance requirements and compliance
Verify correct worker classification (employee vs. independent contractor)
Schedule pre-work team meeting with all temporary help
Prepare meeting agenda: roles review, space walkthrough, Q&A, communication protocols, team introductions
Create system for hour tracking and payment processing
Organize all paperwork in accessible location for quick reference during Valentine's week
Next up: what to do if you're flying solo this year. Because sometimes that's the right choice too.
