Among the many challenges associated with managing a small business, hiring a quality team of employees is one of the most important. Done correctly, it will return you to peace of mind, confidence in your team and fewer barriers to earnings.

I'm sure you've heard it before: people can make or break a workplace. Many of us have horror stories of working for a company or on a team that, at best, just didn't come together, and at worst, led to dysfunctional brokenness. But now you're on the other side of that equation—as a new small business owner, you are responsible for his employment the winning team … but how?

In May 2011, I found myself in this position. We opened a significant amusement attractions business in South Carolina. The location was fantastic, construction was complete, and all we needed to do was hire a few staff members to work the space. Easy enough, right? Wrong. There was drama, stress and high staff turnover, which led to workers' compensation claims and poor customer reviews. Ultimately, we were able to determine that most of the issues stemmed from the general manager of the business, who had poor business practices that permeated the staff. We had to start over.

During this process, I learned a lot about not just employment the best employees, but THE FAIR EMPLOYEE. Below I've compiled a list of tips and best practices for hiring a team that's built to last.

Connected: A healthy approach to employment that actually works

1. Setting standards

Consider yours employment standards. If you find yourself using vague terms like “hard worker” or “some retail experience” when describing the type of people you want to hire, then it's time to get a little more specific.

In our example above, instead of reinventing the wheel, we turned to companies that are known for their customer service standards. Using Disney as a model, we created an avatar of the ideal employee. We didn't focus on technical skills or applicable experience, but instead on personality traits. From this, we developed a rating scale and made assessments.

Based on these results, we were able to set a hiring standard. The best part? We were able to accomplish this by paying the same amount we had paid for the previous dysfunctional team. Online reviews of the business increased greatly, internal turmoil and headaches were alleviated, and it became a much easier business to manage.

**Note: Small business owners often worry about high staffing costs—assuming that to get the best employees, you'll have to pay the highest fees. However, instead of operating from a scarcity mindset operating from a place of fear, shift into one abundance mindset that embraces the idea that great employees are out there and you can find them.

2. Cross-functional employees

If you are approaching business ownership as a former corporate America employee and have a strong resume of experience, then you may be the most experienced person in your new company. As a small business owner, you are what I like to call the OEO: Only Executive Officer. This role is the epitome of “interoperability”. But this dynamic adaptability it doesn't have to stop with you. It's exactly the trait to look for in your new hires.

From our example above, in addition to personality assessments, we found that a major change in training was essential. Instead of hiring employees who could only work within their default role, we focused on hiring adaptable people who could work in multi-functional roles.

This is effective for a number of reasons. The obvious benefit is that employees can work/cover shifts in roles that are tangential to their roles without much additional training. Moreover, we have found that encouraging cross-functional training, we empowered employees to be adaptable and confident in their roles.

Connected: 10 Ways to Create a Startup Dream Team

3. Technical means to win

It wasn't that long ago that time-consuming day-to-day tasks were a vital part of business ownership. modern technology advances have been a game changer for small business owners, especially when it comes to ongoing maintenance tasks like shift scheduling, time management and payroll. Now, all these functions can be easily managed with the right technological tools. This benefits you as a business owner as well as your employees who can easily access this information in real time. Win-win.

In my fitness franchise business, we used a mobile scheduling app that was great and basically eliminated almost an entire person's job: scheduling. The app notified everyone of their schedule, allowed them to offer and change shifts without manager approval as long as the position was of the same level, and generally made the business more flexible for employees and easier to 'was managed for our managers.

After all, there's no surefire way to guarantee that you'll never have to deal with difficult employees or a team that just doesn't fit. While some business models may offer guidelines or a framework that makes hiring a simple process—like franchising for example—effective hiring is essential to your business's success. By setting hiring standards, seeking cross-functional employees, and embracing effective management technology tools, you'll be in a much better position to support your new business with a talented team of employees.