Guide for Interviewing a Small Business Owner
(interview due April 7, which is the Friday before
Spring Break)
Complete the following as you interview a small business owner:
Students' name (interviewer):
Business name:
Owner/owners’ name(s):
Location:
Kind of business:
Sole Proprietorship or Partnership or Corporation?
Products (goods sold or services offered):
How many years in existence:
How many employees:
Suggested questions
(take notes on a separate piece of paper):
·
What prompted you
to begin or buy this business?
·
What kinds of
problems did you anticipate before you started?
·
What kinds of
problems do you deal with in the daily operation of your business?
·
What types of
employees do you have (part-time, full-time, hourly wage, salary, etc.)?
·
Do the different
types of employees have different positives/negatives to you as an
employer? Please explain.
·
What is your
relationship with your bank (loans, daily deposits, payroll, etc. – why do you
need a bank)?
·
What do you find
most rewarding about owning your own business?
·
As a small
business owner, do you believe you have any advantages over large businesses or
corporations? If yes, what? If no, why not?
·
What advice would
you offer to anyone who is thinking about starting a business of his or her
own?
Please prepare other questions before
your interview that are specific to the type of business owner you are
interviewing. Think about what questions
you might have for a florist, for example, that would be different than for
someone who owns a convenience store.
Also be prepared to think of more questions as the interview goes on. Something your interviewee says might make you
think of another question, so ask it!
Don’t be too tied to this list.