Small-business owners are discovering an upside to the economic downturn: a deeper pool of talent to tap through internship programs.

'The latest crop of interns was amazing,' says Joanna Pineda, chief executive of Matrix Group International Inc., an Arlington, Va.-based full-service web solutions provider.

Pineda is now consideringoffering a year-long paid internship alongside the company's longstanding summer program for high-school and college students.

Large employers have slashed the number of internships by around a fifth this year as part of recession-related budgets cuts. At the same time, demand for internships is rising among students facing a tight job market where employers are increasingly putting a premium on work experience.

'It's a good opportunity for small-business owners,' says Keith Ashmus, chair of the National Small Business Association. Ashmus, who is also a co-founding partner at Frantz Ward LLP, a law firm in Cleveland, says his firm's ongoing paid-internship program is attracting higher-caliber candidates as larger firms cut back.

Tony Pals, a spokesman for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, says while larger companies tend to have broader brand-name recognition, 'interns may enjoy the less bureaucratic nature of small companies, and the often more dynamic work environment.'

Interns can pitch in to support projects that might otherwise languish on a back burner. They can also energize a workplace with their enthusiasm. An internship program can also serve as an effective recruitment ground for future hires.

'An internship program is an inexpensive way to try someone out,' says James J. Holtzman, a fee-only financial planner with Legend Financial Advisors Inc. in Pittsburgh, which has an ongoing paid-internship program.

Hiring permanent staff can be costlier and riskier right now because the uncertain economic environment makes it harder to forecast future cash flow. 'A business owner might want to hedge their overall expenses by employing lower-cost labor, such as interns,' says Laura Mattia, a fee-only financial planner with Baron Financial Group LLC in Fair Lawn, N.J.

Setting up an internship program doesn't require a large investment of time or money. To get the best results, business owners need to find appropriate candidates and screen them to make sure they have the skills needed to get the jobs they want done. Once hired, providing regular feedback is important as it should be a learning experience for the intern. Offering to act as an advocate in support of an intern's career search is another selling point.

'You need to create a win-win,' says Michael Franz, director of the Washington Small Business Development Center at Washington State University.

First, a business needs to identify local schools and colleges that have students with desirable skills. By contacting schools' career centers, business owners can gain insight into students' schedules and the amount of time they can reasonably devote to an internship. For example, an intern may be able to work 10 hours a week while classes are in session and work 30 hours a week during breaks. If arrangements are made with schools in advance, students may be able to receive academic credits.

Business owners should write up a clear description of duties the intern will be expected to perform, desirable qualifications, the required time commitment and whom to contact. 'Most schools have job fairs in the spring or fall semester, so consider sponsoring a table,' says Holtzman. Business owners who want to cast the net wider can post ads on Web sites like Craiglist.com and idealist.org.

Businesses can offer unpaid internships if the on-the-job training predominantly benefits the student and furthers their education. However, to avoid falling afoul of federal labor laws, if interns are performing tasks that bring in business, experts recommend entrepreneurs compensate interns at an hourly rate that is at least equivalent to the applicable state minimum wage or offer a stipend that covers meals, living and travel expenses.

Businesses also need to provide workers' compensation insurance and comply with all laws requiring withholding and payment of payroll taxes. It can also be prudent to require interns to sign a confidentiality agreement.

小企业主们在眼下的经济衰退中看到了"利好"的一面：他们可以通过实习项目吸引到更多的人才。

"最近的这茬实习生太让人惊喜了，"Matrix Group International Inc.的总裁皮内达(Joanna Pineda)说。Matrix Group International是一家总部设在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿市(Arlington)的提供全方位服务的网络服务提供商。

眼下，皮内达正考虑在公司原有的面向高中生和大学生的暑期实习项目以外，再增加一个为期一年的带薪实习岗位。

经济衰退导致的预算削减让大型企业在今年砍掉了大约五分之一的实习岗位。与此同时，学生就业市场紧缩，而如今的雇主们也比以往更加看中求职者的工作经验，因此学生们的实习需求不断上升。

"这对小企业主来说是个不错的机会，"美国小企业联合会(National Small Business Association)主席阿什莫斯(Keith Ashmus)说。阿什莫斯同时也是克利夫兰市一家名为Frantz Ward LLP的律师事务所的共同创办人。他说，在大公司压缩实习计划规模的时候，他的公司推出的带薪实习项目正吸引来更高素质的求职者。

全美独立学院和大学联合会(National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities)的发言人帕尔斯(Tony Pals)说，尽管大公司的品牌效应往往会得到更大范围的承认，"但是实习生可能会因为小公司较少的官僚风气，以及往往更具活力的工作环境而更加享受为小公司工作。"

实习生们可以投入那些原本可能会被搁置一旁的项目。他们的热情还会为办公室带来活力。实习项目也可以为将来招收新员工做好铺垫。

匹兹堡Legend Financial Advisors Inc.的收费理财顾问霍尔茨曼(James J. Holtzman)说："实习项目是一种考验员工能力的非常经济的办法"。该公司的一个带薪实习项目眼下正在进行中。

不确定的经济环境让未来的现金流难以预料，因此现在雇佣固定员工的花费更高，风险也更大。"企业主可能希望通过雇佣低成本的劳动力，比如实习生，来控制整体费用，"新泽西州费尔劳恩Baron Financial Group LLC的理财顾问马蒂亚(Laura Mattia)如是说。

制订一个实习计划不需要投入大量的时间和金钱。为了达到最好的效果，企业主们需要找到合适的申请者，对他们进行筛选，确保他们具备完成任务所需要的技能。一旦录用以后，定期对他们的表现做出反馈很重要，因为对于实习生来讲这应该是一次学习经历。主动提出帮助实习生找工作是实习计划的另一个卖点。

华盛顿州立大学(Washington State University)华盛顿小企业发展中心(Washington Small Business Development Center)主任弗朗兹(Michael Franz)说，需要创造一个双赢局面。

首先，企业需要对于当地哪些中学和大学的学生具备该企业所需技能做到心中有数。通过联系学校的就业中心，企业主可以了解学生们的时间安排，以及他们可以用在实习岗位上的时间。例如，一名实习生在学期中每周或许可以工作10个小时，而放假期间每周就可以工作30个小时。如果事先和学校一起做一些安排的话，那么学生们也许还可以因此拿到学分。

企业主应该明确说明实习生将要从事的工作、他们需要具备的条件、需要投入的时间，以及企业的联系方式。"大多数学校在春季或秋季学期都会举办学生求职招聘会，企业主应该考虑参加，"霍尔茨曼说。想要把网撒得更大一些的企业主可以在Craiglist.com和idealist.org等网站上发布广告。

如果企业的在职培训可以很好地使学生们收益，促进他们的学业，那么公司可以不支付实习生的薪水。但是，为了不违反联邦劳动法，如果实习生们的工作能给公司带来收益，专家们建议企业主至少以各州最低工资的标准按小时支付实习生报酬，或者给他们一些生活津贴，让他们用来支付食宿和交通方面的开销。

同时，企业需要为员工们提供补偿保险，还需遵守各项要求预提以及交付所得税的法律规定。另外，为了防患于未然，企业还可以要求实习生签署一份保密协议。
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