- Offer Paid Internships
It may seem logical for a bootstrapped startups to offer unpaid internships, but there are two reasons this is not a good idea. An unpaid internship creates a limited candidate pool. In today’s economy, people can’t afford to work for free and are looking for an internship as a stepping-stone to a potential full time job. Offering an unpaid internship misses this opportunity.Unpaid internships are also a legal minefield. There are strict federal guidelines around the hiring of unpaid interns and some states have additional requirements that must be met. Do some research on the U.S. Department of Labor rules and any state specific guidelines before selecting this option. You may be better off hiring paid interns and offering minimum wage.Continue reading on the next page