Looking to infuse some new ideas into your business? Want a low-cost way to take on some additional projects? Consider finding some interns.

Inc. Magazine’s list of 25 Ways to Jump Start Your Business suggests holding a contest to attract great interns. This is great for a fashion company that can offer a $4,000 scholarship and a mention in Teen Vogue, but let’s get real: most small business owners can’t afford to do that.

What you can do is give someone a chance. Having an internship these days is crucial to any young person wanting to get into the job marketing. Having that real-world training is perhaps even more important than students’ classroom work. Because of this, many interns are willing to work for either free, or for below-market wages.  Yet in return, you can get great workers who are eager to learn, with exciting new ideas to share. Sometimes, you even get a new employee–my co-worker Jay and I both started out as interns at Roundpeg before becoming real employees.

So give someone a chance. Give them a challenging assignment, a bit of training, and an opportunity to contribute something meaningful.  You will be amazed at just how much a good intern can add to your business.

More on This Topic

• Two Years of Madness
• Faces of Roundpeg: The Interns
• Marketing Intern
• How Roundpeg Taught Me to be a Honey Badger
• Why I’m Mean to Interns
• 3 Things Every Business Needs To Know
• Brittany – Fourth Week
• First Week Down
• Intern Insight
• Goodbye Roundpeg, Hello Rest of My Life