Hiring an employee, or bringing in an intern as a small business owner can be difficult. You are wearing all the hats. You have to keep the business functioning and profitable, but also ensure you are not putting your business at risk and remaining legally compliant.

An affiliate program can be a great way to connect with other like minded individuals and businesses. Both of you (i.e. you and the affiliate) can benefit from the arrangement and it doesn’t involve a huge financial investment on your part. With so much to potentially gain from this unique marketing approach, it is worth understanding how to set up an affiliate program while also understanding how to avoid possible risks.

In many circumstances, when a business owner offers someone a job, they issue a letter of offer and if the potential new employee accepts, a start date is set and some tax office paperwork is sent through for them to fill out.