Unlock Small Business Hiring Success with Shannon Black's Sunday Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Shannon Black and what is her connection to SCORE Austin?

Shannon Black is Chair of SCORE Austin, a national nonprofit offering free business mentoring and workshops. A former Round Rock ISD math teacher, she founded Sunrise Montessori because she couldn't find the right school for her son, grew it to two locations, and sold it nearly four years ago at age 51 before discovering SCORE and volunteering as a mentor.

Why does Black recommend posting job ads on Sunday morning?

Black explains that over 80% of job seekers now start with a Google search rather than going directly to Indeed, and search engines take about 24 hours to catalog an ad's SEO. Posting Sunday morning ensures the listing is fresh and indexed by Monday lunchtime, the number one time of the week people look for jobs, followed by Tuesday at 10 AM.

How do hashtags help small business job listings?

Black recommends adding at least 30 hashtags at the bottom of every ad covering job titles, cities, and role variations like #childcare, #Pflugerville, or Montessori teacher. Platforms like Indeed allow unlimited hashtags that human readers ignore, but Google and other search engines pick them up as SEO signals, saving owners from rewriting complex keyword-optimized copy.

What unusual interview question does Black use, and why?

Black asks candidates what their favorite color is and, more importantly, why. If the applicant doesn't light up explaining it, their affect signals they're performing rather than being genuine. She recounts one candidate who chose black and explained it made pastel colors pop, which revealed such thoughtful reasoning that Black wanted to hire her immediately.

When should a first-time entrepreneur make their first hire?

Black says owners typically know they need help long before they can afford it and struggle to give up control. The tipping point is usually one of two things: they're losing money because they've maxed out their available hours, or their work-life balance has collapsed and they're burning out. Talking with other entrepreneurs makes that first hire easier.

What SCORE resources are available beyond one-on-one mentoring?

SCORE offers more than 1,000 workshops nationally each month, roughly 75% of them free, covering topics from AI to starting a trucking business. Black previews a women's conference, a June 13 trades conference followed by a 10-week virtual series, and a four-day workshop on valuing and selling a business. All resources are accessible at score.org.