If you have a need for extra help, but aren’t sure the time has come to hire additional full-time employees, temporary or contract workers can provide the ideal short-term solution.

More and more businesses of all sizes are relying on temporary workers these days for one key reason: flexibility. According to the American Staffing Association (ASA), U.S. firms hire approximately 12 million temporary contract employees each year. What’s more, experienced temporary workers often make natural candidates for full-time jobs in your business, eliminating the need to go through the hassle of posting job ads and reading resumes.

For small businesses seeking part-time or temporary help, temp agencies are a good way to go. They handle the sticky parts that you’d rather not deal with, such as advertising, recruiting, paperwork and other chores, leaving you more time to concentrate on other things. You’ll pay for that help, but most business owners find it an amicable trade.

If the work is of the type that needs supervision under your direct control, temps are probably better than independent contractors. Your odds of success are best if you use resources and solutions that specialize in placing temporary workers, rather than those that offer it as a sideline.

The Web has made finding suitable staffing agencies and workers eaiser than ever. For example, StaffSeek at ASA’s StaffingToday.net is a free online service that can help you quickly find a temp staffing agency perfect for what you need. Simply select your state, the skills you need, including office, clerical, professional, health care, technical and industrial, and the type of arrangement you want, such as temp or temp-to-permanent, and click “search.” StaffSeek will deliver a list of agencies, locations, phone numbers and the types of employment placements they offer. ASA members operate over 15,000 offices nationwide.

Other online temporary search options include Net-Temps.com, a Web site that specializes in placing temporary workers. The “Employers” section lets you post a job, search candidates or request help from staffing specialists. You can search a continuously updated supply of temp job seekers, locally, regionally or nationally.

Several well-established national staffing firms that assist small businesses have also established helpful Web sites. They include Kelly Services at KellyServices.com; Manpower, Inc. at www.manpower.com; and Olsten Staffing Services at www.olsten.com.

To learn more about human resources issues facing your small business, contact SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business." SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners. Call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you, or find a counselor online at www.score.org.

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