Summer means pool days, vacations, and for many businesses – a batch of summer interns. As an entrepreneur and small business owner, you may be considering hiring an intern this year. Many professionals attribute internships to their career development and future success. Internships can provide a variety of benefits to young people: networking, hard skills, workplace manners, and more. Now, you have the opportunity to pay it forward. You also need day-to-day help. There are projects you want to accomplish but don’t have the time. Let’s dive in to see if hiring a summer intern is for you.
The Advantages
Internship programs’ traditional return on investment is a talent pipeline. As a small business, this may not be part of your growth strategy right now. So how can you make the most of an intern? Gary Beaulieu, senior director of the career and professional services office at Butler University, highlights two great advantages for small businesses: getting those pesky projects off the back burner and bringing in new perspectives.
“I think it’s always good for people outside of an organization to look at that organization through fresh eyes,” Beaulieu said. “Interns can be those fresh eyes.”
Consider the generational differences and exposure interns bring to the table that could expand your business. Is Gen Z your target market for selling your product? Hire an intern and give them a seat at the table.
Interns can also be a powerful tool to build your network and your brand. Great business relationships are mutually beneficial. If you’re developing great talent, those interns will point to your organization and your leadership as a touchstone for their success. Barthenia Abdelshahid, a student at Butler University, said that an organization’s brand plays a role in deciding what internships to apply for. “Would your business’ name on a resume help elevate someone to go somewhere else?” she said.
While you likely can’t hire an intern full-time, you never know what career paths someone will take – and where that could take your business by association.
Recently, a former intern reached out for connections in the policy and communications space. I connected her with my former employer, and lo and behold, they hired her for her first full-time position out of college. This has three positive outcomes. One, I helped someone find their first job! That is personally rewarding. Second, I strengthened my relationship with this intern as someone with valuable connections. Third, I reinforced my relationship with my former employer as a relevant contact. Everybody wins!
Ask yourself ‘why?’, create goals, and set a budget
Before you jump into the logistics, you need to understand your own goals and motivations for hiring an intern. Ask yourself, “why?” America’s Future is a small nonprofit- three full-time staff members – that seeks to cultivate young professionals interested in civic engagement on the center-right political spectrum. For Emma Erfourth, the chief of staff, their internship program is a natural extension of their mission to develop talent. Your business may need specific help with social media or operations. You may want to set a young person up for success by helping them make connections that will likely pay off in the future for you.
While goals range across businesses, Erfourth is clear that one of the goals must be education. “People need to think about internships as not just talent cultivation, but an education program,” Erfourth said. “Your internship should be education forward.” While there are benefits to hiring an intern, many small business owners need to know the tangible return on investment. Time is a limited resource for all of us. Teaching an intern how to do a task can take an hour, while you can do it in five minutes. Be honest with yourself: do you like managing, teaching, and mentoring? If not, hiring an intern probably isn’t for you. Ultimately, you have to compare the advantages to your time and financial investment. Asking the bigger picture questions – like why do you want an intern in the first place – helps you make that decision.
Now that you have your ‘why,’ you can craft your plan. Strada Education Foundation, a leader in education innovation and based in Indianapolis, released the Building Better Internships report in May of 2024. The report recommends that employers should clearly define the goals and expectations for interns. This keeps all parties accountable to the expectations. Beaulieu also suggests building your internship around projects and giving them more work than you think they will accomplish. Nobody wins when your intern is bored. Grab that pen and paper and jot down potential projects, meetings, and tasks that could be delegated to an intern. Then, use that information to craft the amount of work needed and the pay structure.
Each source I spoke to for this story said that paying your interns is non-negotiable. According to ZipRecruiter, Indiana’s average intern salary in February 2025 was $16.21 an hour. Be creative with your perks and your funding. America’s Future leverages funding for their program through the Koch Internship Program and The Fund for American Studies. These two organizations partner with like-minded nonprofits to provide an internship experience for students along with curated professional development tools. This is my public plea for a foundation in Indianapolis to take up a similar program!
Beaulieu suggests offsetting costs for the intern so that the program isn’t a burden. For instance, I worked as an intern at a prestigious law firm in Indianapolis, making $14 an hour. The law firm would not cover my $120 per month fee to park in the garage. So, I worked roughly 8.5 hours per month just to pay to park the car that I needed to get to work. Every job has associated costs – professional clothing or travel expenses – but finding ways to reduce those costs is a huge benefit to young people on a shoestring budget.
How do I find the right intern?
Finding the right people for the right role is the eternal quest for an organization. Start where you are. Ask your network for recommendations. Don’t forget your network is large. Are there friends or families at your place of worship or in your neighborhood who have students in college? If you were in Greek life during your college days, tap into that group of young men or women. Reach out to your alma mater. Connect with your former department and see who you can pass the torch too.
Beaulieu recommends getting on campus at your local universities – though, I’m sure he wants you to come to Butler University first. Indianapolis is a hub of higher education – in addition to Butler University, we have Indiana University Indianapolis, Marian University, and the University of Indianapolis along with various community colleges and satellite campuses. Last but not least, use your digital footprint. Advertise your opportunity on your website and social media channels.
Can’t find the right person for Summer 2025? Don’t sweat. Erfourth doesn’t hire just to hire. “Wait to find the A players that are excited about your brand and your organization. Be selective,” Erfourth said.
If you have a clear vision, a desire to teach young people, and a budget for your internship, get on the search ASAP for your Summer 2025 intern. Interns are in a formative time in their career – you can give a young person the gift of experience and mentorship. Maybe one day, someone will be attributing their success to your organization and your leadership.
Kacey Shriner is a leadership development professional who lives in Speedway, Indiana. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
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