No bozos!

For Sharon Baker, founder of Teleduction Inc., a 35-year-old Wilmington film production company, recruiting good employees is the cornerstone of an organization's success. To prove it, hire a "bad apple," she said.

Baker knows firsthand. In the 1980s, she hired a worker who came highly recommended. Before long, the employee was showing up late, sometimes dishevelled. The worker's performance became erratic. It didn't take long for Baker to admit it wasn't working out. Worse, she realized the worker's previous employer had glowingly recommended someone "they were desperately trying to get rid of," Baker said.

"It was devastating," Baker said. "The lost salary is a lot of money for a small business. It's demoralizing for the other employees. But I learned a very valuable lesson: There should be a trial period."

The recruitment of key employees is what makes or breaks a business -- even more than financing, say employment specialists and business leaders.

"Today, it's crucial to do a background check. It's too expensive to not do your due diligence," Challenger said.