Benefits of internships in 2025

As a small business owner building my business from the ground up, I didn’t have the option of hiring full-time employees in the early days of my startup. Instead, the interns played an important role in helping the company grow.

Internships and apprenticeships offer many benefits to small businesses (and large companies, too!). After recently bidding farewell to the ninth and tenth interns, who returned to the United States in late 2024, I have been reflecting on what I learned from the experience and how I can make the most of future training for both StreetHunt Games and the interns.

Here are our top five tips for making the most of what can be an invaluable resource.

Ensure the intern is properly onboarded and gains a solid understanding of the business

We run an outdoor adventure game company that offers immersive, self-guided puzzles set in captivating locations – a unique blend of adult scavenger hunt, escape room, and murder mystery, all played outdoors in the heart of the city, with the game accessible and guided through… Smartphone.

For my company, preparation starts with an initial presentation about what we do, as well as an overview of our business strategy and goals. I then encourage each trainee to spend some time reviewing our site Websiteand social media accounts, as well as spending time understanding our competitors’ offerings. They also go to experience one of our games first-hand, ensuring they quickly understand our offering from a customer’s perspective.

Through this experience, the trainee becomes better equipped to produce insightful and valuable work.

Key elements to consider during the setup process include:

• Systems/Technology Administrator – Ensure the intern has access to all tools and platforms needed to get started.
• Business Processes – Discuss how and where they should document their work.
• Brands and Values ​​– Provide key information about the company’s brand identity and core values, directly where possible.
• Expectations – Clarify working hours and arrangements for office or remote work, with designated meeting times.
• Trainee goals – understanding their goals and aspirations (more on this later).
• Communication – Create a system for the mentee to ask questions and provide updates in a way that works for both of you.

Providing appropriate training

To get the most out of an internship, it is important to ensure that the intern has the skills and abilities necessary to complete the tasks you assign. Since they will be assigned these tasks, it is worth investing time upfront to understand their level of experience and ability to complete them independently. If there are any gaps, provide training. This approach ensures that the quality of their work is much higher and reduces the likelihood of you needing to redo tasks, making time well spent.

There are many training resources available online – such as YouTube or ChatGPT – and I have also found excellent free Excel courses and training on tools like Google Analytics on platforms like Udemy.

In addition to task-based training, it is important to provide opportunities for professional development, such as goal-setting workshops or career-focused discussions. This helps your trainees gain a broader perspective and improve their skills for the future, ensuring they get the most out of their experience.

Common areas I have provided training in include Canva and AI courses (YouTube videos), Excel (Udemy), and PR (using courses from Public relations group) and Maddie Shine Groups for SEO. I also attended a unique workshop with a mentee at the beginning of 2024, where we cut up journals to create visual representations of our personal and professional goals for the year. It was a great bonding experience and a creative way to reflect on our aspirations for the coming year.

Find suitable tasks

One of the most difficult aspects of making the training process successful for both entrepreneurs and trainees is avoiding spending excessive time defining tasks and answering questions. I have found that the best way to mitigate this challenge is to assign tasks based on the trainee’s individual skill set.

Once you start working with your mentee and complete the onboarding process, you will have a better understanding of their strengths. Maximizing the benefit of training involves playing to these strengths. Assign tasks that they are likely to enjoy and engage with, or at least tasks that they have the skills and knowledge to complete successfully.

Below I have listed some tasks that have worked well for me and many of my trainees. Once you set up a task for the first time, be sure to document it in the process notes so setup is faster in the future. When questions about assignments arise, I add notes to the process, making it more comprehensive over time.

• Research – Research is always an important component for small businesses, yet business owners often run out of time to do it themselves. Interns can conduct research on competitors, marketing trends, partnership opportunities, influencers, and backlink goals. These assignments are easy to set up and can be very engaging for the trainee, as they bring insights from new eyes and perhaps a different demographic.
• Repetitive Tasks – Tasks that need to be completed daily, weekly, or monthly are ideal for interns. Examples include creating social media content, responding to customer testimonials, bookkeeping, creating blog content and uploading those blogs to your website. In my experience, trainees enjoy these tasks because they can improve their proficiency over time and become familiar with the work, which adds a sense of accomplishment. Creating marketing content such as blogs or social media can again generate new ideas, while allowing trainees to put their own personal spin on your business.
• Review your to-do list – Look at your to-do list and identify the tasks that never seem to rise to the top. How do you break it down and delegate some of this work to an intern? Taking responsibility for working with your interns can help you finally make progress on tasks you’ve been avoiding.

Benefit from having a fresh perspective at work

I have been lucky enough to have all my trainees from Accent Global Learning, and the quality has been consistently high. Each intern was enthusiastic, eager to learn, and provided a unique perspective.

Interns offer a clear advantage to small businesses: they often have up-to-date knowledge of industry trends and technologies, thanks to their recent academic experiences. They are eager to contribute and are not afraid to challenge conventional ways of thinking, which can provide new insights for your business and help solve current challenges with innovative solutions.

For companies like ours, integrating modern technology into real-world experiences, interns can provide valuable insights into the latest apps, augmented reality features, and sustainability trends, along with key insight into a specific customer segment.

One example of this was in the onboarding process, where I ask interns to review our website and social media accounts, and provide as much constructive feedback as possible. This process of reviewing and listening to their feedback led to multiple changes to both the structure and content of our website, as well as adjustments to the type of content we share on social media. The interns also identified partnership opportunities in working with other types of companies that I had not previously considered.

Listening to and acting on these different viewpoints ultimately led to the growth of StreetHunt Games as a business.

Feedback, guidance and validation of trainees

It is necessary to communicate with the trainee regularly throughout the training period. Make sure the tasks they’ve been assigned stay engaged, and ask if they have any other ideas to contribute to the work. I have found that the quality of work is always greater when the intern understands what they are doing, is engaged in the task, and knows what benefit they will bring to the company. It’s even louder when the trainee raises his hand to do it himself!

I also make an effort to share any thought leadership I receive as a small business founder with the mentee, and provide updates on business strategy during their placement. This helps them see the broader context of their work and how it fits into the overall company goals.

If there are tasks or behaviors that are not working well, it is important to address them as they arise, rather than waiting until the end of training. Give the trainee the opportunity to adjust his or her approach, as this is often the result of misunderstanding. Prompt and honest feedback is crucial to all successful business relationships – and interns are no different!

Whether the training is face-to-face or remote, regular follow-up is essential. Ideally, face-to-face meetings and informal discussions, along with formal business meetings, help strengthen the relationship and ensure clear communication throughout the training period.

From the trainee’s point of view

At the end of the internship, I asked one of the interns to think about their top tips for future interns to get the most out of this experience. Here are Alex’s top tips:

I’ve had the opportunity to intern at StreetHunt Games for the past couple of months while studying abroad in London. I also have previous coaching experience with UCLA Athletics and Bally Sports in California, and through these experiences, I have learned a lot about how to make the most of your limited time as an intern. Here are our top five tips for making the most of your time:

1. Set clear goals: Understand what you want to achieve during your internship in order to set specific, achievable goals and share them with your supervisor or mentor.
2. Take initiative: As a mentee, you should proactively look for opportunities to contribute and learn. Offer to help with projects and ask questions to deepen your understanding and make the most of your time at work.
3. Network: Use your time as an intern to build relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and other professionals in your field. You can attend company events, join professional groups, and connect with people on LinkedIn.
4. Ask for feedback: At the end of the internship, check in with your supervisor or mentor to discuss your progress, strengths, and areas for improvement. Use their feedback as an opportunity to learn, grow, and make adjustments in the future.
5. Reflection and Learning: Take time to reflect on your experiences and what you have learned during your internship. Think about the skills you’ve developed, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the accomplishments you’ve achieved.

I would repeat all of Alex’s recommendations and also add a few others:

1. Ask questions when you are unsure – it is best to clarify things early; It will save time and ensure the work is completed correctly.
2. Provide updates – At the end of each day, share what you have completed and highlight areas where you may need help before your next work day.
3. Take advantage of opportunities – training is often short-term, so make the most of the different types of work and experiences available to you to maximize your learning.

In short, internships provide valuable opportunities for both small businesses and trainees. By ensuring proper preparation, assigning relevant tasks, and providing the necessary training, companies can get the most out of their interns. Interns provide fresh perspectives and up-to-date knowledge on industry trends, consumer behaviors and technology insights that can help drive innovation and business growth. Regular check-ins, feedback, and guidance also contribute to a positive and productive experience. For trainees, setting clear goals, taking initiative, communicating, and seeking feedback are essential to getting the most out of training. Through mutual investment, internships can lead to significant growth for both entrepreneurs and interns. You never know – you might even meet a future employee!

---