Employees
How to Hire and Manage Small Business Employees
Hire Smart: Increase Your Income by Hiring an Employee
Some entrepreneurs — such as restaurateurs — start out with a team of employees in place, but many others launch their companies as sole proprietors. These independent small-business owners often …
In the Trenches: Time to Hire Again
I’ve made the decision: It’s time to hire another employee for the business. I’m looking for a “travel architect,” as I like to describe our concierges, who can book flights …
How to Create an Inspirational Work Environment
Aside from building a thriving enterprise, a small-business owner’s most important responsibility is creating an environment that inspires and motivates employees. After all, any company that moves workers to perform …
How to Reform a Low-Performing Employee
If you’re in business long enough, odds are you’ll have to deal with at least one low-performing employee who’s gumming up the works. When this happens, it’s common to think …
What to Do About the Bully in Your Workplace
Bullies are bad for business. “They are too expensive to keep,” says Gary Namie, co-founder of The Workplace Bullying Institute. Although it’s tough to put a number on total costs, Namie …
Are Office Surveillance Cameras a Good Idea?
You can’t personally monitor everything that occurs at your place of business. Increasingly, small-business owners are turning to surveillance systems to keep them apprised of what’s happening when they aren’t …
Summer’s Coming: Time to Relax Employee Work Schedules?
Thinking of cutting your employees some slack in their work schedules this summer? You may be giving them exactly what they want. According to a 2012 survey by OfficeTeam, employees …
In the Trenches: Looking for New Opportunities
Right after we make a big change, my brain shifts from execution to innovation mode. Things were pretty hectic last week as we worked to pull everything together for the …
5 Reasons Not to Outsource Jobs
As your small business grows, you may find yourself playing more and more roles in its operation — marketer, sales rep, receptionist, bookkeeper, and even janitor. When you reach a …
Using Group Instead of Individual Bonuses to Reward Employees
Employee bonuses can be an effective means of rewarding and appreciating good performance — provided that you structure them appropriately. The trick: Giving bonuses to groups of your employees instead of on an …
Why You Need to Take a Lunch Break
It seems like there are never enough hours in the day for a small-business owner to get everything done. That’s why it’s tempting to work through lunch and grab a …
Should You Allow Pets at Work?
At Wixon Jewelers in Minneapolis, employees and customers alike are allowed to bring their dogs into the store. Dogs boost employee spirit and morale, says Jayme Pretzloff, the company’s online marketing …
Small Business Growth Is Still Tepid, but Construction Revenues Are Up
Small businesses added 10,000 new jobs in March, while average monthly hours worked by employees increased by 18 minutes. The latest results of the Intuit Small Business Employment and Revenue …
Hire Smart (or How Not to Spend Your Holiday Weekend Reading 175 Resumes)
When most small-business owners decide that it’s time to hire an employee or two, their work is typically piled up and their to-do list is often a mile long. The …
How to Avoid Costly HR Mistakes
People are often a company’s greatest asset. This is especially true for small businesses that count on employees to pull their own weight (and then some). Yet managing human resources …
