Insights, Ideas, Results
If you run a small business, it is extremely important to work efficiently. Doing so will enable you to compete effectively with other firms that are much bigger than yours.
There are many ways to work more efficiently, one of which is using the best tools for the job. These days, that means investing in the best software, as well as the right equipment.
The question of hiring applicants with a criminal record is at times a tricky one for employers, especially for small business owners who are not guided by human resources policies that bigger corporations follow. Hiring ex-cons present conflicting approaches. On one hand, there is an implicit bias against them in general. Then again, our charitable nature prods us to give them a second chance at redeeming themselves. Further, federal and state laws protect job applicants with criminal records from discrimination by employers.
Research shows that taking break from work can enhance employee productivity. When you are working on a complex problem for number of hours just moving away from your desk and into the field can spur creativity and bring new ideas. That is why companies like Google and others have built offices that encourage employees to move away from their desk and “play” for a little while to take their mind away.
Half of adults have left a job to get away from their manager at some point in their career, according to a Gallup survey. And since 2000, when Gallup first began measuring employee engagement, less than one-third of Americans are engaged in their jobs in any given year.
When considering career success, tangible qualities often come to mind, such as the type of work and salary. But one critical factor to your success is leadership style, both in how you manage people and how you like to be managed. Effective managers can improve productivity and employee morale and reduce turnover.
A serious accident in the workplace can affect small business owners in a big way. As an employer you have a legal responsibility to prevent people being harmed or becoming ill the workplace. Serious injuries or accidents in the work place can not only cause disruption to the business and lead to extra expense, it can also damage your reputation. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So it is in your best interest to take steps to prevent these accidents from happening in your workplace. Here are 5 tips to do just that.
Companies and HR professionals have debunked the general perception that higher salaries equate to increased productivity of employees. They have also accepted that happy workers yield better output. But a study by economics professors from the University of Warwick gives scientific support to these assumptions.
In today’s business climate successful businesses have to take advantage of every way they can to lower expenses. Commercial insurance is one of the largest fixed costs most businesses incur. In most states workers’ compensation and general liability are required by law for most businesses. Many business owners look at these policies as a tax. That they are not going to change much from year to year and there is not much they can do to lower what they pay. This is far from the truth. There are many ways businesses can lower what they pay in premium for commercial insurance. Here are five easy steps that any business can take to lower what they pay for commercial insurance.
For as long as corporations have existed they have been organized in more or less hierarchical structure. Typically the line workers report to a supervisors, who reports to a manager, eventually leading all the way to the top executive running the company – CEO. This generally worked very well in the corporations that came out of industrial revolution.
With the rise of technology and start-ups this organization structure is being increasingly questioned. Many companies, such as Zappos, GitHub, and other start-ups are ditching this hierarchical organization structure in search of better way of working that will enable collaboration and innovation that is at the heart of these companies. Below we describe several options that have sprung up in recent times. Not all of them may be suitable everyone. You should consider the pros and cons of each and find the one that is most appropriate that will help you achieve your goal.
Employee benefits can be double edged sword. On one hand, it costs businesses lot of money, but on the other hand they can generate loyalty and improve employee performance. The key to succeeding at this is making sure you implement properly and generate good return on investment. Tuition reimbursement is one such benefit that can help businesses of all types attract good employees and retain them eventually helping businesses grow. Granted, it costs significant money to implement tuition reimbursement program with the rising cost of college in the U.S., but if you manage it properly you can get significant tangible and intangible benefits from it.
