Small Business

How Many Sick Days Should Employees Receive?

Many new small business owners are unsure of how many paid sick days to offer their employees. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of paid sick days is often related with the number of years of service at a job. For workers in private industry, the average sick days given are: 7 sick days each year if workers have 1 to 5 years of service 8...

3 Mistakes to Avoid when Starting a New Business

Don’t fall prey to these common pitfalls for startups. When getting your startup off the ground, several steps should be taken and others should be avoided. Each year, thousands of businesses shut down for various different reasons. Some of these doors are closed as the result of one or more big mistake. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to know which mistakes are the big ones to avoid...

Three Payroll Mistakes to Avoid as an Employer

Watch out for these common payroll mishaps that will cost you! Paying employees properly can be difficult. Whether it is underpayment, overpayment, or payments that are delivered late, payment mistakes can cost you as an employer. The following are three of the most common payment mistakes that employers make that you should be watchful for. Not Staying Up to Date with Legislation Employment legislation laws change from time to...

Overtime Pay: What You May be Missing

Many employers (especially those just starting out) have a hard time seeing through the murky waters of overtime pay and how it should be addressed legally speaking. Many employers get tripped up by confusing work week hours with pay period hours. Overtime for non-exempt hourly employees needs to be calculated on a 7-day time period, regardless of how often your employees are paid. For example, if an employee who...

How Much Health Insurance Should A Small Business Offer?

These three questions will help you determine the right solution for your small business. Today, state and federal mandates exist regarding offering health insurance to employees. But how much health insurance is enough for a small business? After salaries, health insurance is one of the most expensive expenditures a small business has to make. It can be difficult calculating how much is enough and there is not a one-size-fits-all...

5 Ways Outsourcing and Automation Can Improve Your Business

Are You Prepared to Compete in the 21st Century? Efficiency and specialization are the names of the game in the 21st-century economy, and outsourcing and automation are two of the biggest driving forces behind this revolution. Is your company taking advantage of its biggest opportunities for improvement? Here are 5 outsourcing and automation methods most organizations could be benefiting from. 1. Customer support. Offering personal support is crucial — which...

The 3 Most Common HR Mistakes

And How to Avoid Committing Them Yourself Leading a professional team in a way that is conducive to productivity and legally compliant can be more challenging than it sounds. Here are three frequent pitfalls that you should keep in mind: #1: Not Documenting Performance of Existing Employees. Even in a small company where you know every employee personally, conducting formal performance reviews on a consistent basis is very important....

5 Ways to Simplify Your Small Business Payroll

Eliminate payroll headaches with these tips. Small business owners sometimes struggle with their employees’ payroll. Getting payroll figures worked out and delivering paychecks each pay period is important for your business. Payroll processing is often complex and time consuming for small businesses. To make it less difficult to manage, we have created a few steps to simplify the process. 1. Simplify your policy. Take time to look over your...