SmallBusinessNewz

What Do You Know About Workers' Comp?

Do you understand your workers' compensation insurance coverage? If you don't, you're not alone. A recent survey conducted by EMPLOYERS found that 14% of small business owners and executives don't even know who their insurer is. They're spending money on the coverage without understanding how it works. For example, what they get for their premium payments, or why they continue coverage with a particular carrier.

Online Job Ads Growing Scarce

If you've got as many employees as you want, it seems like you're in line with a lot of other companies.  Online job ads are down significantly from the level they attained this time last year.

Your Business and Taking Advantage of the Great Outdoors

Well, here it is, the beginning of May. It's about time we start seeing more consistently warm weather, as the summer gets closer. I talked yesterday about preparing for Mother's Day, which is getting really close, but you really need to be planning for the summer, particularly if you are a brick and mortar store.

Qualified Workers Still Not Beating Down Doors

From a business owner's perspective, one of the few good things about a recession might be the job market; imagine all the excellent employees who find themselves in need of work.  Interestingly, though, it seems this effect has yet to materialize.

Travel Policies Not A Bad Idea

After taking my first business trip, I wrote down all the hours I thought I'd worked and turned in my timesheet.  About 20 minutes later, my boss brought the timesheet back and told me to put in for more pay.  This was quite nice, but things can also go in the other direction, and so small businesses may want to create travel policies.

Tax Compliance Big Burden To Small Business

The expense alone of complying with tax regulations and the paperwork required may cost more than $1,300 per employee per year.

Preserving A Healthy Workplace

At a small business, every employee's presence (or absence) makes a difference.  Still, work becomes pretty inefficient, anyway, when people leave their desks every five minutes to blow their noses, or worse yet, vomit, so consider placing an emphasis on health.

Private Sector Employment Went Up In March

Small businesses seem to have saved the day (or month) in March, according to new employment data.  ADP found that a full 55,000 people got new jobs thanks to companies with fewer than 50 employees. Granted, the goods-producing small business sector didn't help the economy much; 8,000 jobs were lost here.  The service sector went into (figurative) overtime, though, adding 63,000 positions.

Making The Best Meetings

If, at your small business, "meetings" only involve internal discussions between you and yourself, go ahead and skip this article.  But people with at least a few employees might want to think about where to hold meetings, and how many folks they should include.

Think Through (And Write Out) Your Company's Workflow

Care to multiply two three-digit numbers in your head?  Yeah, not at all doable for most people.  But it's no big deal when using paper, and simplifying your company's workflow may be much easier when it's written out, as well.