Small Business Toolbox

A library of business management info


Wellness
  • Six Ways to Protect Your Employees From Stress
    06/24/2008
    Everyone has a stressful day from time to time. But in today's economy with the gas prices we're facing, it's vital for small business management to detect the added stress on employees. Employees are the most valuable assets of every small company, and maintaining their wellbeing is crucial for the maintenance of ongoing success.
  • Is Your Computer Keyboard Making You Sick?
    06/16/2008
    If you pay too much attention to all the TV commercials for antibacterial soaps, wipes, lotions and sprays, it can be difficult not to feel paranoid about all the germs out there that can get you. Now there's a new threat, or at least a newly publicized threat, to worry about.
  • New OSHA Rule Takes Effect
    04/18/2008
    Under a new OSHA rule that will take effect May 15, businesses will be responsible for providing most required personal protective equipment at no cost to their employees. At NFIB's urging, OSHA has excluded several common items from this requirement, however.
  • Tips for Staying Healthy While Traveling
    04/04/2008
    Whether you're gone for a day or a week, traveling for business can wreak havoc on your schedule--and your body. Staying healthy while you're on the road is important for both your physical and mental health, so keep the following tips in mind.
  • Small Business Owner's Guide to a Good Night's Sleep
    03/27/2008
    Everyone knows the value of a good night's sleep, but for small business owners it's especially important. Failing to get a full night's rest can make you short with employees and forgetful of your many daily tasks. Yet the small business owner's constant busy schedule sometimes makes it difficult to cultivate the habits that help sleep follow when your head hits the pillow. Read on for some practical ways to improve your sleeping habits and feel better the next day.
  • Promoting Healthy Habits Among Employees
    01/17/2008
    The unhealthy habits of many workers cost employers significant amounts of money. Many of the costs related to employee behavior are hidden so they don't often receive a great deal of attention. However, studies have shown that the cost to organizations of poor employee health habits and excessive work pressure amounts to at least $3,000 per employee per year.
  • Drive Responsibly This Thanksgiving (And Every Trip, Every Time)
    11/21/2007
    The Thanksgiving holiday is the busiest time of the year for family travel. AAA expects 31.2 million Americans to drive more than 50 miles for their Thanksgiving feast. That's up 1.3 percent from last year.
  • Healthy Holiday Habits Start Now
    11/02/2007
    Entrepreneurs are used to working long hours and occasionally ignoring their health, all for the sake of making their small business a success. With the holiday season quickly approaching and leftover Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies and Christmas goodies all racing through our heads, now is the time to establish healthy holiday habits that will make your New Year's resolutions last well beyond the first slice of pumpkin pie.
  • Getting a Head Start on Your Day
    07/05/2007
    Getting up and getting started in the morning can be a real drag, right? Especially the day after a holiday from work. Early mornings can be a drag. But if you plan your mornings right, you can use those early hours to get a head start on the rest of your day.
  • Ten Ways to Build a Healthy Workplace
    05/02/2007
    Face it: The healthier your employees are, the fewer absences you'll have, and the more productive your people will be. But what can you do to keep employees healthy? The answer: Plenty. By fostering a healthy workplace, you'll help your people live better lives and strengthen your own business.
  • Helping Employees Handle Grief
    04/19/2007
    When tragedy strikes a member of your staff, small-business owners often find themselves in an especially challenging predicament. Given the family atmosphere that characterizes most small businesses, any trauma to one employee is likely to be felt by all, and this must be acknowledged and handled with sensitivity. But on the other hand, there's still work to be done.
  • Five Steps to a Germ-Free Office
    04/05/2007
    Take a look at the desk you're sitting at. Maybe there's a coffee stain here or there, but other than that, it looks clean enough to eat off, right? Not hardly.
  • Overcoming Anxiety and Maintaining Wellness: A Necessity for Entrepreneurs
    03/26/2007
    Entrepreneurs as a group have a high potential for stress- and anxiety-related physical and mental difficulties. Starting a business and making the kinds of breakthrough required for growing it to profitability usually involves a number of interrelated stressful situations, any one of which has the potential to lead to stress-induced health or mental concerns.
  • When Safety Is Your Business
    02/06/2007
    An Arizona-based fire safety company has discovered the benefits of being drug-free and is taking steps to encourage other small businesses to follow suit.
  • Staying Fit While Working at Your Desk
    01/12/2007
    Working a desk job can be hazardous to your health. Not only do you tend to gain weight and lose muscle tone from lack of movement and exercise, but you can also develop headaches as neck and back muscles tighten while you read or work at a computer.
  • Avoiding Back Injuries
    11/08/2006
    When moving or lifting heavy objects, the key is to lift with your head, not with your back. In other words, before moving or lifting any object of weight, evaluate the situation; think. Determine if there are other options, such as sharing the load with others or even dismantling a package to carry the contents piece by piece. Don't automatically bend over and lift something without using your head first.
  • Drug-Free Work Week Offers Opportunity to Promote Safe, Healthy Workplaces
    10/13/2006
    America's businesses have a strong influence on societal norms, attitudes and behavior and can play a powerful role in promoting positive change in their communities. This is especially true for the nation's small businesses, which are often an integral part of their communities' social fabric.
  • The (Not So) Great Outdoors: Avoiding Snakes, Insects and Rodents While Working Outside
    08/04/2006
    The scorching heat has been a nuisance––and a danger––this summer but, unfortunately, it's not the only risk faced by those who work outside. Snakes, rodents and insects pose a threat to those in industries whose work puts employees outdoors the majority of the time, including those in construction, landscaping, farming, utility and wildlife industries. It's important for you to educate your employees of these potential hazards, and what they can do to avoid and treat injuries should they occur.
  • The Benefits of Carpooling
    05/23/2006
    Why should anyone carpool? Any one of several reasons might convince you to share your ride and encourage others to do the same.
  • Helping Small Businesses Benefit From Being Drug-Free
    05/01/2006
    Workplace drug and alcohol abuse compromises the ability of any business, especially a small business, to be profitable, productive and safe. More than three-quarters of individuals who use illicit drugs are employed, and when they arrive for work, they don’t leave their problems at home. Some of the costs—increased accidents, absences and errors—are obvious. Other costs like low employee morale are less obvious, but their effects are equally harmful.
  • Your Health and Your Business: Is There a Connection?
    04/17/2006
    The connection between the mind and the body has long been apparent; the connection between your health and the success or demise of your small business is also apparent yet seldom discussed. Business owners frequently push themselves to the brink on all fronts to make their business a success. Sometimes, the pressure and stress of running a business affects both the physical and mental health of business owners.
  • 10 Reasons to Implement a Drug-Free Workplace Policy
    03/17/2006
    Most drug users are employed, and when they arrive for work, they don’t leave their problems at the door. Some costs—increased absences, accidents and errors—are obvious. Others, such as low morale and high illness rates, are less so, but their effects may be equally harmful.
  • Juggling Your Schedule as a Business Owner and Student
    02/22/2006
    Having trouble being a student and business owner at the same time? Here are a few tips to help you keep a sense of balance.
  • Dos and Don’ts of Travel Safety
    10/04/2005
    A heightened awareness of the possible risks and attention to a few commonsense precautions can help you avoid becoming a helpless victim while travelling.
  • Wellness Programs Keep Health-Care Costs Down, Raise Morale
    07/12/2005
    Wellness programs in the workplace offer an excellent way to keep health-care costs down while also bringing morale up.
  • Preventing Employee Burnout Can Save Your Business's Productivity
    01/11/2005
    One of the main causes of burnout is the negative stress that often accompanies the feeling of being overworked. It manifests itself as a feeling of listlessness, sluggishness and disinterest in work that can lead employees to be less productive or even to look for a new job.
  • Healthy Employees Make for Healthy Businesses During Flu Season
    12/06/2004
    With the current shortages and restrictions on flu shots, your employees probably aren't as well protected this winter and a flu epidemic can be seriously distressing for any employer. The last thing you need is for all your employees to be home sick during the holiday season!
  • Prepare for Stress
    07/19/2004
    Starting and building your first company can come with increasing amounts of stress. The stress level will be directly related to many aspects of your life -- personal relationships, your marriage, your spouse's comfort level with you leaving the corporate world, starting a business or pulling money out of your savings that was intended to be a nest egg for home remodeling.
  • Running a Healthy Office
    06/18/2004
    You might think that the health habits of your employees are not of concern to you. Think again. While it’s wise to avoid interfering with your staffs’ personal lives, as their employer, their health is your business.
  • Tips for Reducing Eye Strain
    06/10/2004
    Do your eyes get tired at work, or when you're driving home? These are common signs of eye strain, and with some simple habits and easy modifications of your work environment, you can make your daily work much easier on your eyes.
  • Tips for Reducing Eyestrain
    05/04/2004
    As your workday weaves its way toward afternoon and early evening, do your eyes invariably get red, itchy or sore?
  • Office Exercises Keep Energy Flowing
    07/18/2003
    Constant immobility can lead to health problems such as poor circulation, weight gain and muscle cramps, but there are easy exercises that can be performed that can lessen the effects and help prevent desk-related ailments.
  • Seven Steps to Avoid Feeling Isolated When Working for Yourself
    04/03/2002
    This Workshop gives seven tips for avoiding a feeling of isolation.
  • Reducing Fatigue When Self-Employed and Working at Home
    04/03/2002
    Perhaps you assumed that jumping from the corporate world to self-employment would allow more down time, reducing fatigue and stress.
  • Balancing the Work/Life Equation
    04/03/2002
    Is the struggle with work/life conflicts more or less stressful than it was a generation ago?
  • Burned Up About Burnout?
    03/28/2002
    A common workplace malady that saps an employee's job satisfaction is burnout.
  • Make Sure to Follow Ergonomics Guidelines Yourself
    03/28/2002
    While you may strive to follow OSHA guidelines in your business, you might not have considered implementing them in your personal work habits.
  • Tips on Overcoming Work-Related Insomnia
    03/28/2002
    The responsibility of owning your own business can be taxing and stress-producing. Far too often, the result is insomnia. Today's Workshop shares tips for getting the sleep you need.
  • Signs of Becoming a Workaholic
    03/25/2002
    Owners of small businesses and home-based businesses are particularly prone to overwork.