Small Business Toolbox

A library of business management info


Workplace Policies
  • Starting a Book Club at Work
    11/10/2008
    Book clubs are a great way for book lovers to turn reading into a less solitary pursuit, as well as a good opportunity for friends to socialize every month. Starting a book club for your employees might be a way for you to relax with them in an informal setting, and could even strengthen employee relationships. If you're interested in forming a work-related book club, here are a few tips for getting it off to a good start.
  • Third Annual Drug-Free Work Week Slated for Oct. 20–26
    10/20/2008
    A drug-free workplace is a vital component of a safe workplace. From October 20–26, the U.S. Department of Labor will stage its annual Drug-Free Work Week, dedicated to communicating the importance of working drug-free in positive, proactive ways. Drug-Free Work Week is also intended to encourage workers with alcohol and drug problems to seek help.
  • Three Tips for Managing Virtual Employees
    10/15/2008
    While having an interpersonal relationship with an employee you rarely see—or possibly have never met—may be challenging, it's becoming common in today's business world. The move to a well-connected business world has brought employers freedom in whom they can hire. In some cases the best person for the job may reside in another state, or even a different country. Here are a few management practices for dealing with your virtual employees.
  • Planning Your Next Company Event
    10/08/2008
    The weather is cooling off and December is just around the corner—and you know what that means: It’s time to start planning an end-of-the-year party for your employees. Whether you are planning an office pizza party or a companywide annual event, there are certain factors that should be kept in mind as you start planning.
  • Drive Safely Work Week: Take the High Road
    10/06/2008
    Sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, Drive Safely Work Week is a nationally observed campaign designed to help employers emphasize the importance of driving safely both on and off the job to reduce preventable crashes. This year's campaign theme--Take the High Road; Share the Road. It Belongs to Everyone--addresses the special needs and considerations of vulnerable roadway users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, truck drivers, and senior and teen drivers.
  • Eight Fringe Benefits to Offer Your Employees
    09/17/2008
    Some fringe benefits--such as paid parking, retirement accounts or paid vacation--are considered standard in today's work environment. And there are others, like the availability of the company jet, that seem like they only belong in the movies.
  • Seven Guidelines for Successful Delegation
    09/11/2008
    As a manager, it's in your best interest to remember that when you do something an employee could do, you do it at the expense of work that only you can do. Also, the non-delegating manager is hurting employees by failing to give them the opportunity to learn and grow and to inject some variety into their work. Employees who spend much of their time doing repetitive or unskilled work often have untapped abilities that could be put to good use.
  • Reducing the Fraught in Firing
    09/03/2008
    Firing someone is never easy, or at least it shouldn't be. In fact, according to small business consultant Annette Fazio, it's probably not something you'd ever want to get completely comfortable with, especially when you consider everything that could go wrong in the process. The problem is that people are unpredictable, which can make for some interesting, and sometimes frightening, reactions.
  • How to Build Employee Relations Year Round
    08/25/2008
    Looking for creative ways to build good relations among your team? Here are a few fun, easy ways to build employee relations year round.
  • The Manager's Responsibility for Cost Control
    08/18/2008
    Most managers have too much on their minds to devote attention to controlling the cost of their products. After all, managers have to worry about meeting schedules and deadlines, getting the work out, keeping customers happy, and dealing with problem employees and employee problems. Virtually every move a manager makes has a resulting effect on the cost of operations. Cost implications may not be obvious at all times, but they're always there. Therefore, it's in the realm of cost control that the individual manager can make some of the most valuable and recognizable contributions to the success of the business.
  • Hiring Part I: Conducting Background Checks
    08/15/2008
    This column is the first in a two-part series on the hiring process. This month we'll discuss background checks, and next month's column will cover reference checks. Both background checks and reference checks can be critical components in the hiring process.

    When it comes to background checks, employers should be aware of the reasons for performing a background check, what basic information to request and what legal boundaries exist to protect an employee's privacy.
  • Project a Unified Message: Handle Company Matters Out of Customer Earshot
    08/11/2008
    Not long ago I viewed a very unpleasant incident in a local retail store. As I was working with a sales associate to set up details of the service I was ordering, a manager interrupted us. The conversation between the manager and the associate escalated into an argument. Apparently, the associate helping me was supposed to have gone on lunch break about the time I walked in. This seemingly minor infraction—which was, after all, only the result of good customer service—resulted in a visibly shaken sales associate helping me with my order after the manager left.
  • Developing an Internship Program Is a Win-Win for All
    07/28/2008
    All small business owners can benefit from cutting costs, but successful businesses also need enough employees on staff to satisfy the needs of customers and make sure the operation's day-to-day needs are met. If your small business is near a college or university, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone by developing an internship program that provides top-rate talent for a discounted price.
  • How to Manage Employee Productivity
    07/21/2008
    How does a manager turn an employee's poor performance into satisfactory performance? Are threats of disciplinary action called for? Given that a particular employee received the same orientation as others, who's responsible for this person's failure to perform to expectations?
  • Organizing and Monitoring Telecommuting Employees
    07/11/2008
    In the coming months and years, the skyrocketing price of gas will encourage more and more small businesses to set up telecommuting programs for employees. When employees can work effectively from home and contribute to the overall profitability of the company, everyone benefits. The employees reduce gas costs, the company saves on utility costs and reduced need for office space, and reduced fuel emissions benefit the environment. Plus, when employees work from home, eliminating commutes to the office enables the company to keep up with the rising cost of gas without increasing salaries.
  • How to Prevent Employee Theft
    07/07/2008
    It's an unfortunate fact that some employees steal from their employers. When we consider employee theft we're inclined to think first about taking supplies, equipment or cash. Slower to come to mind are other forms of theft, such as late arrivals, early departures, extended lunch periods or performing personal business on work time. Whether it's pocketing paperclips and pens, padding an expense account, stealing time or embezzling millions, it's all theft.
  • Family and Medical Leave Act Expanded for Military Families
    07/02/2008
    The recently expanded Family and Medical Leave Act provides two new types of military FMLA leave: Qualifying exigency leave and service member family leave.
  • The Manager's Role in Controlling Unemployment Costs
    06/27/2008
    Unemployment compensation insurance is a statutory benefit; every employer is required by law to participate in its state's unemployment insurance program. Although differences exist throughout the country, employers are generally subject to experience rating in that they are taxed according to their claims history. So the more a company's claims can be kept under control, the less the company will pay out in premiums. (In some states there are exceptions for nonprofit organizations that are required to pay on a dollar-for-dollar basis, paying actual costs as incurred.)
  • 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.
  • Controlling the Grapevine
    06/18/2008
    What is commonly known as "the grapevine" could be described more accurately as the communications network of an organization. Everyone in the company has a number of informal channels of communication. Informal relationships with friends, acquaintances and other employees with whom you might not have direct working relationships define the informal organization. Just as in the formal organization, in the informal organization there are those who lead and those who follow.
  • My Space: Creating Happier, More Productive Office Spaces
    06/05/2008
    It's become such common knowledge that it's almost cliché to say it: We spend most of our time at work. Everyone knows this, yet there are many employers who give scant thought as to the conditions of our home away from home. This is an unfortunate oversight because the appearance, comfort, cleanliness and security—or lack thereof—of a physical work environment exert a huge impact on retention, productivity and overall employee satisfaction, explains Philip Blumberg, chair and CEO of Blumberg Capital Partners, a commercial real estate firm, with offices in Miami, Houston and New York. Extrapolating from this, it's relatively safe to say that work conditions can also wield a sizable, if indirect, impact on a company's profitability.
  • Dress Codes Do's and Don'ts
    05/16/2008
    Ah, summer time. Think warm sunny days, family vacations at the beach and comfy casual clothes. Unfortunately, the warm days of summer can wreak havoc on your company's dress code. Ensuring that employees are appropriately attired can be tricky enough, without throwing today's casual wear of tanks tops and flip-flops into the mix.
  • Diversity in the Workplace
    04/30/2008
    Just imagine a workplace where everyone comes from the same background, speaks the same language, and has similar habits, behaviors and values. Such a clone-like environment would prove deadly to any small business, since diversity is essential for innovation, creativity and energy. Fortunately, today's workforce is more diverse than ever, and consequently, so are the opportunities for conflict among employees because of these differences.
  • Protect Your Business Against Discrimination Claims
    04/28/2008
    Discrimination lawsuits are costly and time consuming. Hiring, termination, promotions, raises, job assignments and working conditions (including harassment) can all implicate discrimination laws. To avoid litigation you'll need to establish clear policies on hiring, working conditions and terminations.
  • Integrating a New Employee into Your Business
    04/21/2008
    Unlike large corporations where employees come and go all the time, small businesses can be affected more significantly by new staff. For you and your employees, gaining a new team member can feel like inviting a stranger to sit at the family dinner table. Here are some tips to help you and your employees welcome your new hire into the fold.
  • 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.
  • Fraud and the Small Business
    04/09/2008
    According to the 2006 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, "The median [fraud] loss suffered by organizations with fewer than 100 employees was $190,000 per scheme…higher than the median loss in even the largest organizations. Small businesses continue to suffer disproportionate fraud losses."
  • Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce
    04/07/2008
    Each generation comes with its own set of values, needs, attitudes and different expectations on communication styles and job requirements. The 35 and under tech-savvy generation feels less loyalty to a particular organization than Baby Boomers or those of the Silent Generation (62 and older); but they are also hungry for responsibility and flourish in environments where they can network and exchange ideas.
  • Polygraph Testing and Employee Privacy
    03/25/2008
    There should be no argument with the contention that an employer has the right to ensure a workplace that's free from substance abuse, employee theft and general dishonesty. For years, a number of employers exercised this right in the form of employee polygraph testing. In fact, some businesses in which employees consistently handled cash and merchandise, such as retails stores or restaurants, subjected employees to random polygraph tests as a normal business practice.
  • Break Room Necessities
    03/19/2008
    A well-stocked and comfortable break room benefits both you and your employees. Employees will see that you take their comfort into consideration and you'll gain a more productive staff if they aren't constantly running out for coffee. Even if your employees aren't big on taking time outs, you should encourage them to get up from their desk every so often. A 10-minute coffee break can do wonders to increase concentration and productivity.
  • Get off the Credit Card Come-on Lists
    03/07/2008
    It always pays to read the fine print, and this is especially true when it comes to the hundreds of unwanted credit card offers you find in your mailbox each year. There is probably not a day that passes that you don't get at least one junk mail enticement to sign up for a credit card for which you've been "pre-approved." Between airlines, hotels, associations and the credit card companies themselves, billions of credit card offers are sent out every year.
  • United We Stand, Divided We Fall
    03/03/2008
    The advantages of having people work together as teams still remain a critical element in building a positive work environment and high job satisfaction. In a rapidly changing world that values technology, speed and flexibility, teamwork unites individual efforts and is key for success, innovation and creativity.
  • Happy Hour Dos and Don'ts
    02/29/2008
    Inviting your employees out to an occasional happy hour can be a great way to boost morale and unwind at the end of the work day, but it's also a situation with some potential pitfalls. Here are some tips on how to do it right.
  • Jury Duty 101: Your Requirements as a Small Business Owner
    02/15/2008
    There's no denying that jury duty presents challenges to both employers and employees. Thousands of Americans serve on juries every week and each one has family, employers and co-workers who are affected by their jury service. But jury service, like the right to vote, is one of those civic obligations that employers must allow and by virtue of some state laws is actually encouraged.
  • Keeping Employees Accountable
    02/06/2008
    If your small business employs more than one person, you depend on teamwork to get the job done. In fact, if one person doesn't pull his or her share of the weight, the entire team could fail. For that reason, it is imperative that employees be held accountable for their actions. Here are ways to make sure that accountability comes from the very top.
  • Dealing With Romantic Involvements in Your Small Business
    02/01/2008
    Many romantic involvements, including long-lasting relationships and short-lived romances, begin on the job. It's mostly at work that people meet other people. Sure, there are other places and opportunities for becoming acquainted with individuals of the opposite sex, but none that place people in close proximity to each other for anywhere near the length of time available on the job. Many solid, life-long marriage relationships have resulted from romances that began at work, but also many illicit affairs have likewise started with business friendships and relationships (surveys have shown that the majority of extramarital affairs start at work).
  • Establishing a New-Employee Orientation Program
    01/22/2008
    When you hire new employees in your small business, do you just throw them into their new position? If you do and leave them to their own devices to find supplies and wonder when their first paycheck will come, you might consider establishing a structured new-employee orientation program to set them in the right direction.
  • Preventing Violence with Workplace Weapons Policies
    01/18/2008
    Most employers are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. In keeping with the spirit and intent of this goal, many employers prohibit anyone—employees, contractors, vendors and visitors—from bringing firearms or other weapons onto company premises. The reason for these bans? Workplace safety and liability. If an employee is threatened or assaulted on the job, liability for injuries could fall on the employer. In fact, some insurance companies require workplace weapons policies before issuing coverage for employment claims.
  • 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.
  • RFID 101
    01/10/2008
    For many businesses, radio frequency identification (also known as RFID) represents the future for their operations, particularly asset tracking and inventory management. The major advantage of RFID technology is its' ability to count many items simultaneously and in real time.
  • Thriving With a Seasonal Business
    01/04/2008
    Entrepreneurs who operate seasonal businesses often contend with the dilemma of meeting the demands of what is typically a short season and the long challenge of sustaining the business after the season ends. With the Christmas holiday just behind us, many seasonal businesses generate more than a third of their annual revenue during the months of late October, November and December. Seasonal business owners must be creative, resourceful and savvy when it comes to generating revenue during the off-season.
  • Empowering Your Employees
    12/14/2007
    The term "empowerment" rose to prominence in the late 1980s and saw considerable use through the 1990s in conjunction with the total quality management (TQM) movement. Its use has been so widespread that the term itself has become a buzzword. We're told repeatedly that we must empower employees to enable them to make their best possible contributions to organizational success; we're told this as though it were something new, some late-twentieth-century discovery.
  • Embracing Different Holiday Customs in Your Workplace
    12/12/2007
    December is usually a flurry of festivities, with various holidays being celebrated around the country. It's fun to celebrate the season at the workplace, too, though it's important to be mindful of each employee's individual custom. Your employees may not all celebrate the same holiday—and some people might not celebrate any at all—and you don't want to offend or exclude any of them by assuming they do. To ensure you and your employees can all enjoy the holiday season together, keep the following tips in mind when planning your small business' celebrations.
  • Delegating Time Off for the Holidays
    12/05/2007
    While keeping track of employees' schedules and availability can be a challenge throughout the year, it can be downright nightmarish during the holiday season. How can you keep your business running smoothly when it seems all of your employees would rather be elsewhere? Here are a few suggestions to keep you and your employees happy during this busy time of year.
  • Goodbye to the Old-Fashioned Holiday Office Party
    11/29/2007
    'Tis the season to be jolly and to celebrate. Times have changed, however, and one form of celebration—the once-popular "office party"—is no longer the welcome event it once was. This refers, of course, to the holiday gathering limited to staff only, with plenty of eating and drinking (both soft and hard) and socializing among employees. Many holiday gatherings have been held without a single problem arising, but some "office parties" have caused situations leading to damaged careers and relationships and placing businesses and individuals at considerable legal risk.
  • Legal Liability: The Uninvited Guest at Company Holiday Parties
    11/27/2007
    The holiday season is a great time to show employees appreciation for all their hard work, and to be honest, they expect this. But as you’re planning this year’s bash, there are some things you need to keep in mind so your company doesn’t end up getting more than expected—like sexual harassment lawsuits, discrimination claims, workplace violence and the legal liability associated with the alcohol-fueled misbehavior on the part of employees.
  • Healthy Eating Through the Holidays
    11/15/2007
    The next two months will be a busy time in your small business. Year-end purchases and benefits reviews, budget revisions for the coming year, employee vacations and holiday festivities will keep you busy and on your toes. You need to stay on top of your game— and that means you need to stay healthy.
  • Show of Support
    11/09/2007
    November 11 took on storied meaning when the armistice ending World War I went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. In the words of President Wilson, November 11 has since been a day to reflect "with solemn pride on the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations …"
  • Empowering Employees
    11/07/2007
    Are your employees confident in their ability to do their jobs? Do they have the resources they need to do their work well? Or are they afraid of making mistakes and constantly trying to pass responsibility over to someone else? From superior customer service to a healthy bottom line, empowered employees will make your business stronger and more successful. The following tips will help you make sure your employees feel empowered.
  • 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.
  • Ten Ghastly Ghouls That Can Spook Any Small-Business Owner at Halloween (or Any Time of Year)
    10/31/2007
    Things that go clunk in the night. The sound of fingernails being scraped down a blackboard. Walking alone at midnight on an empty street and suddenly hearing footsteps behind you.
  • Get a Head Start on the Holidays
    10/22/2007
    Despite the fact that we haven't even made it past Halloween yet, Christmas and Hanukkah décor is already popping up everywhere. While it's still a bit early to start covering your lawn in plastic light-up Santas, it's the perfect time to start planning your company's holiday activities.
  • Promoting a Drug-Free Workplace
    10/19/2007
    National Drug-Free Work Week 2007 was held Oct. 14-20, and employers and workers across the nation were encouraged to participate. The purpose of Drug-Free Work Week is to highlight the fact that being drug free is key to protecting workplace safety and encouraging workers with alcohol and drug problems to seek help.
  • Methamphetamine in the Workplace: What You Should Know
    10/15/2007
    Methamphetamine is a dangerous, highly addictive drug that has emerged as a serious problem across the nation. A derivative of amphetamine, it is a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system.
  • NFIB Members Encouraged to Participate in Drug-Free Work Week
    10/12/2007
    Oct. 14-20 is National Drug-Free Work Week, and all members of NFIB are encouraged to participate. The purpose of the week is to highlight how being drug-free is key to workplace safety and health, and to encourage workers with alcohol and drug problems to seek help.
  • Retain Key Employees With a Job-Sharing Program
    10/08/2007
    Are lifestyle changes prompting one of your key employees to scale back job duties? One way to utilize part-time employees and still get the job done is to institute a job-sharing program. Not only are these programs ideal for employees who can't devote 40 hours a week to the workplace because of lifestyle demands such as parenting and health issues, but these programs can also cut down on the amount of money your small business spends each year on salaries, benefits and employee training.
  • Implementing Progressive Discipline
    10/03/2007
    Most supervisors hate doling out discipline. The situation becomes even more troublesome when employees perceive disciplinary action as unevenly applied or as punishment rather than correction. As a result, they may concentrate on not getting caught or retaliating rather than rectifying the problem.
  • Let Mystery Shoppers Put Your Employees to the Test
    10/01/2007
    If your employees interact with customers, you may want to utilize a mystery shopping service. Mystery shoppers pose as customers and actually evaluate employees to make sure they're doing their jobs efficiently. They then report those results to management.
  • The Evolution of Employee Relations
    09/27/2007
    From the time when work activity became organized and one person first directed the work of others, relations with employees have continually evolved through three overlapping but separately identifiable management philosophies. These philosophies represent periods of time, stages or phases that overlap considerably and coexist in varying degrees among contemporary organizations. These management philosophies governing employee relations can be described as authoritarian, legalistic and humanistic.
  • Performance Review Timing: All at Once or Anniversary Date?
    09/17/2007
    Evaluation of employee performance has frequently been likened to budget preparation in that both are annual tasks that seem to come around far more frequently than once per year. Some managers' discomfort with performance review and budgeting is probably owing to two causes: these activities aren't encountered often enough for managers to become completely comfortable with them, and arising periodically as they do these demands on managers are often seen as intrusions on their regular work routine.
  • Polite Behavior: You Can Bring It Back!
    09/11/2007
    You can't change the impolite behavior of the world. But by practicing a few simple habits yourself, you can often change the behavior of the people around you—and dramatically improve the civility of your small business.
  • Taking Suggestions From Employees
    09/10/2007
    You're a savvy small-business owner with smarts, drive and determination, and you surround yourself with employees who possess those same qualities. So instead of always being the one to tell them what to do, why don't you consider opening up the floor to suggestions from them?
  • Avoiding the 10 Most Common Safety Standard Violations
    09/07/2007
    Safety in the workplace is serious business. So is keeping up with all of the rules and regulations put in place to protect workers and the environment. Avoiding violations of those rules and standards takes time and effort, but it can pay dividends in the form of a safer work environment, avoided penalties and good publicity. Here are the top 10 most commonly violated workplace safety standards for companies with 99 or fewer employees, based on the latest OSHA statistics (October 2005 through September 2006).
  • Twenty Ways to Motivate Yourself
    09/05/2007
    You've probably learned how to motivate your small-business employees and other people in your work and personal life. But sometimes, the one who may need the most motivation is you.
  • Staying Productive at the Keyboard
    09/04/2007
    At first glance, PCs may seem like the ultimate productivity enhancer. They let you plan and budget far more effectively than a calculator or table. They make it possible to keep track of people and things far more easily than a roster or list. They help you communicate far more efficiently than a typewriter or telephone. They can tap far more research sources than the largest collection of periodicals or books. And they make training far more compelling than words and pictures on paper.
  • What Motivates Workers? Look to What Motivates You
    08/31/2007
    It's no secret that employee motivation is a constant concern of many managers. In considering what might motivate their employees to perform willingly and productively, some managers have assumed, usually erroneously, that the people who work for them are motivated primarily by economic motives, that is, by pay and benefits, while they themselves -- the managers -- are motivated mostly by needs of a higher order such as job satisfaction and a sense of achievement.
  • Saying No to Employees, Tactfully
    08/24/2007
    As an employer, you will face times when you'll have to say no to employees, whether you have to deny a raise request or an employee's desire to take a particular week off for vacation. The way you say no, however, can make all the difference in whether an employee stays motivated or ends up looking for another job.
  • Keep Cool and Save Money in Your Small Business
    08/21/2007
    This summer has been a scorcher, and with rising temperatures come rising electric bills. While your first instinct might be to crank the AC down as far as it will go, there are more cost-effective measures you can take to keep your small business cool--and your utility budget intact.
  • The Pros and Cons of Exit Interviews
    08/16/2007
    "Exit interviews are for bad managers," declares Penelope Trunk, a business consultant and columnist with the Boston Globe and Yahoo! Finance. "They're totally outdated. If they (the business owner or manager) cared what the person leaving had to say, they would have asked them before they left."
  • Saving a Disliked Employee
    08/06/2007
    When an important member of your staff doesn't get along with coworkers, all of the talents that person brings to the job pale in comparison to the animosity he creates. This situation is common and can be disruptive for any size company, but it presents special concerns for small-business owners. They can't afford to lose a skilled employee or ignore the complaints of their unhappy staff who can't easily escape their irritating coworker.
  • Behavioral Interviewing
    07/24/2007
    Behavioral interviewing, actively promoted in management and human resources literature in recent years, is sometimes described as a "new style of interviewing" developed by industrial and organizational psychologists during the 1970s. The concept is growing in popularity and is seen in many quarters as generating a greater degree of reliability than so-called "ordinary" interviewing.
  • Putting Six Sigma Ideas to Work at Your Small Business
    07/18/2007
    Chances are you've heard about classes, seminars and Web sites devoted to the Six Sigma principle. Maybe you've even heard that it's a management tool used by companies like Motorola and General Electric. But you might not have heard a concise definition of exactly what Six Sigma is.
  • The ABCs of Surviving Change
    07/17/2007
    Change is rapid and, so often, bewildering, but with the right skills, you can survive it, learn to embrace it, even profit from it. Here are the ABCs of surviving change: 21 skills and ideas you can use to make change work for you.
  • For Smaller Firms, a 412(i) Retirement Plan Could be the Answer
    07/13/2007
    Retirement planning is one of the trickiest tasks a small-business owner faces. Your hands are already full ensuring your company thrives. Taking time from that to pick through the various pension possibilities is probably at the bottom of your to-do list.
  • A Common Sense Look at Productivity
    06/22/2007
    Productivity is a key indicator monitored by the Federal Reserve in making decisions concerning the control of inflation. Productivity keeps inflation under control by helping workers obtain earnings increases without necessitating price increases. A steady, gradual increase in productivity can help keep the economy from falling into recession, so gains in productivity are crucial to its long-term viability. Healthy productivity increases allow the economy to grow faster without triggering inflation.
  • Using Third-Party Advice to Motivate Employees
    06/18/2007
    Most small-business owners have little trouble implementing small changes in the way employees handle things. Suggestions or policy changes in day-to-day operations are usually implemented immediately. Employees, after all, are always eager to please the boss.
  • Finding the Best Summer Help
    06/15/2007
    Almost every industry has peak periods when some extra help around the office would be welcome. Fortunately, if that time of year is during the summer months, you may be able to forge a mutually beneficial relationship with some temporary help through either summer interns or teenage employees.
  • Bullying: Not Just a Schoolyard Problem
    06/11/2007
    When a preteen girl was suspended from school for bullying a classmate, her mother didn't let the punishment stop there. She not only took away the girl's cell phone and television time; she went a step further.
  • Preparing for the Summertime Storm Season
    06/08/2007
    For many, the arrival of summer means ice-cream cones, blockbuster movies and trips to the beach. But along with all the good things the season brings, it also carries with it the threat of damaging storms. And even if your small business isn't anywhere near a coast where a hurricane could cause harm, it doesn't hurt to prepare for other types of storms--and the destruction they can wreak.
  • Moonlighting as an Entrepreneur
    06/04/2007
    Do you have a full-time job, but dream of launching your own company? You do both; you can be an employee and an entrepreneur. The key is starting a business that you can run in the evenings and on weekends—a venture such as car detailing, pet sitting or selling products on eBay. A company that needs constant monitoring or that would demand your attention during your work hours will only leave you frustrated and possibly unemployed.
  • Compensating and Promoting Younger Family Members in a Family Business
    06/01/2007
    As anyone in a family business knows, the family dynamic of a business offers many benefits--and a few concerns. Two of the chief concerns that founding members of a family business often have are the adequate compensation and promotion of younger family members.
  • Rule of Law: What Not to Wear
    05/30/2007
    Picture this: It's your new receptionist's first day on the job. She dressed very professionally at her interview, but today she's wearing a tank top and a miniskirt. Not exactly the professional image you want greeting your clients, to say nothing of the distraction it will cause other employees. But other than applying to get your employee on one of those reality TV fashion makeover shows, is there anything you can do to improve both her image and your company's? The answer is yes--establish a dress code. While creating a dress code for the workplace can be tricky, the benefits of a consistently enforced policy outweigh the downsides.
  • Juggling the Work-Life Balance in a Small Business
    05/29/2007
    Work-life balance has become the new buzzword for companies seeking to create more employee-friendly work environments. Actually, to call it "new" is a bit of a misnomer; employers have been exploring this concept for several years, but lately the interest in establishing work-life policies has been accelerating as more companies jump on the bandwagon.
  • Keeping Your Telecommuting Employees Effective, Motivated and Part of the Team
    05/25/2007
    There's a wealth of information in books and on the Internet about techniques of managing telecommuting employees. Topics not often considered, however, are how to keep telecommuting employees motivated and feeling that they are part of the company team.
  • What "Getting Organized" Really Means
    05/22/2007
    Many business owners equate getting organized with having a clean desk, a vacuumed floor, lined up pencils and neat files. But what does getting organized really mean?
  • ADA Tax Breaks Help Small Businesses Stay Accessible
    05/18/2007
    You may have heard about the Americans With Disabilities Act and wondered how it might affect your business. Perhaps you've heard about predatory plaintiffs using the ADA to extort small businesses in "drive-by" lawsuits. Even if you haven't heard of the ADA, the reality is that you have obligations to make your small business accessible for the disabled. Instead of waiting for a lawsuit to hit you, why not take care of some accessibility issues ahead of time? Fortunately, Uncle Sam offers a variety of incentives to help you become ADA compliant, taking a proactive approach that won't break the bank.
  • Juggling Fun and Safety at Your Next Company Party
    05/16/2007
    According to Carol Nelson, an independent Ohio human resources consultant with more than 25 years of experience, you should take some precautions if you are hosting a party where alcohol is served. "Small-business owners need to consider risks and be sure they are covered for those risks," Nelson says.
  • The Pros and Cons of Employee Surveys
    05/15/2007
    The employee survey, sometimes referred to as an "attitude" or "opinion" survey, is one of several means owners have for stimulating upward communication. Some degree of structure is necessary for this formal channel of communication because you must prepare survey questions carefully and establish mechanisms for processing responses.
  • Five Ways to Go Green
    05/14/2007
    Going green is not only a feel-good proposition for small businesses, it may become a necessity in the coming years as fuel prices escalate and consumers (and even employees) become more green themselves--and want to do business (or work for) more environmentally conscious companies.
  • Take a Tip From Your Waiter
    05/11/2007
    The fundamental laws of business operate all around us whether we notice them or not. Sometimes the simplest transactions we’re involved in through the day can be instructive, showing us how to improve our own business operations.
  • Coping With Information Overload
    04/23/2007
    Every manager attracts information. The typical manager is constantly on the receiving end of information in various forms, including letters, memos, reports, publications, advertisements, telephone messages and e-mail messages. You name it, the manager receives it. The volume of information flowing to some managers borders on ridiculous, and the manager who tries to carefully go through everything may find there's little time left for anything else.
  • Protecting Employees' Social Security Numbers
    04/20/2007
    Identity theft is an ever-present danger to Americans across the country, since we all live in an increasingly digital world. This nightmare scenario requires, at the least, canceling accounts and repairing credit reports. Common sense counsels you to protect yourself by shredding bills and other documents before you throw anything away, but if you're a small-business owner, you must be equally as careful with employees' confidential information. Your employees' Social Security numbers are the penultimate example of information that must be kept under lock and key.
  • 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.
  • Prescription for Workaholism
    04/16/2007
    If there's one addiction rampant in workplaces today, it's workaholism. You know the symptoms: a constant mad rush to get more and more things done, perfectionism, irritability when things don't go right and a single-minded obsession with work-related issues.
  • Independent Contractor Versus Employee: Nailing Down the Distinction
    04/12/2007
    One of the thorniest problems employers handle is accurately making the distinction between independent contractors and employees. While the difference may be clear in your own mind, the Internal Revenue Service applies complex criteria to the question, so you should be certain that your independent contractors meet the IRS's test before treating them as contractors. Above all, seek outside legal advice when making the initial decision and throughout the employment/contractor relationship when circumstances change.
  • Wait a Minute or Two: Make Procrastination Work for You
    04/11/2007
    Procrastination ranks low on just about everyone's list of good business qualities. Yet, once in a while, procrastination may be the best course of action--and it may even lead to a better outcome than a task completed at fever pitch.
  • When Love Walks In the Office Door
    04/09/2007
    Romantic relationships between co-workers--or even superiors and subordinates--place any size company in jeopardy, but the risk can be especially acute for smaller business, says attorney Robin Bond, president and founder of Transition Strategies, LLC, a Wayne, Pa.-based employment law firm.
  • Encouraging Your Mission and Values in the Workplace
    04/06/2007
    If you're an established business, you probably have a mission statement written somewhere in your business plan. You may even have your mission statement emblazoned on the front of every employee handbook or framed in the lobby of your office. But when is the last time your employees actually talked about your company's mission statement?
  • 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.
  • Dress for Success
    04/04/2007
    A more casual style of dress has ruled businesses since the '90s dot-com boom, when Internet firms found that employees worked better in more relaxed clothing. Companies in other industries loosened up their dress codes, too, hoping for similar results. But with confusion over the term "business casual" causing workplace attire to spiral from dress shirts, trousers and sports coats for men and sweater sets and dress pants for women to T-shirts and shorts in some cases, many businesses are returning to stricter dress codes.
  • Business Forms You Can't Do Without
    03/27/2007
    You might joke about the mindless flurry of business forms that come your way each month, but make no mistake about it: Routine business forms are powerful management tools. Used properly, they can make a difference in the success of your small business.
  • Getting Everyone in Your Company on the Same Page
    03/20/2007
    The term "getting everyone on the same page" is bantered around quite a bit these days. But what does it really mean, and how can a company use the concept to unite and focus employees?
  • Medical Leave: Reconciling FMLA Leave With the ADA
    03/15/2007
    Many small-business owners have less than 50 employees, and therefore, are not subject to the federal Family Medical Leave Act. Nevertheless, there may be other laws besides the FMLA to be considered, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, before deciding to grant or deny requests for medical leave. To better understand the nuts and bolts of federal law, employers must break down the demands that arise from the intersection of the FMLA and the ADA, since both require a covered employee to be granted medical leave in certain circumstances.
  • Preparing for a Disaster
    03/06/2007
    If disaster strikes, will you be ready? Being prepared for a business disaster--whether it's a fire, a hurricane or a massive power outage--is just smart business. Besides helping you protect your employees and other company assets, having a disaster recovery plan in place before disaster strikes can also help reduce your downtime--meaning less lost revenue and a better bottom line.
  • Picture Perfect
    02/20/2007
    Job descriptions may be a hassle to write, but drafting a good one might be the most important things that you do for your company. That's because a good job description is more than just a static piece of paper to keep on file for auditing purposes or compliance with government requirements like the Americans With Disabilities Act.
  • Hiring a Business Coach
    02/19/2007
    If you're a small-business owner, you no doubt have felt you could benefit from some solid advice about running your company. You may have wanted advice about your management style, hiring employees or realistic feedback about a new direction you want your business to take. You may have considered a consultant, or even a business coach, to help you. But should you shell out your money to hire a business or executive coach to help you solve your problems?
  • Using Temporary Employees
    02/12/2007
    Flexible employment, or as it's referred to in some businesses, "non-traditional staffing and scheduling," has become increasingly popular as companies rely more on arrangements than full-time employment for covering certain needs. Economic uncertainties that cause fluctuating labor demands, intense competition and the need to hold operating costs down have made non-traditional means of filling labor needs more appealing.
  • Preparing Employees for Change
    02/07/2007
    Most people resist change to some extent, but some resist more or less than others. Most people are automatically in favor of change only when changing is their own idea; any other change will meet some resistance simply because it originated with someone other than those who are expected to implement it.
  • 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.
  • Cyberslang: Does it Have a Place in Your Small-Business Correspondence?
    02/02/2007
    I bet it wouldn't take you long to remember the last e-mail that you received with "LOL" or "IMHO" or even a :-) in the text. Maybe you even received one just this morning while sipping that coffee. Was it from a friend? A family member? Or was it from a business contact? If it was the latter, shame on them. They just used cyberslang.
  • Performance Standards: What They Are and How to Use Them
    01/31/2007
    Performance standards are the next step logically following a job description. A job description says what must be done; the performance standards then specify how much must be done and how well it must be done. Standards are expectations of employee performance, and they are measures against which that performance can be evaluated.
  • Reprimanding an Employee: Keeping It Positive
    01/29/2007
    The close-knit family feeling of many small businesses often makes it hard to reprimand an employee. There are times, however, when it's in the best interest of the business as a whole to do so. By keeping the reprimand as positive as possible, and by focusing on improvement of work and the employee's potentially greater value to the company, reprimands can also be in the best interest of the employee.
  • Customer Service 101: Enroll Today!
    01/18/2007
    Sitting at my desk today, I heard a co-worker hang up the phone and mutter, "Well, he had the personality of a potato." She simply called to ask about a hotel reservation she had recently made, and the so-called customer service representative on the other end of the line made her feel like she was interrupting his day. Out of the hundreds of hotels in town, she chose to spend her time at his business, giving him money. Wouldn't you think he could muster up some kindness and consideration? Or have common courtesy and good customer service become a thing of the past?
  • Secret to Successful Networking: Focus on the Other Person
    01/09/2007
    The terms "networking" or "schmoozing" more often than not conjure up images of blatant self-promotion at public events or functions. Trying to adhere to this concept can leave you stressed and ready to give up on the idea. However, if you go to an event with the intent of genuinely making the people you meet feel special, you'll go a long way to easing your own discomfort and furthering your goals.
  • Out With the Old, In With the New
    12/29/2006
    With the excitement of the holidays over, it can be difficult to motivate yourself and your employees once everyone returns to work and settles back into their regular routines. As the throngs of winter set in--along with the extra pounds you put on at Christmas--it's easy to feel sluggish and apathetic. But the reality is, what you do in your business this month will set the pace for the rest of the year. Take advantage of the spirit of optimism and renewal that the new year perpetuates and translate it into success for your business by doing some goal setting in your workplace. Encourage employees to pursue these professional objectives with the fervor that they bring to personal ones like losing weight, exercising or getting organized.
  • Employee Consideration Is Equal to Customer Consideration
    12/28/2006
    In 2004, a University of California at Santa Barbara survey of nearly 900 MBA graduates from 11 universities in North America and Europe determined that more than one-third were willing to sacrifice some financial benefits in order to work for a company whose employers were caring and ethical.
  • First Impressions: Making Good Ones With Your First Clients
    12/27/2006
    In a perfect world, your work would speak for itself. But like it or not, your clients won't be judging your output alone but also your appearance and attitude. These are especially important when you're first breaking into your field, so take a look at these tips to be sure you're making the best impression you can.
  • The Good and the Not-So-Good of Teams
    12/26/2006
    A businessman named B. Brewster Jennings claimed that humankind's "greatest discovery is teamwork by agreement." On the other hand, scholar C. Northcote Parkinson advanced the belief that "the amount of work accomplished by a committee is inversely proportional to the number of members." In other words, Brewster champions the collective power of a properly focused group, while Parkinson suggests that members of a working group get in each other's way so much that they hinder progress.
  • Creating a Retirement Plan to Attract and Retain Employees
    12/20/2006
    These days, employees want more than just a good salary. You can bet that even those fresh out of college or an MBA program are savvy enough to know that they can't rely on Social Security for retirement; they are looking for jobs that have perks that go beyond a good paycheck and health coverage.
  • Giving as a Group
    12/14/2006
    Holidays are a hectic time for small businesses as they're focused on wrapping up projects for the year while juggling the countless disruptions like parties and other pre-holiday distractions. But did you also know that the holidays can give your business the opportunity to build teamwork skills, attract better employees and improve your chances of holding onto the great employees you already have? Workplace volunteer programs, which are much more prevalent during the holidays, are a great way to accomplish these goals and more.
  • Office Holiday Party Checklist
    12/13/2006
    The office Christmas party can be a wonderful end-of-the-year event, but there are several issues you should consider (or reconsider if this is not your first party) to make sure that it goes off without a hitch.
  • Just Say Yes to Notaries
    12/07/2006
    A notary public is a person with a special commission from a state or county government that allows him or her to acknowledge the official witnessing of another person's signature on a document. According to Tim Reiniger, executive director of the National Notary Association, there are 4.5 million notaries in the United States. That figure does not include the millions of lawyers nationwide who by virtue of being an attorney are also vested with that authority. Each state maintains its own rules about whether attorneys are automatically notaries.
  • Ensuring Safe Holiday Office Cheer
    12/06/2006
    As the year draws to a close, and the holiday season fast approaches, employers can chase away any holiday fears and ensure a business full of happy holiday cheer by avoiding a few common legal pitfalls. By taking some simple precautions, employers can ring in the New Year without worrying about any post-holiday headaches (or lawsuits).
  • Take the Grinch Out of Holiday Scheduling
    12/05/2006
    Holiday scheduling--and having to balance the needs of your business with the needs of employees--can be your worst nightmare. Every worker, business owners included, wants time off during the holidays, but for some businesses, it's the busiest time of year. Retail businesses, for example, can stay busy right up until Christmas, accommodating last-minute shoppers looking for last-minute gifts. Most of them reopen their doors the day after Christmas to welcome the post-Christmas bargain hunters. For the owners of these businesses, the holidays are a time when they need their employees every day, and in many cases, are able to offer only Christmas as a holiday. If they're giving extra days off, they probably can't give an extra day to everyone, so how do they decide who gets it?
  • Business Tips on Holiday Gift-Giving
    12/04/2006
    As a business owner, you do a lot of entertaining throughout the year. But when the holidays roll around, this aspect of doing business has much more significance. Not only is celebrating the season with your employees and clients a nice way to share the holiday spirit, the goodwill also can boost worker morale and reinforce business relationships.
  • Four Steps to Solving Your Problem
    11/30/2006
    How many times have you sat through meetings only to walk away wondering if your team could resolve any of the problems it faced? The ability of a team to identify and resolve problems is a critical skill. Many teams never learn how to do this. Those who do always outshine their counterparts.
  • Micromanagement is Mismanagement
    11/27/2006
    Most people who have been in the workforce any length of time have occasionally been exposed to bosses who micromanage. The micromanager is the manager who must personally make every decision, take a lead role in the performance of every significant task and, in extreme cases, dictate every small step the workers take. To many employees the micromanager is, in modern parlance, a control freak.
  • E-mail Use and Abuse
    11/17/2006
    Communication in the workplace has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. Electronic communications like e-mail now exceed traditional communication media, such as phones, memos and meetings. While electronic communication provides many benefits, it has brought many headaches to business owners and managers. But protections are available for companies.
  • Employee Recognition: What, Why and How
    11/15/2006
    William James once said, "The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated." Perhaps "craving" is too strong a term to apply to everyone, since the need for appreciation is less in some than others, but just about everyone shares the desire to be appreciated. If this need is not fulfilled at least to an extent, dissatisfaction can creep in, and productivity will eventually suffer.
  • Getting the Most out of Developmental Programs for Your Business and Your Employees
    11/13/2006
    Raise your hand if you've ever been to a conference and walked away with nothing. Or maybe you walked away with some great ideas but forgot them by the time you got back to the office. Conferences and seminars can be an effective way to develop yourself and your employees, but you can't just show up and expect your business to reap the benefits immediately. It takes work.
  • 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.
  • Mastering Voicemail
    11/03/2006
    You know how it goes: Someone calls, and you can't get to the phone. Your voicemail picks up and takes a message. You check the message only to find out that the person on the other end has rattled off the phone number so quickly that you have to listen to it three times before finally digging through your e-mail inbox to find a phone number for them there. What a waste of time!
  • Time Off to Vote
    11/01/2006
    As good employers, you want your employees to be active in the community, and part of that activism involves voting. Activating employees as members of the small-business community can mean taking simple steps like making sure they are all registered to vote, encouraging them to vote and ensuring that they understand which candidates support your business and industry.
  • Keeping Tricksters Away
    10/31/2006
    Halloween is here, but youngsters dressed like ghouls, ghosts and goblins aren't the only unexpected visitors that could be showing up at your doorstep tonight. Teenage tricksters looking for a good prank to pull or unwelcome trespassers looking for trouble could be stopping by your business to damage or destroy property. Whether their mischief results in toilet papered trees, broken windows, graffiti or something worse, the damage they do can end up costing you too much--in money and peace of mind.
  • Turn Your Vehicle Into Your Office
    10/27/2006
    With the cost of doing business along with gas prices steadily rising, equipping your vehicle with some sort of office equipment to avoid shuttling back and forth to the office is a practical move.
  • Motivating Employees and Raising Morale in Your Workplace
    10/24/2006
    Ever wonder what you could do to boost the sagging morale of a group of workers? Or how you could help them become more motivated? Wrestling with these questions requires differentiating between morale and motivation and recognizing the factors that influence each.
  • This Mess is a Place: Get Out From Under the Clutter and Organize Your Desk
    10/19/2006
    As a small-business owner, you're probably so swamped that you might not even realize how messy your desk really is. While some people swear they can find whatever they're looking for under mounds of paperwork or office supplies, experts say organizing your work space increases productivity––and can decrease stress. Keeping a trash can and/or recycle bin at your side, follow these steps as a guide to cleaning up your desk.
  • Empowering Employees: Bringing Out the Magic in Your Staff
    10/17/2006
    "Empowerment" is one of the hottest buzzwords in business these days. You hear the term everywhere. Virtually any business leader would agree that empowerment is a good thing, but when you get right down to it, what does empowerment really mean? And more importantly, how does a leader or manager actually empower people on a day-to-day basis?
  • Economize, Economize: Every Dollar Saved Falls to the Bottom Line
    10/16/2006
    There is one business axiom that is almost always true: Every extra dollar you make costs something. This cost may be in the form of added or more expensive advertising, increased salaries, added production costs, costs of higher quality materials, etc. Often, the cost of increasing total revenue can be calculated very accurately over time. For instance, direct-mail companies know that for their specific types of business, the average cost of adding a dollar to revenue may be 85 or 90 cents or more.
  • 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.
  • Dieting From 9 to 5: Tips to Keep From Tipping the Scales at Work
    10/10/2006
    Last Monday, your assistant brought doughnuts in on her way to work. Yesterday, the wife of one of your employees brought fresh brownies in to celebrate his birthday. And today, a client sent over a huge box of chocolates to thank you for a great job on a recently completed project. Is it any wonder you've had to loosen your belt, literally, over the past few weeks?
  • Checklist for Disaster Preparedness
    10/05/2006
    Disasters come in many forms––hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, severe rain or hail, windstorms, fires, earthquakes and others. They may be mild or severe, causing damage to property and danger to health and life. But they all have one thing in common: The risks they pose can be prepared for only in advance. From the moment that a disaster strikes, one can only hope that comprehensive steps for preparedness were taken.
  • Preparing a First-Aid Kit for Your Small Business
    10/04/2006
    A small business does not have the space or money to be as well-equipped as a hospital if a small accident, headache or illness arises. Some types of injuries like burns or a simple paper cut are just more liable to occur in certain types of workplaces. Keeping a basic first-aid kit on hand can be a relief when a small accident happens at your business.
  • Involving Employees in Emergency Preparedness
    10/03/2006
    As a small-business owner, you probably always consider your employees when making plans for your business. You think about questions, such as what to pay, what to charge for services, which health-care plan is best and should we grow? But if a disaster should occur––whether in the form of fire, tornado, chemical accident or dozens of other emergencies––how would you get in touch with your employees, and would they know what to do?
  • Preparing Your Business for Unprecedented Emergencies
    10/02/2006
    The idea of preparing for emergencies might seem to be a contradiction in terms. A pure emergency is a completely unanticipated event; what will happen, and when it will occur are unknown beforehand. How can we prepare to deal with some event if we don't know what form it will take, or when it will happen?
  • Strategies for Addressing Conflict
    09/28/2006
    Conflict is inevitable in the workplace. As long as two or more people are present, the potential for occasional disagreement exists. Frequently, the basis for a particular conflict is not apparent since an underlying issue can be camouflaged by a less important visible symptom.
  • Benefit Your Employees––and Your Bottom Line––With "Lunch and Learns"
    09/26/2006
    Looking for a way to broaden your employees' knowledge without spending a fortune on seminars? Look no further than your conference room. An increasingly popular way to teach your staff new tricks, "lunch and learn" seminars are a low-cost alternative to pricey seminars and training conferences.
  • Independence Boosters: Nine Ways to Build Employee Confidence
    09/22/2006
    However skilled and ambitious your employees may be, their greatest value often lies in their self-confidence. Confident, independent people possess courage and eagerness--and they're strong self-starters.
  • MyAdvice: The Narrow Path
    09/20/2006
    Choose a niche to propel your business' growth
  • Why Performance Feedback Is Crucial
    09/20/2006
    An anonymous but wise individual once said: "Good management is not only the gift of identifying talent, but the art of selective recognition of strengths and weaknesses, and the proper encouragement of the best in any man or woman." This statement alone, especially the latter part speaks volumes about the importance of feedback on performance.
  • Age Discrimination Is Still a Harsh Reality
    09/12/2006
    Unfortunately, age discrimination is alive and operating in most areas of American business. It potentially affects all older workers. Sometimes, it's a problem for older workers who have been steadily employed at the same jobs, but find themselves pushed out for a variety of "other" reasons. It's a significantly greater problem for those who seek to change jobs or find new employment following layoffs or retirement.
  • For a Safe Workplace, Don't Cut Corners
    09/11/2006
    How safe are you and your employees at work? Which occupations and industries are the most dangerous, and which are safest? Are workers in small businesses any safer than those in large businesses? And what can you do within your workplace to minimize the chances of a job-related injury?
  • Dressing Employees for Success: Implementing a Non-Discriminatory Dress Code
    09/08/2006
    An employee's appearance can often make or break a customer decision. You naturally want to create appearances that shine a positive light on your business. But what about your employees' rights? Can an employee drag you into court for making her cover up a tattoo? Or, what about beards and body piercings? To establish a dress code that steers clear of discrimination remember three things: Be reasonable, communicate openly and think about your bottom line.
  • Measure the Quality of Life in Your Workplace
    09/05/2006
    What's the quality of life like in your workplace? How welcoming, for example, is your place of business to employees, customers and visitors? How affirming is your workplace toward the needs and aspirations of the people you encounter each day? Just how positive is the tenor of your place of business?
  • Employee Coaching Cuts Job Incompetence
    08/25/2006
    A wise individual once said: People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be--not what you nag them to be. That simple sentence summarizes the primary purpose of employee coaching.
  • Keeping Your Eyes Healthy in Front of the PC Screen
    08/24/2006
    Do your eyes get fatigued, blurry, itchy or sensitive to light when computing? If so, you're not alone. Several studies over the years have shown that one or more of these visual symptoms occurs in 75 to 90 percent of people working at a computer.
  • Joining the Blogging Community
    08/17/2006
    By now you have probably heard of Web logs (more commonly known as "blogs"), online journals that feature opinions, news and Web links that you can share with readers. Whether you create your own blog or contribute to someone else's, you can use a blog for several purposes.
  • Nurturing Your New Hire: Thirteen Must-Dos for Employee Success
    08/14/2006
    In some ways your new hire is like a newborn––fascinated by this exciting new world but in need of care and guidance. Nurture your new hire with these 13 must-dos, and the result will be long-standing workplace success.
  • Keeping Your Best Employees: Seven Tips for Retaining Talent
    08/10/2006
    Let's face it: Retaining talent is no easy feat in a workforce that's getting younger, feeling more entitled and switching jobs as fast as their high-speed Internet. Employers are continuously challenged to find new ways to keep their people feeling happy, healthy and—perhaps most importantly—appreciated.
  • Keeping Callers Waiting Without Irritating Them
    08/09/2006
    In your business, you will sometimes have to keep callers waiting while you figure out answers to their questions or find the right person to answer their questions. You could just leave the phone off the hook, perhaps, but callers' eavesdropping is only desirable to a point.
  • 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.
  • Boost Your Business by Minimizing Stress
    08/02/2006
    It's been proven time and time again: A stress-free worker is a happy worker, and a happy worker is a productive worker. So how do you keep stress down without hurting your productivity, all the while keeping everyone happy? It's not an easy balancing act, but here are some tips that may prove useful.
  • Seven Steps to Protect Your Business' Most Important Asset: Information
    07/31/2006
    When you look at your company's resources, you will find information ranked right up there as a top asset. Chances are most of your company's sensitive information, including files on products, customers, suppliers and employees, is now kept digitally. So just like your other business assets, you need to take steps to protect information from unauthorized access and even theft.
  • Crafting a Workplace Violence-Control Program
    07/27/2006
    Unfortunately in business today, violence in the workplace is on the rise. This steady increase is troubling in itself, and it becomes all the more frightening when we consider the highly random character of workplace violence. We know it can occur anytime anywhere, affecting anyone, with little or no forewarning.
  • Stop Employee Theft Before It Happens
    07/25/2006
    Picture this: An accidental discovery in the books reveals that the most trusted, high-level employee from the company down the street has been embezzling money for years, and it has gone unnoticed—until now. Do you think this frightening scenario will never happen at your company? Think again. Security experts say that as many as 30 percent of the average company's employees do steal, and another 60 percent will steal if given a motive and opportunity. Some estimates indicate that more than $600 billion is stolen annually, or, roughly $4,500 per employee. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, about a third of all business failures each year trace back to employee theft and other employee crime.
  • English-Only Workplace Policies: Tread Cautiously to Avoid Discrimination
    07/21/2006
    Although English has long-held supremacy in our national conscious, the truth is at this time there is no official language of the United States. So you may be in for a rude awakening in the form of a civil-rights lawsuit if you have an English-only workplace. On the flip side, with a little understanding and some planning, you might find that an English-only policy is acceptable for your business.
  • Minimize Meeting and Conversation Interruptions
    07/20/2006
    As a small-business owner, you don't want to be ignored or interrupted when having a meeting or a serious conversation with an individual or a group. But when an interruption does happen, it's important not to get flustered. Whether at a company meeting or just meeting with one or two individuals, it is necessary to maintain control of the conversation.
  • When to Establish an Employee Orientation Program
    07/19/2006
    Why should a company have a new employee orientation program? Because there's no other time when you have a better opportunity to establish open lines of communication with new employees and get them started the right way.
  • Preparing Your Small Business for Disaster
    07/14/2006
    While hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, the worst storms often occur in August and September. This means that if your small business is located in the Gulf or southeastern coastal states, you have about a month to make sure your disaster plans are up-to-date and workable. If you live outside of this volatile region, don't think you're off the hook. Other forms of natural disaster, such as earthquakes, floods, tornados or brush fires, can be just as devastating. Take some time this summer to make sure your business can survive the worst Mother Nature can dish out.
  • Beat the Heat: Summer Safety Tips for Working Outdoors
    07/12/2006
    Now that summer is in full swing, keeping cool is a priority for everyone—especially for those who work outdoors. If your business has employees who work outside, it's important that you share with them health tips that will keep them safe from the sun and heat during the season.
  • Formal Policies to Cover Your Business
    07/10/2006
    Policies are guidelines established to shape and influence behavior to ensure consistency and legality in conducting business and pursuing the goals of your organization. Policies become "formal" when they are committed to writing and published, usually in a manual form. Policies are essentially useless unless formalized. Certainly, "unwritten policies" exist, many of which might be fair and consistently observed; however, unwritten policies have no legal standing, so they are often useless and frequently hazardous. If a particular policy or practice doesn't exist in writing, it can be legally regarded as never existing at all.
  • Creating the Proper Work Atmosphere
    07/07/2006
    Choosing the wrong work atmosphere will cost your business. You want to choose the work atmosphere best suited for your business to maximize the number of people willing—and wanting—to do business with you. Though all businesses should be professional, you can demonstrate that professionalism formally or informally. So, on which end of the pendulum should you err? Business professionalism is a form of formality, and friendliness a form of informality, and both profit a business, so how do you choose?
  • Reengineering: What It Is, and Why It Is Done
    07/06/2006
    In recent years, the term "reengineering" has spread throughout business and industry so thoroughly that it's reached buzzword status. As a concept, however, reengineering has been misunderstood and misapplied about as often as it has been properly applied. Reengineering is not the same as "downsizing" or "rightsizing," which have also become buzzwords, although the word has—unfortunately—become entrenched in many minds as a synonym for the same kind of activity. And it is, indeed, a reality that many reengineering efforts, including those done correctly, produce a particular result common with downsizing or rightsizing.
  • Employee Appreciation: It's More Than Just a Paycheck
    07/03/2006
    Sure, you pay your employees twice a month. But beyond that, do they know how much you appreciate them and the work they do for your small business? Here are five ways (other than the all-mighty dollar) where a little bit of gratitude can go a long way with your employees.
  • Employee Handbooks Make Your Life Easier
    06/30/2006
    Any business large enough to have 15 or more employees should have an employee handbook. The number 15 isn't arbitrary; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which addresses equal employment opportunity and discrimination in employment, is applicable to private employers of 15 or more people. And this kind of employer also offers employee benefits, the need for consistency in benefits administration provides more reason for having an employee handbook to provide concise answers to many employee questions about benefits and to offer guidance on numerous important matters.
  • Spying on Yourself
    06/27/2006
    Through reverse secret-shopping missions, these business owners learn ways to improve their customer service.
  • Retirement Plans Benefit Both Your Workers and Your Company
    06/26/2006
    Now that your business is booming, it's time to think about retirement. No, we're not talking about your last days running your company, but rather setting up a retirement plan for your business.
  • Common Ways to Pay Your Employees
    06/21/2006
    Unless you are a volunteer organization, you have to pay your employees. The wage earned per year can basically be determined by one of three common methods: commission, hourly and salary. ("Salary" can refer to either the wage per year or the method of wage payment of paying a set amount per year.) Each type of pay has its benefits.
  • Cutting Utility Costs Can Boost Your Bottom Line
    06/19/2006
    There are some things business owners can do without; unfortunately, utilities don't fall into that category. Though many factors can affect utility rates, such as natural disasters that can cause prices to spike, the cost of your utility bills may not be entirely out of your control. By being proactive and following a few steps, you can help ensure you are paying as little as possible to keep your utilities running.
  • Go Green: Start Recycling In Your Small Business
    06/14/2006
    Recycling is much more than just cleaning up garbage. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recycling conserves natural resources that help sustain the environment, reduces the need for landfills, saves energy and prevents pollution. This means that everything your business can recycle impacts some part of the earth's health––and, inevitably, yours.
  • The Fruits of Failure
    06/13/2006
    Failure is an option at PlumpJack Group, a San Francisco-based company that consists of several wineries, bars, restaurants and hotels. In fact, the best flops are rewarded with the company's "failure of the month" award.
  • Conflict Resolution: Six Secrets to Successfully Conquer Conflicts
    06/09/2006
    Do you ever hear these comments at the office? "Hey! Stop listening to my personal conversations!" "Quit taking credit for my work!" These are just a few of the different types of employee interactions that can create conflict and cause tension in the workplace. Such tension and turmoil among employees, if not quickly dealt with, can rapidly spread throughout the ranks and distract many from work-related duties.
  • Finding Remote Employees for Your Business
    06/06/2006
    Corporate downsizing has left numerous responsible and motivated people looking for work. Many of them are middle-aged and tech savvy, some have MBAs, but most are looking for new ways to work. Even those who don't want to relocate their families can be great assets to your business as remote workers.
  • OSHA's Standard Interpretation Letters
    06/01/2006
    If you have visited the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Web site at www.osha.gov, you know that it includes a number of resources to help small businesses comply with workplace safety and health regulations. These resources range from pocket-sized Quick Cards to comprehensive eTools that provide detailed information on specific industries or workplace safety and health issues.
  • Workplace Safety: Look Around You
    05/30/2006
    Have you looked around your workplace recently? Most likely you will find a few safety hazards that you need to correct to prevent you or one of your employees from getting hurt.
  • Quiz: Are You a Corporate Magnet?
    05/30/2006
    Many employees are leaving corporate America in disillusionment, leaving smaller companies with the chance to snag the best and brightest hires. Does your small business stand out to star employees looking to make the leap from Wall Street to Main Street? Take this quiz to see how you stack up to corporate employees looking to make a change.
  • Are Small Businesses More Family Friendly?
    05/26/2006
    An article in the June/July issue of MyBusiness, "The Lure of Small," explored why employees are leaving corporate America to work for small businesses. According to a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Center for Leadership, many women who have taken time off from the corporate world and want to return to work are finding more opportunity at small businesses.
  • The Lure of Small
    05/25/2006
    Ever feel second best when you're looking to hire a new employee? Compared to small businesses, large corporations have more money, name recognition and benefits to attract the best and brightest employees. But bigger doesn't always mean better.
  • MyAdvice: Home Sweet Home
    05/25/2006
    How telecommuting can be an assett—and a success—for your small business.
  • Making Paper Work
    05/25/2006
    What to keep, what to toss.
  • Brushed With Greatness
    05/25/2006
    After spending a week styling hair at the White House, Luna Howard knew her small business had made the cut.
  • Do You Need an Employee Handbook?
    05/19/2006
    Are you unsure about how to handle problem employees? Have you written more than one internal policy memo this past year? Do your employees constantly ask about sick leave, dress codes or promotions? If you answer yes to any of these questions, it may be time to create an employee handbook.
  • Drafting Practical Job Descriptions
    05/18/2006
    Do most businesses need job descriptions? Are many job descriptions cumbersome documents that have little practical value because they’re long and complicated? Is it possible to generate job descriptions that are lean, concise, and useful?
  • Youth Employment: Expanded Protections for Youth Working in Cooking, Roofing and Driving
    05/04/2006
    On Dec. 16, 2004, the Department of Labor’s Employment Standards Administration’s Wage and Hour Division published final regulations implementing changes to employment rules for youth. The final rules, which became effective on Feb. 14, 2005, expand protections for youth working in restaurant cooking, roofing, driving and other areas.
  • 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.
  • Respecting Employees’ Time
    04/20/2006
    Every manager should occasionally ask, “What’s the true value of a manager? Why am I here? And why are the employees here?” Unless the manager is a worker as well as supervisor, the employees are the ones who serve the clients or customers and do the hands-on work. If the employees could do so by themselves, it would make no sense to have a manager. So what, then, can the manager contribute?
  • 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.
  • Screening Employees Before Hiring Saves Money, Aggravation
    04/13/2006
    Pre-employment screening is becoming almost a necessity in today’s business environment. Studies conclusively show that putting a little extra effort and expense toward screening employees can effectively increase overall productivity as well as reduce theft, drug use, absenteeism and employee turnover. This can translate into big savings in the short-term and company stability and profitability in the long-term.
  • The Best Way to Cut Expenses? Require Employees to Have Purchases Authorized
    04/10/2006
    Sometimes it seems that even with the best of intentions to slash expenses, costs mount as if you have little control over them. It’s uncanny how cash seems to have a mind of its own.
  • Cultivate Customer Satisfaction by Putting Employees First
    04/05/2006
    Ever encountered a clerk or cashier who muttered “Have a nice day” in a way that showed that he or she couldn’t care less what kind of day you had? You may have walked away feeling that the person who served you didn’t like his or her job, and that “serving” you was one small step toward quitting time. You might also have left with an unfavorable impression of the business, and if you encountered this behavior on your second or third visit, you might have taken your business elsewhere.
  • 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.
  • Revamping Your Telephone Technique
    03/10/2006
    How you answer telephone calls says a lot about your business. An employee answering the phone may express an affirmative, helpful attitude or convey an I-don’t-really-care one. Callers frequently mirror the treatment they receive; if you sound friendly, your callers will usually respond in kind.
  • Human Rights Complaints: When to Go It Alone, When to Call Your Attorney
    03/02/2006
    Few managers who have ever been involved in a human rights complaint are happy to see one arrive. An external agency determines the timing of a complaint and the time frame for the company’s initial response. Thus, a human rights complaint is always an intrusion on management’s routine, so there’s no “good” time to deal with a complaint.
  • Business Ethics Programs Encourage Loyalty, Teamwork and Honesty
    03/01/2006
    With the almost universal awareness of the need for ethical behavior in today’s business environment, establishing a formal business ethics program benefits a small company in many ways. You can state such a program in a written document attesting to your company’s dedication to honesty, fair play and ethical behavior in all aspects of business.
  • Conquering Burnout
    02/09/2006
    It’s important to your success that you keep employees from experiencing burnout, but what happens when you fall into a rut? Whether personal challenges, business roadblocks or just boredom with everyday life are the culprit, anyone can go through a period of feeling unmotivated and disinterested in work. But when the boss becomes unmotivated, the entire business can suffer. Fortunately, if you’re suffering from burnout, there are a few things you can do to help yourself
  • Is It Time to Revamp Employee Communications?
    02/07/2006
    When it’s time to get the word out about training classes, company parking policies or holiday parties, are your employees getting the message? Here are some guidelines for improving employee communications.
  • E-Mail Mistakes To Avoid
    02/02/2006
    In today’s digital age, e-mail is a necessity for many businesses, but are your employees using it effectively? If not, the result could be costly.
  • Trauma Tips: Responding to Employees in Crisis
    01/31/2006
    Tomorrow morning, you could walk into the office and find that one of your employees is facing a traumatic event. You can’t erase trauma from the lives of your employees. But when confronted with it, you can address it positively and sensitively by following the following suggestions.
  • Staff Infections: Three steps to eliminate poor performers
    01/11/2006
    The best way to protect your business from problem employees is to begin the employment relationship with clearly written procedures for documenting employees’ behavior--good and bad. Consistency is key. Employment discrimination suits often start when you treat workers in the same situation differently.
  • Fighting the Flu: How to Keep Your Office Running in Sickness and in Health
    01/10/2006
    A sick staff infects a small business' bottom line, perhaps disproportionately to large businesses. Most small-business employees handle multiple responsibilities and work in close environments.
  • Keep Spirits and Productivity High After the New Year
    01/02/2006
    The holidays are generally a busy time for people personally and professionally, often requiring them to exert more energy than usual. While your business may benefit from that energy boost in the weeks leading up to the holiday season, employees can easily become burned out once the New Year rolls around. By following a few suggestions, however, you can keep spirits and enthusiasm high among your employees and stop the post-holiday slump from setting in.
  • Beware of the Office Holiday Party: Tips for Guarding Against Harassment and Other Hanky Panky
    12/16/2005
    It’s that time of year when alcohol, mistletoe and holiday cheer combine to create a legal minefield for employers. Too often the holiday office party becomes a breeding ground for sexual harassment claims. You can, however, protect your employees and your organization from legal turmoil by taking practicable steps to prevent harassment from occurring within your business and at the office holiday party.
  • A Safe, Sober Holiday Message for Employees
    12/09/2005
    During the holiday season, employers and employees get together frequently to unwind and celebrate. Typically, workplace parties involve plenty of food and drinks. If the drinks include alcohol, they can have unfortunate consequences.
  • Waking Up to Needs of Night-Shift Workers
    12/06/2005
    Your night-shift employees may consider themselves night owls by nature, but they likely suffer from physical and psychological stress that can erode their productivity and morale.
  • Holiday Party Safety Tips
    12/01/2005
    "Oh, by gosh, by golly it's time for mistletoe and holly" … and with it comes the season for company holiday parties. When planning your company's celebration, consider these simple, cost-effective and life-saving safety tips.
  • Controlling Absenteeism