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Hiring Employees for Small Business
Sep 3rd
While small business hiring is slowing, it’s still happening. The method for getting new hires may be shifting, thanks to social media, but small business owners still want the same thing: qualified employees who will stick around. Here’s your guide to hiring for your business.
Who to Hire
What employers look for is changing, and rightfully so. With budget cuts and a shrinking pool of available jobs, employees need to be able to take on more and bring their own ideas to the table. That’s why you should, says Jennifer Prosek, hire an army of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial-minded employees tend to be more proactive and willing to take on more responsibility, which can help in a small business’ success. MSN
Hiring an intern? Don’t grill them about their experience…since they likely have none. Instead, focus on their hobbies and interests. Asking what they hope to get out of this internship can help you craft the program, if you don’t have a set system in place, and it can be customized based on what your final pick is interested in learning. Your goal is to understand more about what kind of person this is, and what her dedication to the role will be, rather than what she already knows. Glass Door
Interns
While having free or cheap labor around to take care of small tasks sounds good to you, keep in mind that hiring an intern requires time and money on your part. You’re expected to provide job training for the college student or recent grad, so it’s up to you to develop an intern program that has structure and on-the-job training. The bonus? You’re training a future employee at a fraction of the cost. OPEN Forum
Not all internships are created equal, it seems. Many companies are booting out costly employees and replacing them with unpaid interns, at the detriment of their brand’s reputation. Slave labor indeed. But, as Small Business Trends’ Ivana Taylor points out in the comments, times have changed. Once upon a time, a college grad would be happy to get an internship period, paid or otherwise. Just play fair, and give your intern skills to walk away with. Bloggertone
How to Hire
Did you know it can cost as much as $14,000 to replace a single employee? That’s why working with a recruiter might be beneficial for small businesses. Recruiters have a Rolodex of qualified candidates and know your market – maybe even better than you do. And since many professionals don’t actively look for jobs, recruiters may be able to entice them to change roles if they know what you’re looking for. Insperity
If you’re ready to hire, take time to do it right, otherwise you risk hiring the wrong person (a costly mistake). Outline what you want in an employee, as well as what his responsibilities will include, then carefully craft the job description. Get your interview panel together, including people who will work directly with the person you hire, and interview as many qualified candidates as you have. You’ll be working with this employee for the foreseeable future, so give gravity enough to the decision making process. Online Jobs Information
Posting a job in the newspaper is so passé. Social media’s where it’s at these days. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are proving to be more affordable recruiting tools than traditional methods, and can help employers target in on exactly who they’re looking for skillwise. Twitter provides employers a tool to list job openings that its followers can share with others, while Facebook helps recruit passive applicants, who might not otherwise apply for a given job. LinkedIn tends to be more professional in nature, though its users tend to skew 40+. Talent Management
Mistakes to Avoid
As an employer, you risk bumbling the hiring process right from the interview. Beware asking questions that don’t really help you understand a candidate’s skill level and work ethic, and don’t do all the talking. And while sure, there are less exciting components to working for you (like those 12 hour work weekends), don’t downplay them to try to win over the candidate. Be candid about the good and the bad, and you’ll be more likely to hire the right person…and keep her. US News Money
The last thing you want when starting a business is to violate employment laws. Bone up on what you’re responsible for, such as paying minimum wage or greater, paying for overtime, and not deferring wages, otherwise you could face hefty fines or worse. Make sure your agreements are airtight, and that, if you use a noncompete agreement, it’s enforceable. Computerworld
The Government’s Role
Will President Obama help the job situation? We’ll see next week when he announces his plan to increase employment in the US. He will likely extend a one-year payroll cut on taxes for workers and unemployment benefits, and many speculate that he hopes to create more jobs through public works. While Obama’s plan may not be quite as dramatic as his 2009 stimulus, here’s to hoping it does create more jobs now.
Hiring Employees for Small Business
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
CHART OF THE WEEK: Modest Gain in Microbusiness Hiring Plans
Mar 21st
In February 2011, more microbusiness owners were planning to hire than were planning to lay people off. The Discover Card Small Business Watch, a monthly survey of owners of businesses with 1 to 5 employees, found that 3% more business owners were planning to hire than to cut staff when asked about their employment plans last month.
Whether this proves to be a lasting trend or not remains an open question. Back in June 2010 four percent more microbusinesses were planning to add rather than drop employees, but the pattern then reversed itself for several months. In fact, the six month moving average of this measure –- the thin black line in the chart below –- has deteriorated after improving several times since the Great Recession began.
Microbusiness Hiring Plans (Aug 2006 to Feb 2011)
CHART OF THE WEEK: Modest Gain in Microbusiness Hiring Plans
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
5 Tips for Hiring Legal Counsel in Your Small Business
Dec 27th
Some readers know that I used to be a corporate attorney. As a General Counsel I have hired literally hundreds of outside law firms to represent the company I worked for. Trademarks; patents; litigation; transactions; collections — you name it, I’ve probably hired a law firm to handle it.
I’ve managed counsel in law firms ranging in size from solo practitioners, to the largest law firms in the world, such as Jones Day, Mayer Brown, and Squire Sanders & Dempsey, to name a few.
As a General Counsel a key responsibility of mine was to hire the outside counsel; oversee the matters for the company’s best interests; and most importantly, manage costs. And I can tell you that managing costs is something that can be done with simple steps. Many steps work just as well in a small business as in a large corporation.
Interestingly, the same steps that you use to manage costs also help you avoid many of the frustrations that clients often feel. Those frustrations include unpleasant surprises from fighting litigation for years only to be pressured to settle on the courthouse steps (when you could have done it much earlier and saved countless dollars and hours), to transactions that die a slow death from overlawyering, to misunderstandings between counsel and clients (often due to the client’s unrealistic expectations due to the failure to discuss expectations up front).
That’s why I was so interested in a new survey by Rocket Lawyer. Asked what poses the biggest risk to their businesses, one-quarter of small business owners said “legal issues.” But even though they’re worried, business owners aren’t turning to lawyers as often as they should. The reason? More than half of small business owners (51 percent) contend that legal help is too costly.
Failing to consult a lawyer is often penny-wise and pound-foolish. In fact, getting legal help is actually a smart way to save money for your business. A good lawyer can help you prevent costly problems later, spot loopholes in contracts and agreements that can cost you money, help you save on commercial leases and more.
Fortunately, it’s possible to use a lawyer without spending a fortune. Here are five steps to keeping your business’s legal costs down.
1. Understand how the lawyer bills you.
Some attorneys bill hourly, some by the day (per diem), and some on a monthly retainer. Attorneys may also charge flat fees for standard jobs like contract review. No matter what method your lawyer uses, ask questions to be sure you understand the details. For instance, if the attorney has assistants, are you billed for their work at the attorney’s rate? Also ask about extras — some lawyers will pass the cost of faxing and making copies on to the client, while others won’t.
2. Use time wisely.
Time is money for a lawyer, so when you meet with or talk to your attorney, plan ahead to keep the time as brief as possible. Make a list of questions so you don’t forget anything you need to ask; then focus on what you need to do.
3. Keep it simple.
The less work the attorney has to do, the less you’ll get billed for. Provide the lawyer with documents he or she will need to review before the meeting. Have your information in order. Send one detailed email rather than 17 short ones with question after question. Like any businessperson, lawyers appreciate it when you make their job simpler.
4. Review your legal bills.
If you’ve got a complex project with an attorney, ask for an itemized bill. Go over it in detail to make sure you weren’t overcharged and that you understand what you’re being billed for.
5. Be proactive.
Some entrepreneurs are scared to talk to their lawyers for fear of incurring a fee … so they let small problems spin out of control. Make it a point to communicate with your attorney briefly every month or so and bring up any issues of concern. This way, you can nip problems in the bud and take advantage of opportunities for growth when they arise.
Editor’s Note: This article was previously published at OPENForum.com under the title: “5 Ways to Keep Your Legal Costs Under Control.” It is republished here with permission.
5 Tips for Hiring Legal Counsel in Your Small Business
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Hiring an SEO Firm: Top 3 Questions to Ask
Dec 27th
For nearly every business venture on the modern web, having the power of an SEO firm on one’s side can mean the difference between a slow and difficult start and a successful launch. While there are many other elements necessary for a strong web presence, Search Engine Optimization can instantly improve a company’s visibility and prominence among competitors. Of course, this optimization must be performed correctly and creatively for truly impressive results.
With so many SEO firms from which to choose, it can be difficult to find the right source of optimization. By asking the following questions to potential consultants, companies can narrow their searches and ensure they work with an SEO firm that lives up to expectations and delivers as desired.
1) What is the SEO firm’s level of expertise?
Within the overall scope of SEO, there are many tactics and techniques used to help pages, sites, and other pieces of content reach the right audience –and pull in the right numbers. The specific techniques used by a SEO firm on a given campaign are bound to vary based on a company’s field, product or service offerings, size, location, and various other data points. Yet many strategies are fairly central to most types of SEO campaigns. Asking a SEO firm about the tactic they consider to be most important, or at least, most widely relevant, can help shed light on the SEO firm’s expertise, and will also give you a clearer idea of what to expect from your campaign.
Though there isn’t necessarily a single correct answer to this question, you should be able to get a good feel for the philosophy that drives the SEO firm. Inexperienced SEO firms will promise fast rankings and instant results. Experienced SEO firms understand that quality SEO takes time patience.
2) Is the SEO firm concerned about ranking your website fast or do they believe in a slow steady approach?
Another way to assess the expertise of an SEO firm is to ask whether ranking fast or ranking high is more important. Though some companies may genuinely desire a quick rise to the top of search engine rankings, some SEO firms employ “black hat” techniques to achieve speed without longevity. Many quality SEO professionals will relate that ranking is something that takes time, but which can prove extraordinarily valuable when done with diligence and integrity. Points of view on this rift in ranking are sure to vary from one firm to the next, but companies can typically count on stronger results from firms that embrace a slow and steady path to the top.
3) Will the SEO firm honor your brand?
A prospective SEO firm should be asked about their take on corporate image and branding to allow for a clear sense of the quality of impressions that will be made on potential customers. After all, being on top of the rankings won’t mean much if a company’s brand is absent or poorly handled. With a quality-focused SEO firm that’s open to answering these essential questions and sharing its views and principles, companies can supercharge their online presence painlessly.
Are you ready to launch a successful SEO campaign for your website? Contact our SEO firm today to start your campaign in January 2011.
View full post on .Com Marketing Blog | Internet Marketing Trends | Interactive Marketing
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Sep 10th
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We’re Still Hiring! And 30+ Other Social Media Jobs
Sep 8th
| This week and every week, Mashable features its coveted job board listings for a variety of positions in the web, social media space and beyond. |
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CueBlocks is Hiring Web Developers & Internet Marketing Experts in Chandigarh
Sep 3rd
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CMO Survey: Spend On Social Media Is Up; Hiring Prospects Are Down
Aug 31st
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5 Jobs That Are Still Hiring Like Mad
Aug 16th
We all like to complain about how much the economy sucks these days. While that’s true as a generalization, some sectors are actually booming. We compiled a list of five jobs that are still hiring like mad, many to the point of having trouble finding enough applicants.
Mobile application developers
Image: Gonzalo Baeza Hernandez/Flickr
The mobile app rush that started with the iPhone in 2007 is still rolling full steam ahead. As a result, the demand for mobile app developers for the iPhone, iPad, Droid, and other devices remains high. The supply of app developers simply can’t keep up with demand, according to this CNBC article. That’s why mobile app developers get away with charging as much as $150/hour.
Bankruptcy lawyers
Image: umjanedoan/Flickr
“For the first half of 2010, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court reported a 10 percent increase in filings over last year’s numbers for the same six-month period. With more than 11,000 cases filed, it was the busiest first half the court has had in at least a decade,” writes Patrick Thornton in this AllBusiness article.
Needless to say, those 11,000+ cases need bankruptcy lawyers, who charge by the minute. Bankruptcy lawyers thrive on recessionary fallout in general; this recession, with its real estate slant, has proven especially profitable. Even though they’re dealing with people without money, bankruptcy lawyers protect themselves by working on retainer, siphoning off what could be the last of their clients’ assets in the process.
Receivers
Image: respres/Flickr
Receivers, who are appointed by courts to take care of empty commercial real estate properties until they can be resold, are a hot commodity. Raking in fees of up to hundreds of dollars per hour, according to this LA Times article, swoop into a property while that property’s lender takes care of foreclosure proceedings. The receiver makes sure the property stays in good shape and looks around for a buyer, courting real estate brokers in the process. A bonus of the job is that receivers get to travel around the country while they tend to distressed properties.
Caretakers
Image: vintagedept/Flickr
Baby boomers are one of the biggest generations alive today. Now, they’re aging en masse, leaving plenty of jobs for caretakers and home health aides, who help elders with daily tasks and overnight care. Nursing schools are milling out all levels of qualifications, from CNA (certified nursing assistant) to RNs. In most cases, grads who focus on the aging population have no problem finding jobs. Even caretakers without degrees can find work for a caretaking organization or senior center.
Government Workers
Image: dcjohn/Flickr
The government is the nation’s biggest employer. Moreover, many of this monopoly—err, organization’s workers will retire during the next decade or so. While “government work” isn’t a profession, doing something for the government, like engineering, is. The fact is that if you go to the federal government’s jobs site, there will probably be an opening for you. Just expect more competition as employment continues to stagnate.
View full post on Business Pundit
What’s the Story With Small Business Hiring?
Aug 11th
If you’re like most small business owners, you could really use some extra help around the office right now. But are you ready to hire full-time employees? With all the uncertainty about tax issues, health insurance reform and the economic recovery itself, probably not.
Several recent surveys of small business owners paint the same picture: Entrepreneurs are eagerly waiting for the moment when the economy signals “All is well” and they feel confident enough to start placing those want ads.
In fact, an encouraging number of small business owners have already done so. According to the most recent Intuit Small Business Employment Index, small companies (defined as those with fewer than 20 employees) added 40,000 new jobs in July. That continues a growth trend that began in 2009; since last October, small companies have added 330,000 jobs.
The July figures were a slight decline from June’s revised estimate of 45,000 jobs. However, both wages and hours grew, by 0.7 and 0.9 percent respectively.
“It appears that small businesses are busy and need additional help, but are asking their existing people to work more hours rather than hiring more people,” says Dr. Susan Woodward, the economist behind the survey.
Meanwhile, in the latest Business Confidence Survey by Administaff, 78 percent of respondents cited the economy as a top concern—one that’s figuring into their hiring plans. But despite their uncertainty, some businesses in the survey are moving forward with hiring. Asked about their staffing plans for the remainder of 2010, 31 percent said they plan to hire, 60 percent expect to keep staffing at the same level, and 9 percent plan to lay off employees.
Numbers from job search site CareerBuilder echo Administaff’s findins. When CareerBuilder asked small and midsized businesses (with 500 or fewer employees) about their hiring plans for the second part of 2010, 32 percent of companies said they plan to hire. Of that group, 21 percent expect to hire full-time workers, 11 percent plan to hire part-time workers and 6 percent said they plan to hire temporary workers or independent contractors. T
The figure for the smallest companies (those with 50 or fewer employees) was a little smaller: 24 percent of these plan to hire in 2010.
These figures aren’t terrible news, but they aren’t great, either. To me, they paint a picture of business owners who are stalled at the gate. Like racehorses champing at the bit, they’re itching to be able to hire, move forward and grow their companies—but economic uncertainty is holding them back.
As Paul J. Sarvadi, chairman and CEO of Administaff puts it, “Many owners of small and medium-sized businesses seem to be hesitant to hire more workers and commit important financial resources in the face of current economic uncertainty. However, they appear to be ready and willing to make those positive decisions as soon as key fiscal elements are in place.”
Here’s hoping it doesn’t take much longer.
What’s the Story With Small Business Hiring?
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
