Managing Employees and HR Articles

Tips on how your small business can still spread holiday cheer despite tough economic times and a swine flu pandemic

By Reed Richardson

For many small businesses, the only thing to cheer about in the arrival of the 2009 holiday season may be the fact that it represents the end to a very difficult year. In keeping with that not-so-festive spirit, many entrepreneurs might think that an office holiday party or sending seasonal gifts to customers just doesn't ...

When, if ever, does it make sense for an entrepreneur to stop taking a salary?

By Reed Richardson

It's a long-held rule of running your own small business: don't forget to pay yourself. However, in an upside-down economy that continually provides exceptions to all the old rules, many entrepreneurs are finding that paying themselves is yet another piece of conventional wisdom worthy of reconsideration. But before you go cold turkey on salary, it's important...

How to keep your family business alive, prospering and-most importantly-in the family

By Christopher Freeburn

Entrepreneurs who have invested years of time, dedication, and resources into building a business often want to see that enterprise live on as a family asset even after they step aside from the actual operation of the company. Many hope to see their new business become something that each new generation of their family can inherit, passing the business from them...

As much as we may think we can handle a multitude of tasks in our business, the reality is that we need help to work efficiently and grow our companies. With the unemployment rate high, there are many talented workers that you can tap for the work you need done. How you set up the work arrangement can have important business and tax consequences, so do it right!

by BigIdeas4Biz

Your options
You can hire employees and grow your payroll, use independen...

Providing your employees with a reliable social support system is a key way to ensuring they stay happy and productive

By Max Berry

The link between work stress and serious depression should be a concern for every small business owner, but the way to keep your employees happy and productive may be simpler than you think. A 2007 study conducted by researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center-and subsequently published in the Americ...

Hiring recent college grads makes great business sense. Plus, given the chance, they could even teach you a thing or two

By Max Berry

Despite what some recent figures from America's job market would have you believe, companies of all sizes are hiring new college graduates at a higher rate than in years past. A recent survey conducted by CollegeGrad.com found that 60% of American companies surveyed plan to recruit more grads in 2008 than they did last ...

Keeping remote employees engaged can be a difficult task for a small business owner. But when managed well, your off-site employees can be just as productive as the ones you see every day.

by Max Berry

Sometime during the 20th century, the water cooler assumed a crucial position in the American office-it became a trading post not only for gossip and recaps of last night's television shows, but also for ideas and advice. With a growing number of 21st-c...

By Chris Freeburn

Hiring the right employees is an immeasurably important task for small business owners, since they will be the people who keep the business operating on a daily basis. They may also be the face or voice of your business that customers interact with when they visit your office in person or call on the phone. The level of competence, interest and interpersonal skills your employees display to customers and to each other in the workplace will largely determine whether...