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To Pay an Intern or Not to Pay?
That is the question many employers face. Interns are great options for small businesses that need extra help but do not have the funding to bring a full-time employee on staff. Should you pay your interns or not? Thanks to the Department of Labor (DOL), that question is now answered for you. Recently, the DOL announced tips that reverse their previous test to determine whether an intern or student... -
Strategic Partnerships for Small Business
One of the biggest strengths that small and medium-sized businesses have over their larger corporate competitors is the ability to engage with the local community in truly authentic and personalized ways. This is commonly exemplified quite clearly through the relationships you build with customers and clients. However, an alternative opportunity for community engagement — both incredibly powerful and frequently overlooked — exists in the form of other local organizations.... -
Remote Teamwork
There are many benefits to working with remote employees and contractors — from reduced payroll costs to increased efficiency to schedule flexibility and much more. However, challenges such as coordinating teamwork and managing the legal status of your employees can also arise. If you do opt to work on a project with a remote team, then you may find the following 5 tips helpful. • Simplify, clarify, and assign.... -
The Growing Popularity of the Four-Day Work Week
A plethora of studies regarding employee habits and attitudes have revealed what many of us already suspected. The majority of workers report using sick days for personal needs. A majority also claim that free time is a crucial factor in aiding their productivity. And even businesses themselves could be benefiting by giving their employees an extra day of personal time. Here are a few reasons why this is the... -
Techniques for Better Productivity
For most small business owners, the old phrase “so much to do, so little time” rings frustratingly true. With a virtually endless amount of tasks to deal with, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Of course, giving in to such feelings is oftentimes the worst thing one can do. Dwelling on feelings of discouragement or frustrating generally leads one to being even less productive, thus furthering a negative cycle. Instead,... -
Looking for Ways to Improve your Company’s Productivity? Look no Further than Promoting Employee Health!
The stats are clear when it comes to the subject of employee health. A recent study conducted at Brigham Young University, for example, showed that both exercise and diet can significantly improve a person’s productivity. Just as importantly, studies have also shown that poor health can cost employers large amounts of money in a variety of ways. In this article, we will take a quick look at a few... -
Climbing the Ladder
Whether it’s a longer lunch break, the ability to telecommute, or finally getting that corner office: everyone loves getting special perks at work! In fact, many studies show that offering employees perks can actually improve productivity and efficiency. That’s why it’s a good idea to reward yourself sometimes, too! As the owner of a small to medium-sized business, you’re probably very concerned about cutting costs and reducing spending; but... -
Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Human Resources
Despite the overwhelming growth, use of, and acceptance of professional payroll and human resource companies over the past decade, there are still businesses that believe that keeping their HR department “in house” is preferable to outsourcing it. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits that a company receives by maintaining a traditional HR department versus the drawbacks. Most companies will cite two major reasons why they keep human...