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Are Your Employees Driving You Crazy?

September 26, 2012 by Thomas

Today’s small business owner should be looking for every opportunity to save money. If they’re not, then there is a good chance they may be closing up shop sooner rather than later.

One area that can oftentimes be overlooked, but should be reviewed several times a year to search for additional savings, is a company’s auto insurance coverage.

For the small business owner that must make deliveries or customer contact calls using company vehicles, having the right insurance at the right price should be a given.

In order to get the right coverage at the right price:
* Obtain several quotes – You should go online and put together several quotes in order to compare and contrast.  Also research each insurer to see how they rate when it comes to customer service and financial stability;

* Consider a larger deductible – In order to save some money on premiums, you can opt for a higher deductible, but make sure you have the money in place to meet the expense of the deductible should one of your drivers be in an accident. Even the smallest of fender benders can turn into something major if the other party or parties decide to consult a lawyer, claiming they were injured by your employee;

* Bundle coverage – Another option for trimming your insurance rates is by bundling coverage with the same insurer. In the event you have a homeowners, renters, life or health insurance policy with Company #1, consider switching your business auto insurance from Company #2 over to the former. Many insurance companies will offer policyholders a deal when they manage all of their insurance needs;

* Maintain a clean driving record – This should be a no-brainier, but having a clean business driving record goes a long way in keeping your rates manageable. Make sure that any employee using a company vehicle has a good driving record, practices safe driving, and is reminded of this on a regular basis (see below). As for your company vehicle/s, the latest safety features available such as airbags and anti-lock brakes will also help lower your rates.

Employees Need to Take Responsibility Too

Having said all that, the business owner must also make sure they have a policy in place with their employees who use company vehicles to properly and efficiently use them.

It should not come as a surprise in today’s technological world that more employers are either using or considering putting in place GPS systems to track employees while on the clock.

As an example, your employee is scheduled for a client call at the customer’s business for 9:30 a.m. The employee leaves your office a few minutes before for the short drive over to the business, with the intent being the call should take no more than half an hour. Some two hours later, the employee returns and you have questions. First, why were they gone so long? Secondly, why did a short trip result in an additional 50 miles on the company vehicle? Yes, you can see where there could be an uncomfortable situation here for both employer and employee.

For the small business owner, did they clearly state to the employee when they hired them that a policy was in place for such calls, along with the fact that all trips are recorded for both time and mileage purposes?

Not only did monitoring the employee present the employer with the potential for disciplining the worker in abusing their driving privileges while at work, but it also called into question potential insurance issues, as the employee could have been involved in an accident while doing unnecessary driving on the clock.

And you thought being a small business owner did not come with a lot of responsibilities?

Photo credit: electronics.howstuffworks.com

With 23 years of experience as a writer, Dave Thomas covers a wide array of topics to help small business owners succeed.

Filed Under: Business Life Tagged With: auto insurance, bc, employees, small business

Do You Have a Clue on Finding the Right Temp Worker?

August 22, 2012 by Thomas

With many businesses in a quandary these days between hiring more help and cutting back on expenses, the issue of hiring temporary workers oftentimes comes to the forefront.

Should we disperse more of the work among our full-time employees? Should we reach out to a temp agency to bring in people for a period of time? Is it better that we place our own ad looking for temp workers? These are just some of the decisions that come into play for the business man or woman trying to best organize their staff.

Over time, the expense of hiring temp workers is often cheaper than the cost of bringing on permanent employees with benefits.  In the short term, it typically proves to be cost-efficient to hire a temp.  Meantime, for jobs that figure to last six months or longer, it may pay to bring on a full-time employee.

If you find yourself debating this issue, there are a number of things to keep in mind before you pull the trigger on such a decision.

They include:

1. How long will I need the help? – First and foremost, determine how long you will need temporary help. Is it just for a few days to catch up on business? Is one of your full-time staff taking a vacation or longer leave of absence? Could the temp help possibly be part of our team for several months? Knowing the timeline goes a long way in deciding who to hire;

2. What type of temp worker do I want? – Temp workers come in all varieties, so which one will be best for your office? Is your office very conservative, meaning it is mostly all work and no play? If so, you may be looking for a little older employee who has been around for a while and can get right down to business. Then again, if your office is very laid back and even fun to work in, maybe someone a little younger who brings a lot of energy and spirit to the job. There are older workers who are fun to be around, just as there are younger workers who can roll up their sleeves and work hard for you. Knowing your office culture will help you in determining just the right fit. The last thing you want is hiring someone that will throw off the office chemistry, creating more problems than solutions;

3. Will the temp worker need a great degree of training? – One of the other important aspects to the decision is the necessary experience level of the temp worker. Are you planning on bringing them into a challenging situation where skills are of the utmost importance? If so, do you have the time to train them? If you are more in need of general office work, this issue should not really be a problem. While a temp agency should supply you with qualified workers, you do not always get what you ask for;

4. What is our pay scale for temp workers – Since just about no one works for free these days, do you know what you will pay any temps who work for you? While you are likely looking to save money in today’s economy, short-changing a temp worker could also lead to so-so results. Make sure you and the temp agency (if you are working with one) are clear on expected salary for the individual that will be filling in at your business;

5.  Finding the right temp agency – Lastly, locating the right temp agency to work with is critical. In order to improve your chances of finding the right one, take the time to find one that meets your particular needs. Review their websites to find out how long they’ve been in business, their “mission statement” and the kinds of temp employees and services they offer. The last thing you need is getting sent a few “lemons” before finding the right fit for your business.

Photo credit: excelle.monster.com

Dave Thomas has more than 20 years’ experience as a writer, covering news, sports, marketing, SEO, press releases, social media and more. You’ll find Dave at: http://www.examiner.com/news-in-san-diego/dave-thomas

Filed Under: Business Life Tagged With: bc, business, employees, temp agency

Would You Hide Behind an E-Mail to Let an Employee Go?

April 11, 2012 by Thomas

Many of us have been down that road no employee wants to travel; you are laid off or fired.

In my case, it was the former some six years ago while working for a company in San Diego. What made the action even more difficult to take was how it was handled.

To set the stage for you, I worked as an online editor for a publishing company. My responsibilities had grown during my five-plus years with the company from starting out as a staff writer, to temporary editor during some transitioning, to full-time online editor when all was said and done.

As I was nearing my sixth year of service with the company, I had a Friday that would forever change my life and especially how I would look at employers going forward.

Something Smells Here

On that Friday, I began my day working from home since we were allowed to do that from time to time. Just the day before, I was at my desk in the office working and nothing seemed terribly unusual. The owner of the company and I exchanged usual pleasantries and went on about our work days.

I left the office later that afternoon at my normal time, unbeknownst to me that it would be the last time I would ever set foot in that building again.

The next day (Friday), I started my work assignments online from home when I got an e-mail from my manager. She asked if I was coming in the office that day to which I replied no.

She then e-mailed to ask if I had time to do a conference call with her and the company CEO, something that seemed a little out of the ordinary for a Friday. I was never a Dean’s List student by any means, but I like to think that I make up for that lack of book knowledge by being rather street smart. The bottom line is something smelled here.

I e-mailed the manager back to ask her if something was up and she responded a few minutes later to say that I was being let go.

Okay, I don’t know how you would handle such an event, but about a dozen different emotions ran through my head at that time. The first and foremost one was why was this not done face-to-face the day earlier in the office?

Hiding behind a Computer

As it turns out, the owner of the company had his daughter-in-law (my manager at the time) do his dirty work for him. All the respect I had for that man over a five-year period went out the window in about 30 seconds. At least the way I was raised, you handle your business face-to-face with people, not hide behind a computer screen.

I would go on to find out that the CEO, a man that told me one day to my face his door was always open and I could always talk to him, was the one that orchestrated my dismissal. He also chose to hide behind his computer and not get on the phone with me at the least to give me an explanation of the dismissal. Again, he didn’t owe me that, but his previous words rang rather hollow at that point.

In 23 years of employment, I have come across some very good companies to work for and one or two that were not so good.

In a sense, what happened that Friday morning over a computer screen altered my outlook to a degree on employers forever.

One thing that will never change, I will always give 100 percent to any person that is kind enough to take me on and ask me to work for them; to do anything less is not the way I roll or how I was raised.

Secondly, however, I will never get as attached to a company as I did to that one six years ago.

The people at that company that I thought were my friends, the ones I traveled to conferences with, the ones I went to ballgames with, etc. dropped me like the plague when I got laid off. While they certainly were under no obligations to stay in touch with me, it really opened my eyes as to who your true friends are in such a scenario.

Years later I am happily employed with another company and coming up on a year anniversary.

What happened six years was a good learning experience,  one that will always make me look twice at people.

Some would say doing that is unhealthy and unfair to others – I see it as a way to never put myself in that position again of thinking those I worked with were any more than that – co-workers.

So, what are the ways you have been laid off or fired in the past?

Photo credit: ehow.co.uk

Dave Thomas, who writes on subjects such as VoIP phone service and credit card processing writes extensively for SanDiego-based Business.com.

Filed Under: Business Life Tagged With: bc, email, employees, fired, laid off

Can You Find Success Following a Firing?

February 8, 2012 by Thomas

One of the most challenging situations a person can find themselves in is trying to secure a new job after they’ve been terminated from a previous position.

While there is hope of locating employment following a termination, the odds are definitely lessened for such individuals, who must fight through the stigma of being removed from a company.

The bottom line is resiliency and the ability to best explain away why you were let go.

For those individuals who have to deal with such a situation, keep several things in mind:

  • Deal with reality – It is never easy when the pink slip arrives and you’ve been fired from a job, especially from a financial stand point. That being said, the bottom line is you have to locate a new position and the sooner the better. Don’t let the anger you more than likely have from your firing carry over to the job interviews you go on. By putting the most recent experience in the rear view mirror, you will stand a better chance of doing well on job interviews and securing a new position;
  • Understand why it happened – Employees get fired from jobs daily, so you’re not the first and you certainly will not be the last. One of the worst things you can do is not grasp why you were let go. You may not know all the details, but it is important to have a general understanding of why it happened so that you don’t repeat it in your next job;
  • Sit back and reflect – In some instances, a firing may be the best thing that can happen to you, permitting you the time to decide on whether or not you seek a career change, etc. While you will likely have to tighten spending while you look for a new job, the time away can be positive for reflection;
  • Keep your head up – Looking for a new employer is a full-time job in many instances. You will have employers who will not respond to your resumes, employers who will interview you and then lose interest when someone better comes along, and employers who would like to offer you job, but that stigma of being fired leaves them a little unsure of you. The bottom line is that you can’t afford to throw yourself a pity party at this time. You need the work, so plow forward until you find what you’re looking for;
  • Don’t hide the truth – Getting fired is never fun, but don’t compound the problem by lying to a potential employer. While you may do your best to hide the fact you got fired and not laid off, you would be amazed how word can quickly travel. If you lie to a potential employer or even someone who ends up hiring you, it could come back to bite you, given the employer will question if they can trust other things you say;
  • Avoid issues with your new job – Once you finally do find that next job, take what you learned from the previous experience so you hopefully do not repeat it this time around. The goal is always to learn from your mistakes, so make sure you understand to the best of your ability why you were fired and don’t put yourself in that position again.

If you were recently fired, how are you dealing with it and have you started back on the job hunt trail?

Photo credit: ehow.com

Dave Thomas, who covers among other subjects’ phone systems, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

Filed Under: Business Life Tagged With: bc, employees, job, termination

Company Meetings Cutting in on Productivity?

January 11, 2012 by Thomas

Company meetings serve a wide array of purposes. That being said, can too many meetings be a bad thing?

Having worked at several companies now over a 23-year period, I have seen a variety of approaches to this subject.

Some companies have had a normal approach to in-house meetings, some have had too few meetings, while others have gone overboard and seem to be meeting on an almost hourly basis, whether through onsite meetings or teleconferencing.

I’ve always tended to believe that falling somewhere in the middle of the above-mentioned descriptions is best.

On the one hand, it is important for your team to know what one another are doing; without occasional meetings that is hard to achieve. On the other hand, meeting too often always leads me to wonder how any work is getting done. Too many meetings can lead to micromanaging and a feeling among employees that their every move is being scripted and watched.

If you’re not sure how often your company employees should be meeting to talk strategy, keep these things in mind:

  • What are you trying to accomplish with the meetings in the first place? – Are they held to share strategies, ideas, ask questions of where projects are going? If the answer is yes to any of those things, then by all means meet. If the answer is no to one or more of those things, then you need to rethink why you’re getting staff together;
  • Where does real productivity rank in your company? – While meetings can certainly be productive, they also pull employees away from the tasks they were hired to do in the first place. If you’re team is having to get together on a daily basis to meet even for half an hour, think about the loss of actual productivity time that half hour means to you and your business. I once worked for a company that required its writing team to meet on a daily basis. In lots of the meetings, we repeated what we said the previous day as far as updating our status on projects. In the meantime, I and some others sat there and thought about the wasted time going by when we could have been producing another article, conducting interviews, reaching out to new clients on the phone etc.;
  • Are we getting the same message over and over again? – Another risk factor with having too many meetings is that you will turn off some of your brighter employees. Going over the same message over and over again begins to lead to some tuning out both the message and the messenger. Let’s be honest, some company folks like to hear themselves talk. While that may be great for them, those listening are sitting there thinking about all the real work they could be getting done while listening to something they heard just a week ago. Constructive meetings are one thing, sitting there listening to lectures over and over again are another;
  • Are we stifling openness among employees? – If you’re having too many meetings, you may not even know it. In most offices, employees are not going to raise their hands when polled to respond yes if the company is meeting too often. For most employees, such a move in their minds would rock the boat, painting them as an uncaring employee. In reality, a good office culture is one where openness and the ability to speak one’s mind should be promoted. Without the ability to speak one’s mind in a professional and courteous manner, you are fostering a dictatorship at work, where one and only one voice is heard. Be bold and ask your entire team if they feel the company meets too often. If the answer is yes, take the time to think about how less meeting time can translate into more production time.

 

At the end of the day, each company and its management must decide what is in its best interests.

In my 20+ years of employment nationwide, I have yet to see the perfect meeting environment.

In the meantime, I’m going to meet with myself and see if I can come up with some solutions for this issue.

Photo credit: Markdenham.com

 

Dave Thomas, who covers topics such as starting a small business, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

Filed Under: Business Life Tagged With: bc, company meetings, employees, teleconferencing

Do You Know How to Hire Talent?

December 14, 2011 by Thomas

While many small businesses have found themselves having to freeze new-hires or even let people go given the turbulent economy, others have been fortunate enough to bring on new employees.

Stop, however, and look at your hiring processes. Are they really where they need to be?

For too many companies, there are cracks in the armor when it comes to hiring the right employees.

As a small business owner, do you follow a formal process when it comes to bringing on new talent or have you been winging it for some time now?

In the event it is the latter, here are some tips to help smooth out the process:

  • What is the proposed duration of this employee? – Businesses need to decide if they will be seeking a long-term employee or just need a temporary fix. If hiring for the long-term, factor in things like higher salaries and benefits. If you just need workers for a few weeks or months, working through a temp agency is oftentimes the best solution. Temp agencies allow you to avoid the interview and hiring process, but keep in mind that that can sometimes be a bad thing;
  • How many interviews should I do with the same individual? – For many companies, the interview process is one and done, while others who like a candidate will bring them in for two or more interviews. Determine how important the position being advertised for is and go from there. That is not to say that you should not care about the quality work of an administrative assistant as opposed to a CEO, but obviously the CEO is going to be coming in with more credentials and expectations;
  • How much emphasis should I put towards gaps on a resume? – For some businesses looking to hire, seeing non-working gaps on someone’s resume signal red flags. While some of these breaks between jobs can be easily explained away, do not hesitate to ask candidates why they have a year or more between jobs. Whether it was a layoff, a break to go back to school, taking care of a loved one or raising a family, most employers will understand. Still, don’t leave this to fate if you’re wondering why someone has not worked for several years;
  • Can you spot a red flag? – Oftentimes an interview will come and go so quickly that you or your HR person or whoever was conducting the process misses something. Be sure to check out if the candidate appears confident, has good communication skills and seems energetic about the position. Body language can go a long way in determining if you may be hiring the right or wrong individual;
  • Quiz the individual about your company – While a candidate is not likely to know every intricate detail about your small business, they should know some of the basics by having done some research. Do you really want someone potentially working for your company that doesn’t know anything about you other than your company name and address? Job candidates should take the time prior to the interview to research the company’s Web site and see how they can best assist you in the proposed position;
  • Be prepared just like the candidate hopefully is – There is nothing more embarrassing for the company and the employee conducting the job interview than not being prepared. Just as you want the candidate to bring their ‘A’ game; you too need to be ready. Have a list of questions compiled regarding the candidate, how they see themselves helping the company, where they see themselves in a few years etc. Just as an ill-prepared candidate can lose out on a job possibility, you being unprepared for the interview can lead to a well-qualified prospective candidate taking a pass on your job offer.

Hiring the right people for your small business is in a way like finding the right seats on the bus for all the students.

In this case, you are looking to hire the best fit for the open position, something that too many companies are not very talented at.

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items starting a small business and business proposals, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

Filed Under: Business Life, Interviews Tagged With: bc, employees, Hiring, interview, temp agencies

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