Tips from June 22, 2009 The Small Business tips today will be about legal questions you can ask when hiring an employee.
Questions regarding citizenship are tricky to ask during an interview. You cannot ask if your potential employee is a U.S. citizen, but you may ask if they are authorized to work in the United States.
Asking about age could lead to cases for discrimination down the road. Instead, ask if they are over the age of 18 to be sure your potential employee can legally work for you.
Although it would be good to know if a potential employee has been arrested, you cannot ask that question in an interview. Instead, ask if they have been convicted of a specific crime (fraud, theft, etc). The specific crime should be related to the performance of the job in question.
Asking potential employers if they “have any disabilities” is illegal and will be discussed further in later tips. If the interv...
By Cheryl Sowa · June 22 2009
small business tips, legal, citizenship, age
Government, Politics and the Economy
Entrepreneurs on Obama
According to a new survey, entrepreneurs are willing to give the President time to fix the economy, but many have serious questions about the wisdom of his policies. BusinessWeek.com
Ownership, Management and Operations
12 Steps to Upgrade Your Business
To grow, for your business needs needs to evolve, you need to be able to see where things can be improved and address those areas. Here are a dozen things you can do today to make that happen. SmallBizTrends.com
By Charles M Cooper · June 22 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
Now we have some tax legislation coming out of Washington that makes sense, thanks to Rep. James Himes (D-CT), which would make it easier for companies to employ telecommuters from out of state by removing the tax penalties these employees currently face.
The bill sponsored by Himes eliminates the so-called “convenience of the employer” rule that leads to double taxation on the employee’s wages. Under the current system, when an employee is telecommuting for a company in another state—say he lives in Illinois but the company he works for is in New York, both states with income taxes—both states are entitled to tax that telecommuter on 100% of his income derived from that job. There is no distinction between the income made during visits to the employer and that made strictly at home. It is all taxable by both states as long as the telecommuting is for the “convenience” of telecommuter (such as the “convenience” of having the job in the...
By Charles M Cooper · June 22 2009
small business, taxes, telecommuting
Tips from June 19, 2009 The Small Business tips today will discuss forecasting the future of your sales.
Predict your future sales based on a realistic scale. Project your weekly sales within the first few months, as well as monthly sales for the year.
Develop customer profiles and predict what other types of consumers you can sell to. Look up demographics and the target market to get an idea of whom and where to sell to.
Revisit your annual sales plan. Check your progress of your plan and make any necessary revisions to stay on track with your budget and sales.
Develop a plan or strategy in case your sales predictions completely miss what you are projecting. This way, your business is prepared to handle not generating enough income due to lack of sales.
Daily Overview: Sales predictions are a good way to set goals for the future. They are also a way keep your business o...
By Cheryl Sowa · June 19 2009
small business tips, small business, sales, tip
The statistics are in: Growth of small and microbusiness lending was positive during the first half of 2008, but it was slower than in the previous year. This is according to the latest edition of the Office of Advocacy’s annual study of lending to small firms: Small Business & Micro Business Lending in the United States for Data Years 2007-2008, which gives a detailed account of small business lending overall, plus state-by-state totals and totals for individual lenders.
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By Charles M Cooper · June 19 2009
small business, sba, office of advocacy, small business loans
Government, Politics and the Economy
Republicans: Obama's Financial Oversight Plan Would Continue Bailouts
Leading Republicans on a House panel considering the Obama administration’s overhaul of financial regulations said the president’s plan would continue taxpayer-funded bailouts. Bloomberg.com
Ownership, Management and Operations
Make Sure Your New Hires are “Onboard”
Once they've finished their HR paperwork, it's time to really bring your new hires “onboard.” They will be more engaged, more productive, and they will want to stay and be committe...
By Charles M Cooper · June 19 2009
small business brief, marketing, small business, economy
As anyone who has spent any time in the workforce can tell you, there are exempt employees and nonexempt employees. The big difference between them is the fact that the first does not qualify for overtime while the second does. Most people are familiar with the so-called “white collar” exemptions for executive, administrative and professional employees. These folks are usually salaried, which people associate with exempt employees. However, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act, just having a salary is not enough.
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By Charles M Cooper · June 18 2009
small business, employment, hourly, salary
Tips from June 18, 2009 The Small Business tips today will be how to close a sale.
Recognize the time to close. Distinguish their mood and personality. If the client is stressed, busy, or in a rush, stress the important points and tone down your presentation. If the client is relaxed and willing to talk, go through your presentation thoroughly.
Debrief your prospective client. Restate the benefits to your product or service and what the prospect can expect. Reiterate what you have agreed on and what the client needs to do.
Decide on a closing technique. There are hundreds of ways to close, but the most common is the direct close approach. Once you feel you have gotten over every objection and can fulfill the needs of your prospective client, go for it.
Make a closing statement and ask for their order approval. Include all necessary information the prospect needs...
By Cheryl Sowa · June 18 2009
small business tips, small business, sales, tips
