Employee Benefits And The Small Business Owner

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For a company to acquire top talent and compete with another company for those employees, they have to provide benefits that are more than those required by law.  Social security and workers compensation are required by the federal government to be provided for employees, health insurance and retirement benefits are not required, and therefore only a small percentage of small business or medium size businesses offer those benefits to their employees.  The question becomes then how are businesses acquiring top talent if they cannot compete with other companies that provide those extra benefits?  Follow the links below to read more about this and other topics.


5 ways to start the small business benefits conversation

For business owners, attracting and retaining quality employees is always a challenge — especially as unemployment rates decline across the country. As fewer people look for jobs, employers need to find ways to entice candidates to accept their offers and, perhaps even more crucial, to keep good talent from potentially leaving for better offers.

Providing a competitive benefit package is one proven way for employers to attract and retain the best of the best.

But does this resonate with small-business owners? Not so much. In fact, most aren’t offering benefits at all, according to the 2015 Principal Financial Group® Business Owner Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive. Somewhat shocking details from the survey — which measured the responses of business owners with two to 500 employees — found that only slightly more than one-third, just 37 percent, offer group coverage or employee benefits.


JOSH MABUS — Hand in hand, small business and industry

There seems to be a debate in many cities, in our own state and across the country. Do we invest in small businesses, which employ lots of people as a group but are individually volatile and have lower economic impacts? Or do we invest in attracting corporations, which can be demanding and hard to come by?

We often talk about small business and large-scale employers as if they are mutually exclusive. It’s a debate as old as time. Which came first: the chicken or the egg?

Our nation is home to somewhere around 26 million small businesses, which make up 60 to 80 percent of all U.S. job creation, according to Entrepreneur Magazine.

Small business accounts for the most job creation because of the shear number of small businesses. Their sizes allow them to be more agile and make incremental hires. Those hires, when multiplied 26 million times, have a huge national impact.


Democrats, GOP Reps Demand IRS Return Money to Small Businesses

A bipartisan group of Congressmen on the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew demanding the government return money to small businesses that the IRS had wrongfully seized under federal asset forfeiture laws.

“As the Treasury Secretary, you have the opportunity to right the wrong done to these small business owners,” the Congressional letter writers said, adding, “You have the discretion to return the seized funds to their rightful owners.”

It’s a rare move made by the Congressmen to circumvent the IRS, which they say has been devastating small businesses with its “abusive” seizures of bank accounts the agency thinks are being used for, say, drug transactions or money laundering.


You’re the Face of Your Business – Don’t Sabotage It

business (10)It’s completely baffling why many small business owners are such poor representatives of their own companies, often to its detriment.  Conventional wisdom says the owner is the best spokesman for the business; no one cares about it and its success as much as he does.  After all, he’s put the money, sweat equity and time into making it a success.  Right?

Wrong, he commonly hasn’t learned the lesson — you’re the face of the business, be a good one.  “Learned the lesson” is the important take away, because the ability to effectively promote your business is an acquired skill.  We aren’t born with the skills needed to successfully market ourselves and our businesses.  Stop being your own worst advertisement; you can learn to do better and here are 3 good places to start.

Learn to listen

Very few people have the natural talent to be a good listener, and your probably not one of them.  Good listeners are rare and people who have this skill are perceived as capable, well-informed, smart and trustworthy.  If you’re seen this way then, via the halo effect, your business’s culture will be too.

Learn to ask good questions

This is the companion to learning to listen.  One of the fastest ways to develop rapport with someone is to ask them questions, not talk to or at them.  The ability to ask good, open ended questions conveys interest in the other person’s opinions, needs and wants — everything you want people to associate with your business. 

Learn to give a great elevator speech

Delivering a great elevator speech is a difficult talent to master.  You want to communicate who you (and your business) are, what you do and why it’s important in a very short time.  Commonly, people who are uncomfortable with elevator speeches appear too overbearing and “salesmanish” or apologetic and meek.  They also can be confusing and uninteresting.  None of these impressions are ones you want associated with your company.

Becoming the positive, accomplished face of your business takes the willingness to learn and practice.  Yes, you have to get out of your comfort zone, but the alternative — sabotaging your own hard work — is ridiculous.  A final bonus (incentive) is that these skills are applicable anytime, anywhere.  Once you’ve become good at them, they’ll also improve your personal relationships.


Small Business News

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Flexibility  is one of the many advantages an entrepreneur has when having his own business.  And the hours they choose to work do not matter as long as they’re many.  An 8-5 schedule for an entrepreneur does not work.  They work morning, afternoons and nights to be able to fit the many issues they have to accomplish before they can call it a day.  The amount of work they accomplish reflects on the many successes they achieve, thus making them financially stable to expand their business or any other endeavors they may have.

Follow the links below for more about this and other news.


The 7 Different Loans You Can Get as a Business Owner

In their book Start Your Own Business, the staff of Entrepreneur Media Inc. guides you through the critical steps to starting your business, then supports you in surviving the first three years as a business owner. In this edited excerpt, the authors outline the seven different kinds of loans you could get from a bank.

When you’re looking for debt financing for your business, there are many sources you can turn to, including banks, commercial lenders, and even your personal credit cards. And you don’t need to pinpoint the exact type of loan you need before you approach a lender; they will help you decide what type of financing is best for your needs. However, you should have some general idea of the different types of loans available so you’ll understand what your lender is offering.

Here’s a look at how lenders generally structure loans, with common variations.

1. Line-of-credit loans.


5 Reasons Why ‘Asking’ Is an Essential Skill for Every Entrepreneur

How do you feel about asking for what you want or need? If words likeshynervousanxious or even apathetic describe you in this context, you could be missing out on a good many opportunities.

Whether it’s favors, negotiations, or routine interpersonal communications you’re seeking, taking the initiative to ask and knowing how to do it well can make all the difference for both new entrepreneurs and established businesses.

From my experience, there are five key reasons that make asking important and necessary for success in business.

1. If you don’t ask for it, you probably won’t get it.

It seems kind of obvious, but it’s worth keeping in mind that things rarely fall into your lap and people usually won’t give you things just “because.” Even when someone does want to help you or make a deal, you can’t count on that person being a mind-reader.


Owning Your Own Business Means You Can Work Whenever You Want – As Long As It’s Every Day.

For years, Tim Campbell and his wife Sandi have shared a dream of one day owning their own business. After nearly 30 years of working in corporate America, filled with frequent traveling and moves, the Campbells were ready for jobs that allowed for the flexibility to spend time with friends and family. So, after returning to their home state of Georgia, the couple decided to open a Big Frog Customer T-Shirts & More franchise. Here’s what they have learned.

Name: Tim and Sandi Campbell

Franchise owned: Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More of Cumming, Ga.

How long have you owned a franchise?

My wife, Sandi, and I bought our store from an existing franchisee in 2013, but the store was first opened in 2009. Now we are in the process of opening a second location in the area.

Why franchising?

After 27 years in the corporate world, I was ready for a change of pace. My wife and I have both always wanted to own our own business, and we really liked that franchising offers a footprint in the industry, with the infrastructure and brand recognition already in place without us having to grow it from the ground up. Not only is Big Frog a fast-growing and award-winning franchise, it offers full support for its franchisees through a variety of mediums like peer groups, mentoring, forums, coaching and e-learning.


Thinking About Starting Your Own Business? Read Ahead

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Individuals as well as businesses of any size deal with financial woes, but if you want to start your own business or want to get into the franchise world, being financially aware of what to expect can help you avoid the many pitfalls that a lot of small business owners and individual deal with in a daily basis.  Meeting payroll and paying for expenses for the business can be financially draining if you do not budget your money well.

For more about this and other topics follow the links below.


Pop Quiz: Do You Know the 5 Basics of Financial Literacy?

Financial literacy, financial capability, financial understanding.

Whatever the name, the core idea is the same: being equipped with the knowledge, skills and tools to manage your money and secure your future.

That’s no easy task, but here are five key money topics you’ll need to understand and put into action to make financial literacy a reality:

    • Budgeting. Financial security starts with prudently managing your money on a day-to-day basis. That means spending less than you earn and saving consistently. Try to save at least 15% of your gross pay for short-term goals, long-term goals and unexpected expenses. Do it first and not with what’s left of your paycheck. Track all your expenses and set reasonable spending guidelines. Finally, don’t get caught up in how others are spending and undermine your own budget.

Plan Ahead to Be Your Own Boss

When Lisa Hennessy’s pet collie was diagnosed with a degenerative disease, she prepared a special, home-made diet for him, and discovered all her dogs loved it. So when she lost her job as a manager for an automotive parts distributor a few years later, she saw an opportunity to launch Your Pet Chef, a company that makes personalised dog food.

“We now make food for over 125 dogs and help them eat healthier every day,” said Hennessy, 52, who lives in Chicago in the US.

While Hennessy enjoys her new venture, which launched in 2012, she also faces a common problem among new business-owners: dwindling funds. Three years in, the business is self-sustaining but still doesn’t pay her a salary. “Now I’m trying to find investors so I can keep doing it and not drive for Uber [to supplement income],” she said.

It takes determination, experience, research, timing and hard work to start a business. And, many fail. But that doesn’t stop people from trying. In the US, 476,000 new businesses launched each month in 2013, according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. That same year, more than half a million new businesses were started in the UK, according to StartUp Britain. In Australia, about 300,000 new small businesses launch each year, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia.


10 Questions to Ask When Franchising Your Business

Your business is booming, easy to duplicate and ripe for growth. You’ve always dreamed of expanding to multiple locations. You decide the time is right — you’re making the leap to franchising.

Like tying the knot, becoming a franchisor isn’t an endeavor you rush into. With so many opportunities for failure, it’s critical that you do your due diligence when researching how to properly franchise your brand.

From budgeting for up-front costs, filing the right legal paperwork, vetting trustworthy franchisees, to scheduling royalty payments, there’s no shortage of challenging tasks ahead. But, if you play your cards right, your brand could one day be the next Supercuts or Subway.

Here are 10 essential questions to ask when franchising your business:


Small Business News

62227730To start a business, regardless of where you live, you have to considered the many advantages a particular state or city has on the success of your business. Paperwork and taxes are too cumbersome for many small business owners to consider, so the less they have to deal with those issues the better. The attraction of many cities for the small business owner is the possibility to finding funding, less taxes and paperwork.

To read more about this topic follow the links below.


Small-Business Owners Gained Confidence in April

WASHINGTON — Small-business owners in the United States gained confidence in April and were surprisingly bullish about capital expenditure plans, further supporting views that economic growth is rebounding after a dismal first quarter.

The Labor Department also reported on Tuesday that job openings fell in March. The National Federation of Independent Business said on Tuesday that its Small Business Optimism Index rose 1.7 points to 96.9 last month. It was the largest gain since December.

Small businesses historically have accounted for half of private gross domestic product. The economy is clawing back after being hit by a mix of bad weather, disruptions at ports, a strong dollar and deep spending cuts by energy companies.Data on employment and consumer sentiment have suggested a pickup in growth momentum at the start of the second quarter, but the dollar and lower oil prices continue to weigh on manufacturing.


San Francisco Chamber CEO Applauds Small-Business Rebels

Small businesses take center stage in San Francisco next week, with an emphasis on disruptive technology and businesses that have butted heads with the status quo.

Uber and Airbnb sprang up in this city, beginning as startups testing new, even quirky business models. They quickly transformed into global companies.

Chamber of Commerce President Bob Linscheid says there are lessons to be learned from businesses — startups or established companies — that challenge the norm.

“That lesson is that you must constantly innovate,” he says. “Our city is a haven for innovation and entrepreneurship.”


The Best And Worst Cities For Small Business Employees

Last month, Forbes reported on the best cities for starting a business this year, and much attention is frequently given to the locations working the hardest to attract founders who’ll create coveted jobs. But which cities are the most hospitable to those who hold those positions?

To determine the best and worst cities for small business employees, personal finance site WalletHub looked at 100 of the country’s largest metro areas, evaluating each against 11 metrics that examine the small business climate as well as the larger economic environment.

As a means of measuring the health of the small business scene in each city, WalletHub considered the number of business with less than 250 employees per every 1,000 residents, small business job growth, diversity of industries, percentage of small businesses offering health insurance to employees and employee earnings adjusted for cost of living.


Information Silos Are a Small Business Problem Too

64735957The problem of insular management in businesses, governments and organizations has been around for millenniums.  It began when the first chiefs (managers) became responsible for the safety and well being of their tribe (workers).   Julius Caesar, 2,000 years ago, conquered a large portion of Europe by aggressively minimizing or eliminating insular management in his army.

In large and small companies the problem of insular management is just as relevant and troublesome today as it was then.  However, many small business owners believe that only big companies have difficulties with it.  They erroneously think it is a function of size – that while a larger company may struggle with it their smaller business is exempt.

But, it is an issue which can be present in almost any size of entity (i.e. big governments, small businesses, teams, committees, families).  Insular management is the cause and effect when there is a systemic communication, operational and management breakdown.  This breakdown creates and is the result of information silos, think of the classic snake eating its own tail metaphor.

The concept of information silos is a simple one.  Silos are created when information is not readily shared and fundamental responsibility is abdicated.  In other words, one hand does not know what the other hand is doing, nor do they take responsibility for their actions.  This is a problem which can only be managed, not fixed, because it is caused by basic human nature. 

People, consciously and unconsciously, typically do not readily share information with their co-workers or bosses.  There are a variety of reasons for why they do not.  They also, routinely, do not take responsibility for their behaviors, decisions or job duties.  To the point where it seems, to some managers, that people who are self-motivated to do their jobs responsibly are the exception not the rule.

Therefore, to minimize, eradicate, or stop silos from forming a capable owner will understand human behavior and be willing to manage it.  Unfortunately, many are not willing to learn and are as culpable as their employees in creating and maintaining information silos.  Consequently, whether it is the tragedy of the General Motors ignition switch problem or a machine shop foreman shipping defective parts, they will continue to affect businesses of all sizes. 


Minority Owned Businesses and Gov. Kasich’s Budget

54642287Minority owned businesses have increased over recent years, and the US government knows the important growth these businesses provide to their local economies, and the nation’s economy  overall.  The increased in minority owned businesses have more than double compared to those of non-minorities nationally, and the City of Cincinnati, Ohio is now looking into promoting the inclusion of minority owned businesses for the State.  To read more about this and other topics follow the links below.


Ohio House Markedly Improves On Gov. Kasich’s Budget Plan

Last week, Ohio House leadership introduced a substitute bill to Governor Kasich’s proposed budget that would make many notable improvements to the tax plan. This is good news, because the proposed tax plan that came from the Kasich administration was deeply in conflict with itself.

The central element of the governor’s proposal was to reduce the individual income tax, which Kasich argues has “sucked the vitality out of this state.” The internal conflict, however, came from the revenue offsets the governor chose, which would have placed greater hindrances on, well, economic vitality. When first details emerged, I wrote on Forbes that the governor’s plan may be a tax cut overall, but that doesn’t make it good policy.

The governor’s proposed hikes included an increase in the state’s unique Commercial Activity Tax (arguably the most distortive tax in Ohio’s code), a hike to cigarette taxes, new taxes on electronic vapor cigarettes, hikes in the severance tax, and a hike to the sales tax. When done correctly, tax swaps can reduce highly harmful taxes while offsetting revenue losses by leaning on less distortive taxes. The Kasich proposal, by contrast, leaned on economically distortive, nontransparent taxes to make the ledger balance.


Here’s how Cincinnati is pushing for minority-business inclusion (Video)


Sorry, small business: Middle-market companies create most net new jobs

Companies with revenue between $10 million and $1 billion created 2.1 million out of the net 2.3 million new jobs added over the past seven years, according to an American Express/Dun & Bradstreet analysis.

Maybe it’s time for politicians to drop their rhetoric about small businesses creating most of America’s new jobs — since 2008, it’s actually been middle-market companies that have driven job growth.

That’s according to a new analysis from American Express and Dun & Bradstreet. It found that middle-market companies — businesses with revenue between $10 million and $1 billion — created 2.1 million of the 2.3 million net new jobs added over the past seven years.

Middle-market companies “have been the unsung heroes of employment growth,” said Susan Sobbott, president of global corporate payments for American Express.


Employee Praise and Last Minute Tax Tips

59948705Google has been for a while now considered one of the best places to work for.  Thousands of new applications are received daily for employment at Google, and even a movie has been made about Google being the place to be.  Taken those points into account, one has to consider whether Google is actually doing things right.  According to research done by The Gallup Organization, they discovered that for a place to be considered a great place to work, one of the four characteristics they had to have was recognizing and praising employees for doing good work.  They stated that; “Praise and recognition are essential building blocks of  a great workplace.”

To read more about this topic follow this link. To read more about tax tips, follow the links below.


Last Minute Tax Advice for the Self-Employed

Every tax paying American knows April 15 is the deadline to file your federal income tax return, but do you know about this year’s tax code changes that can have a big effect on your 2014 tax return and your wallet? As the American public, including millions of self-employed business owners, race to meet the April deadline, there are some important changes to the tax code to keep in mind that could help ensure your return is filed accurately – and with the greatest possible financial benefit.

 Health Care Penalty:

The biggest change is the new health-care penalty, if you chose to not to obtain qualified health-care coverage. As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), everyone is required to sign up for health-care coverage, or face a penalty that increases each year for non-compliance.


5 Tax Breaks Overlooked By Small Business Owners

For the small business owner, tax season can be stressful, and the prospect of shelling out a load of money to the government is not exciting. That’s why small business owners love tax benefits. Here are 5 tax benefits that are often overlooked by small business owners that can save your business money.

Please consult your tax professional before following any of the suggestions below. If you do your taxes yourself, there is a resource which compares the online offerings of TurboTax, TaxAct, and HR Block.

1. Have Lunch Meetings  
If you often buy lunch (eat-in or take-out) while you are working, you might be able to deduct 50% of meal expenses. If you and your business partners or employees have meetings, consider having meetings over lunch.
As long as the dining expenses are reasonable, you are allowed to deduct 50% of meal costs when eating with business partners and employees while conducting business operations. If you buy lunch every day and spend around $8, you can deduct $4. If you do the math, that amounts to over $1000 a year in claimable deductions ($4/day x 5 days x 52 weeks).

Getting coverage Small-business owners seek affordable health care options for workers

The days when Annapolis’ Prographics offered all of its employees health insurance may have ended.The graphics firm’s owners are considering their options as they try to get 2015 coverage for their staff of six by next week’s deadline.

Costs have increased so much, they said, that it might be cheaper for employees to get their own insurance through Maryland’s exchange, rather than doing so through the company.For weeks, Chris Larson and his employees have been examining coverage options that last year came with a $300 monthly premium but would go up to$700 in 2015.
The same employees could qualify for $344 premiums by getting individual coverage through the exchange.”We’re sort of being forced to look at other options,” said Larson, who runs the firm with his wife, Carol. “We have to look at where everybody falls and make the decisions of cost savings.”

Constructive Praise is Important Too

54642287The art of giving constructive criticism is a well known management concept.  The skill of giving and receiving critical feedback is an important one for all managers to learn.  If handled appropriately, by the person giving it and the person receiving it, a critique can result in professional and personal growth for both of the people involved in the discussion.

There’s an equally important skill that’s rarely talked about and commonly misunderstood.  The ability to give productive praise is as important as the ability to give productive critical feedback.  But, unfortunately and erroneously, the knack of giving constructive praise is viewed as easier and more natural to do.  Therefore, many people believe it doesn’t need to be learned. 

They think – What’s there to learn, don’t you just tell someone they’re doing a good job and move on?  The answer is an emphatic “No”.  People rarely respond to and rarely learn anything from a generic “good job”.  To be useful meaningful praise should follow the same guidelines as meaningful criticism.

Be timely.  Highlight the here and now.  Focus your praise on specific behaviors which have happened very recently, ideally in the last day or two.   

Neal was confused when Sam, the owner of the company, said, “Thanks for your hard work”.  He thought Sam was being sarcastic because it was a very light work week.  When he realized it was 2 weeks ago (when the whole shop worked hard to fill a large order) that he was being thanked for Neal perceived the praise as being “a day late and a dollar short”.  The praise only strengthened Neal’s opinion that Sam was out of touch with the daily operations.

Focus on behaviors.  Specifically refer to what the person did or does.  Describe what you have seen and think about his behavior. Use “I” statements and focus on behaviors you want him to continue doing, which reinforces positive actions

Paul was diligently putting in long hours for a new a client.  His manager Jill stopped by his office and praised him for his work.  She specifically cited the weekend hours he was putting in and how satisfied she was with the quality of the work he was producing.  Paul was gratified to see that someone was paying attention and felt she “was interested” in his success.

Be specific.  Be ready and able to discuss the behaviors specifically.  Praise that’s too general is often seen as insincere or of little value.

Dawn’s boss Ed thanked her for her contribution to a presentation which helped secure a large contract.  She had used new techniques for the graphics and was eager to hear about the reaction to them.  She asked for specific feedback to gauge what might work for future presentations.  It quickly became clear Ed didn’t know what her contribution was and that he had paid little attention to the presentation.  Dawn saw his praise as “dishonest and worthless”.

When done correctly, constructive praise is often more effective in motivating people than constructive criticism.  Successful managers learn how to use both to improve relationships and productivity.  A few well-chosen, specific and timely words of praise have been known to make the difference between a good day and a bad day for many people. 


The State of the U.S. Economy and other news

64002400Depending on whom you ask, the economy of the United States is a hot topic for any business owner, or analyst willing to delve into it.  For Ohio small business owners the health of the state’s economy is always an important part, and the changes that can affect their business are always a hot issue.  Tax changes, especially changes that affect them particularly are viewed carefully by them and are not always welcomed. For news about the state of the U.S economy, follow the links below.


Ohio’s major chambers of commerce rap John Kasich’s tax plan as divisive and bad for business

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a letter to Gov. John Kasich, nine key chambers of commerce from around the state wrote that his tax reform proposals will shift tax burdens, cause friction and hurt businesses.

The chambers, while pledging to work with Kasich and legislative leaders in the future, said they don’t believe Kasich’s tax proposal will help to bolster Ohio’s economy.

“The proposed plan does not look to create greater efficiency within government in order to support tax cuts,” they wrote in their letter to Kasich and the leaders of the Ohio House and Senate. “Instead, this plan shifts the tax burden from one group to another, pitting different types and sizes of businesses and individuals seemingly against each other while government spending continues to grow.”


Has American Business Lost Its Mojo?

Over the past three decades, the American economy has become less vigorous. An extensive body of evidence shows that the public focus on the success of high-tech companies like Apple and Google masks an overall downward trend in key measures of business vitality.

“Business deaths now exceed business births for the first time in the thirty-plus year history of our data,” note Ian Hathaway and Robert E. Litan, economists at the Brookings Institution, in a May 2014 essay, “Declining Business Dynamism in the United States.”

There is widespread support for their assertion. Jim Clifton, chairman and C.E.O. of Gallup, wrote in a January 2015 essay, “American Entrepreneurship: Dead or Alive?”:

Until 2008, start-ups outpaced business failures by about 100,000 a year. But in the past six years, that number has suddenly turned upside down. There has been an underground earthquake.


The Cleveland Flea: Why sellers are sold on it 

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Flea started two years ago with 40 businesses participating. On April 11, when the Flea starts its outdoor season, about 160 businesses will be selling. And Flea organizers say there’s a long wait list to join the party. I posed the following three questions to a handful of Flea vendors:

*How has participating in the Flea changed your business?

*What’s the best part of the Flea?

*What do you hope to see for the Flea in the future?

And here is what they said:

What they sell: Specialists in interior design, estate sales, antiques, mid-century modern, gifts and things