For the majority of SME companies, their key critical data they held on computer systems, is essential in the running and profitability of their businesses. In today’s climate of data protection, data loss and data hacking, most businesses have some form of data protection on their systems; either an anti-virus software, anti spyware or firewall. The more astute will have taken steps to protect their critical data whether by making a duplicate and putting it on an external drive or using free software available to back up their data to their system. Larger companies tend to invest in a tape back up system, which necessitates the need to regularly change the tape drives and replace the drives as they start to wear or become full.

The point being is that critical business data is at the heart of a company and without your sales ledger, payroll details, client database; most companies would not know where to turn for help. The recent floods caused chaos to a huge number of businesses and lead to some of these going to the wall, as they lost everything. Even if a suitable insurance product had been put into place for business continuity, the cash injection cannot replace the data. I know of companies who had servers backing up to duplicate servers sitting next to each other that were both flooded.

There are a number of solutions to help businesses prevent this eventuality; it doesn’t have to be just flooding for these solutions to work.

First, any back up is better than none and a good start to helping you if loose or damage your data. If you have a back up drive make sure it is away from your main system (some people even take them home, but be careful this can cause more harm as a disk drive has moving parts and these can get damaged in transit). If you have a tape back up system, make sure that the drives are regularly verified (to make sure that what you are backing up is actually backing up to the various tapes being used), a network support company should be able to offer this service. If you have back up servers make sure the location of the back up is away from the original, better still another floor or building. If these methods and solutions either seem to complex or involve too much expense or expertise why not back up your data off site with a data back up company.

Data Back up companies tend to offer a simple back up software solution which will back up all of your critical business data via your own system, encrypt this data and then transfer it via the internet to either Servers or Data Centres. Once the data back up has been completed the software will send an e-mail to you to say the process has been successfully completed. All of this can be easily automated so that once you have decided what key data you want backing up, the software will doing it at regular intervals, whatever you decide. If you need to retrieve your data at any point for any reason it can downloaded from the Server/Data Centre and re-installed to your system.

Most businesses are now considering a disaster recovery route which involves data back up and off site data back up is certainly one option I would whole heartedly recommend any business to have, as the cost of implementing this solution is extremely small compared the cost of losing your data and possibility of your business. But if you haven’t already addressed the issue of data back up, what exists for the company who has suffered the loss of data or suffered a disaster? Data recovery is a well established arm of corporate business and is a necessity in helping business who has suffered data loss. Not all data is recoverable, it depends on what has happened to the drive, but the majority of Data Recovery companies, have a high percentage rate of recovering data. Even some of the flood damaged drives examined, have been able to be recovered via a quite complex process, but this does take time and a great deal of expertise and with any type of cure is usually more expensive than the prevention.

Inevitably accidents will happen; dropping a laptop, reformatting a drive, but all is not lost. But prevention is always better cure and knowing that a cure exists at all is better than despair. Make a good business decision and make sure your critical data is securely backed up, preferably off site.

Neil Adgie – Director – Data Solutions UK Ltd

0845 200 6721

http://www.datasolutionsuk.co.uk

neil.adgie@datasolutionsuk.co.uk

Author: Neil Adgie
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Canada duty rate

Working in an office as a payroll clerk is a job that requires exceptional numerical skill and trustworthiness. The payroll clerk is in charge of making, distributing, appropriating and managing financial for all employees for each cut off period and is responsible for book keeping records pertinent to salary taxation and payouts. Most companies will hire an accountant or someone with relative background in finance and mathematics, preferably with a four year degree.

An outstanding moral compass is also necessary and majority of companies perform psychological evaluation as part of the hiring process, to ensure that that people who are hired in this position will not steal or manipulate the books. If you want to be successful and be hired as a payroll clerk, you need to create a resume that coincides with the professional requirements for the job. Making your resume standout will give you an edge and provide employers with a glimpse of your academic and professional capacity- something that most generic applications lack.

One of the most important parts of your application is the header. As a payroll clerk, you must highlight your academic references that make you qualified, or more than qualified to perform the duties and responsibilities of managing the corporate payroll. Small companies normally hire people with backgrounds related to accounting and math, while major corporations will require a bachelors degree and an accountancy license. For those who have a more extensive academic record, indicating your professional title in the header is a good practice. This should provide potential employers with a general idea of your skill, and how much they should be paying you. Certified public accountants generally charge a higher paycheck for example, but have a higher qualification level than most payroll clerk candidates. Your work relative to creating payroll is also important, so use that as part of your experience level when providing insight to your professional experience as a payroll accountant.

Need information about sample resumes for Payroll Clerk, visit ProSampleResumes.com.

Author: John F Smith
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Anti-angiogenic Food

Each worker is given a paycheck by their boss because of the effort and labor they give to the business. Major, high-standing companies are made up of departments that have the job of conducting all the payrolls. However, there are also the smaller corporations that go without these departments altogether.

Under these circumstances, the smaller corporations simply appoint one of their workers to conduct their payroll. Creating a payroll is more difficult than you may imagine, as it takes energy, patience and a strong focus to avoid making errors under the pretext of time or absences while deducting the totals required for subtraction (taxes are one example).

One of the most important parts of conducting the payroll is a worker’s time record, and it must always be clear and accurately documented. This is because the wage total that all employees are to obtain will be founded on the person’s time records, including their sick leave, overtime, attendance, undertime, and so forth.

An employee’s pay is contingent upon various elements, such as the number of undertimes, overtimes and absences they put in; another aspect to be considered is the employee’s taxes that are required for their salary deduction. Just from reading what is required of you when you are designated to creating the payroll will leave you feeling drained, but work is work, and it will always need to be done. This is specifically true for the payroll, for without it, you and your coworkers would not be able to acquire your paychecks in time.

Prior to the computer age, people experienced difficulties with this particular job, but today’s technology has enabled the small business (and major business) to deal with their payroll quandary more effectively. There are quite a few payroll software programs out there that could assist you with the payroll process and make it a much smoother task for you to accomplish. On the other hand, a sense of caution is needed on your side in order to obtain the most efficient payroll software program for your business. You definitely would not want to squander all your cash on a program that fails to meet your company’s needs.

Due to the fact being that major companies assign their HR and accounting departments to the duty of caring for the payroll, the majority of today’s small companies simply come up with the money to pay for a hired payroll service.

Want to find out more about Los Angeles accounting firm, then visit our site to choose the best Los Angeles CPA firm for your needs.

Author: Anthony M Flores
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Healing food: natural way to cure cancer

The search for the right accountant can be really demanding, but if you are starting up a business then looking for accountants should be a prime consideration which should not be left as a last decision to make. Hiring an accountant should be done even before you come to terms of thinking you need one. It is part of the common sense of the employer that the right accounting professional is someone with the qualifications. If you are looking for one, then you should ask your professional associates. Their personal recommendations will be of vital importance to you especially if you have no idea where to start your search.

Bookkeeping services are actually available on the internet as there are firms who have advertised their services online, so more people can view them. Check out these firms and contact them. Accountants can offer valuable service through studying your accounts and pinning down problems in the financial aspect of your business. Depending on your company’s needs, you can opt for specialized services and in order to find out the appropriate professionals to handle your specific needs, you should do a research. Accounting firms may offer legal services, bookkeeping, and payroll services; some offer a wide range of services while others focus on a few, wherein they are at their best.

Anyway, the easiest way to find good accountants is by asking your friends or relatives for suggestions. You can do your own research by searching the yellow pages and browsing the internet. You may find several choices after a few days but that does not mean the search is over because you need to sort out the prospects. If you are looking for services from a firm, you still need to schedule a conference with the potential employee. Meeting your prospects gives you better judgment than simply relying on their resumes which can be deceiving.

Small business owners make a mistake of not hiring accounting or bookkeeping services early in the course of their business and that this results in some of the most inconvenient experiences. It is a mistake to think small enterprises don’t need accounting. It is a mistake to not include accounting during the planning of the business, let alone to not include it during the inception. Accounting professionals serve more purpose than simply checking your books and records. They can be your valuable assistants or advisors doing more than basic record-keeping. Since your business has its unique attributes, it is necessary that you figure out what set of accounting services you need because different firms can provide you with unique assistance to match your company’s needs.

That is the very reason why considering the professional background and training of the prospect is extremely vital. You cannot simply hire someone because they have background in looking at book of accounts. You cannot hire just anyone who had a few subjects of accounting in college. What you need is one with sufficient training and expertise. So, be wary when marching over the internet to find freelancers. It’s always safe to find a firm wherein competent professionals are screened and honed and deployed to you.

Well the standard selection procedure applies when looking for the qualified accountant. Yes, this is tough, but it is the only way you could find the right one. CPAs or chartered accountants are usually the ones you need, in case you haven’t realized that yet. They are by far better equipped and sufficiently trained to handle different accounting jobs. Find professional accountancy bodies and organizations delivering accounting services to different businesses.

Discuss your needs with those in your shortlist during the interview so that you would know who can provide you with sensible answers. You can ask for references, in case you’d want to make a background check. If the accountant is confident, they’d be happy to give you names.

Jo is an author and publisher for ‘Watkinson Black Chartered Accountants’ ( http://www.warringtonaccountants.co.uk ), a reputable firm stationed in Warrington, Cheshire offering the services of Chartered Accountants and Tax Advisors, who are both pro-active and experienced. If your business is looking for chartered accountants who can perform the accounting task with great reliability and efficiency and give important information that are helpful to the continued success of your company then check out WatkinsonBlack, Chartered Accountants.

Author: Jo Alelsto
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Advice on AdSense

Risk management services for small and medium businesses are a valuable HR outsourcing service offered by a PEO. Managing risk is an important element of HR management and has many legal consequences too. It is important to get it right. Let’s face it; if your workplace is risky and your employees have chances of getting hurt, it’s going to put you in trouble by inviting legal wrath. Secondly, you’ve got to be prepared for financial risks. If you feel all this is too much for your organization, you are right. This service has the potential to extract the most of your resources.

Comprehensive Solutions

Safe workplaces, OSHA compliance, safety training, prevention of workplace related injury and illness, and hazards programs are all part of this service. It requires awareness of legal procedures, sound understanding of Federal and State regulation, and the ability to create a safe working environment for your staff. Then there are economic pitfalls which payroll services Oklahoma will help you avoid.

Various Elements of Risk Management Services

Effective management of risk is truly resource consuming, which is why you need outsourced solutions that can cost-effectively meet your business requirements. A PEO features a range of experts including underwriters, loss control specialists, A+ rated insurance carrier, and more that can make risk management services for small and medium businesses effective. The risk management solutions provided include:

• Designing an overall effective safety program
• Organizing safety training
• Coordinating and conducting safety meetings as those between management and employees
• Making available various safety resources such as safety videos and safety posters
• Developing a company safety manual
• Developing or improving existing safety programs
• Back to work programs
• Evaluating loss trends
• Workers’ compensation insurance
• Claims management for work-associated injuries

Cost-effective Business Risk Management

Business risk management from a PEO is really cost-effective since it is truly flexible and offered considering your organization’s unique financial structure, resources, nature of business and workplace structure. The PEO ensures your workplace is safe, helps you avoid economic pitfalls and maintains legal compliance to the various safety standards.

Improving Workplace Safety

Workplace safety involves a host of responsibilities and providers of risk management services for small and medium businesses offer these solutions comprehensively. This involves evaluating existing safety plans of client companies and making improvements to them to ensure they are efficient and cost-effective, educating employees about risks and how they can prevent it or be prepared for it, creating safety manuals, and ensuring safety notices get distributed smoothly. Workers’ compensation is also part of risk management solutions and the PEO is able to give client companies access to cost-effective plans.

Risk Management – Kruse PEO cover a wide range of services including employee benefits management, benefits administration, payroll services, regulatory compliance, accounting and billing services.

Author: Christopher Walton
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Canada duty

Compared to leasing or buying a house or a car, the decision to lease your employees is a distinct course of action, although it has its similarities. It is important to learn how to distinguish this course of action as it can be quite compelling and difficult. Generally, because of the factors of costs and benefits to the company and its repercussions, the leasing of employees is not for everyone.

While there are companies which stand to benefit from PEO services, there are some which may not be ready for such paradigm shift. There are some similarities in leasing or purchasing a car or a house, but ultimately, you would have to figure out the necessity of this venture depending on the needs of your business.

The employee leasing basically contracts workers that are already in the company’s fold. There is basically no need to make personnel changes and the different operational tasks and schedules remain the same. The changes are mostly in the areas of workers compensation, human resource management, tax payments, employee benefits, payroll, and other systems to manage the personnel resource. Payroll services are highlighted features of this leasing system.

The leasing service takes over the professional management of the human resources department and streamlines its operations for the benefit of the company. With such service, the company only handles a lump sum amount in terms of payroll in each cycle with the details of the payroll to be handled by the leasing service.

There are also benefits to the employees being hired by the leasing service. Because leasing companies are typically larger than a given company, the benefits to employees are consequently larger and insurance for employees would turn out cheaper because of volume considerations. In terms of PEO services, because of a bigger pool of human resources, lower insurance rates are imminent. When you have a smaller company composed perhaps of 50 to 100 employees, then there is a smaller risk pool and this would drive the insurance rates higher.

There are also certain drawbacks to getting employee leasing services which may be undesirable for some companies. When you engage its services you are compelled to delegate the hiring and firing rights of all leased employees. Even the reassignment of employees becomes the leasing company’s responsibility and privilege.

Although you have supervisory rights over these employees, the general management and Payroll Services rests in the leasing company and you effectively lose tight control over them, which would be a disadvantage in certain instances. While some companies consider this as a virtual loss of power over their domain, there are also companies that are relieved in not having to worry about managing their personnel affairs.

There are some businesses that are gratified with the easing of the burden in taking care of their employees and in these instances, employee leasing becomes beneficial to the company.

Leasing PEO services entail crucial considerations before engaging such serious endeavor. The aspect of Payroll Services alone is a major consideration for businesses because of the scope and magnitude entailed in such services.

Author: Terro White
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Excise Tax

You are a veteran or current service member and are bitten by the entrepreneur bug. Truth be known, you have always been an idea person, and mull over in your mind constantly business models and new strategies. You can’t wait to start your own business. Or, you are currently in business and exploding with concepts for expansion. In both instances, you have always dreamed taking on the world by succeeding in your own business. Your biggest problem is: How do you start? Where do I go from here to put into effect those ideas? More significantly, who is going give you the working capital (that’s right, the money) to put those fervent hopes to the test?

Well, there is something out there for you. Congress has rightfully acknowledged the service our veterans have conferred upon the nation by providing various benefit programs. We are all aware of benefits under the categories of home loans, education, rehabilitation, and the like, but what if you are the owner of a business? Fortunately there is a program that is devised specifically for our veteran and service-disabled business owners. It comes in the form of reasonable interest business loans administered through the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and is called the Patriot Express Loan Program.

The SBA since 1953 has been in the business of promoting the interests of small businesses. Traditionally, they were largely neglected by large banks and had to secure their financing by reaching into their own pockets, as well as gingerly extending a hand toward families and friends. So in order to encourage the banks to open up their coffers, they came up with the idea of guaranteeing any default a bank would have after loaning the money. Bear in mind this is not my money coming directly from the Veterans Administration or the U.S. government, but from private banks. The SBA loans direct taxpayer dollars only in cases of the disasters (“FEMA” loans). So then the idea is to give banks the incentive to make a loan because 85% of it is now guaranteed against default with the loss reimbursed from the government. The result: hopefully banks will be more encouraged to make the loan in the first place. This all makes sense from an economic standpoint because as we all know, small businesses grow into large and more productive business models.

If you are currently a business owner or planning to take the plunge shortly, paramount in your mind is access to capital. Even the best ideas need the backing of moneys earmarked for development, advertising, inventory, office supplies and equipment, rental of office space, production costs, payroll, and the whole panoply of cash flow needs. This applies across the board to start-up businesses as well as existing ones who wish to expand. But where do you go to receive such funding? It is a dilemma that has been analyzed by Congress and they have come up with a solution.

So for years the SBA was licensing the private lenders and monitoring their activities along this line. But what about us veterans? Finally on Flag Day, June 2007, they inaugurated the “Patriot Express Loan Program” which was specifically devised for veteran own businesses. It worked under the same business model so the capital would land in the laps of such deserving business owners. Making it even easier, all existing licensed SBA lenders could get involved in the program with little paperwork. In fact, they used the same basic forms.

The loan amounts are between $5,000 and $500,000. The larger loans typically require 100% real estate collateral, more comprehensive financial paperwork, and a cash down payment if you are startup. But for the smaller loans between $5,000 and $25,000, they trimmed down the paperwork and made it especially easy without tax returns, business plans, or financials. As a “lean and mean” application process, it allows the lenders to make decisions within one or two days with funding in ten days by the wiring of the funds directly into a business account.

Because they are unsecured loans, the personal credit of the owners is analyzed. The good news is that many lenders allow a favorable review of such credit reports so as to give the maximum benefit to our veterans.

Realizing business owners need flexibility in repayment, it was formulated so the loans can be paid off early, stopping all interest, and without a prepayment penalty. Thus, if the owner receives a large draw or payment on a contract, all or part of it can be paid down. And to reduce the monthly payment, it was spread out as a ten year fully amortized, principal and interest loan. Notes that unsecured loans are primarily adjustable rate vehicles, so the interest rate goes up and down based on the Wall Street Journal Prime. But because the payments are spread out over such a long period of time, an increase in the interest rate does not equates to that large of a jump in the monthly payment. This is all good news in our current economy since interest rates have fallen for the last several years.

To further simplify matters, there is no longer a need to send in a check with a your payment coupon, since debits are done electronically on the first of the month through a business account.

Sounds simple? Well it is, exactly what our veteran-owned businesses deserve. The program is scheduled to be renewed in December of 2010 so in the meantime, it is alive and well as a direct benefit to our veteran businesses, and to jumpstart our economy. Let us not forget that there are 27 million small businesses in this country, and they provide approximately 2/3 of the available jobs.

To sum up, here are some of the details of the program:

Who May Apply for These Business Loans:

o Veterans
o Service-disabled veterans
o Active duty service members
o Reservists and National Guard Members
o Current spouse of a veteran or service member
o The widowed spouse of a service member who died as a result of a service disability

What kinds of businesses? Applies to both start-ups and established businesses, regardless of size, and whether a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation.

What kind of credit is needed? This program allows a special concession in the form of a “second look” at your credit report with a liberal and favorable review.

How Long Will it be in Place? It was passed into law on June 28, 2007. It is scheduled to be in effect until 2010, when it will be reviewed by Congress. At that point a determination will be made as to whether it will be a permanent program or simply renewed. In other words, it is a pilot program and is not a permanent part of the SBA loan portfolio yet.

What can the loan be used for? For most business purposes, including start-up, expansion, equipment, cash flow, payroll, overhead, working capital, or inventory.

Lender Incentives to make these Loans. As with most loans through the SBA, the Federal government does not actually loan the money. The lending is done by private banks and finance companies. In order to give these institutions the incentive to make the loans, the SBA guarantees any defaults. For example, for loans up to $150,000.00, there is an SBA guarantee of 85%.

TERMS

o Loan amounts starting from $5,000
o No coupons or mailing-automatic ACH debit from your business account
o No prepayment penalty or balloon payments-pay off early and stop the interest
o Interest as low as 7.75%

BENEFITS

o Simplified paperwork
o Quick response time
o Business plans, financials, and tax returns are not required
o No collateral required
o Establishes credit for your business
o Money is wired directly into your business checking account

Sue Malone
442 Diablo Road, Suite 137
Danville, CA 94526
Email: info@StrategiesForSmallBusiness.com

Sue Malone is a small business advocate and founder of Strategies For Small Business, a company devoted to providing SBA Loans for small business owners including veteran-owned, which loans are currently available, whether as start-ups or existing businesses. For six years she has been the nations #1 provider of Community Express/Patriot Express Loans, having funded over 25,000 businesses in all 50 states. For a free loan consultation or for more information on the programs, visit our website at: http://www.StrategiesForSmallBusiness.com Or call (925) 899-8449.

©2009 Strategies For Small Business. All rights reserved.

Author: Sue B. Malone
:
Home care

It takes more than just an idea, some money and an office to get a business up and running. You need an infrastructure. Just what does it mean to set up a business infrastructure? It takes some planning and making a few key decisions before you sign any legal paperwork. For example, on a small scale, you are going to need someone to help you with the bookkeeping and someone to help you with payroll. But there are many more considerations.

First, you need to decide what type of company you want to become. As important as it was in determining the culture of your company, you will want to consider your business’ structure, keeping in mind who is in charge, how big you want the company to grow, how many employees the business will have and how you want to handle day-to-day operations. There are many business structures in the United States. Most states have information online covering the type of structure available.

Here are six types of business structures, each with its own legal, tax and business ramifications:

1. Sole Proprietorship is when an individual owns and operates a business by him/herself.
2. Corporation, of which there are many types, is a legal entity that exists separately from its owners. There are many benefits to incorporation, including limiting the owners from personal liability and separating taxes from the owners and the company. Offering stocks or bonds can generate additional capital for a corporation and a corporation can live on, well past the death or retirement of the owners.
3. Limited Liability Company (LLC) offers liability protection similar to that of a corporation but is taxed differently. One or more managers or one or more members may manage LLCs.
4. Limited Partnership, there must be at least one general partner that acts as the controlling partner while the liability of limited partners is normally limited to the amount of control or participation they have engaged in.
5. General Partnership is when two or more people form an association for profit.
6. Limited Liability Partnership is designed for accountants, lawyers and architects or companies with services related to those professional areas. A limited liability partnership is required to maintain certain levels of insurance as required by law.

The next two components to setting up the nuts and bolts of your business involve people and processes.

It’s important to line up your advisor relationships. Think of your key relationships as a group of advisors, whether that’s an official board or some of the people you work with on a daily basis.

Assemble a board.
You may not have one, but I highly recommend it. I found that one of the most important things in building both of my companies was having a board of directors. When establishing and growing a company, it’s helpful to have people you respect and whose opinions you respect giving advice about business issues. But the most important thing I have found is that a board is critical for my accountability. Having a board of directors forces me to prioritize and have discussions I wouldn’t otherwise have. In short, it sets aside time for me to get out of the weeds and think more strategically about building my business.

Pick an odd number total of people for the board. (If you ever have a vote, you need an odd number.) Three is a good place to start. Hold regular recurring meetings to get the most benefit. Also, use the board for your network effect since they are tied into a wider network and can help with hiring and any kind of support you might need.

Make friends with the landlord.
It’s very important to build a relationship with this person. I think of my father and his businesses: every time he needs more space, he calls the landlord and they work on it together. This has been true for me as well. Consider your landlord as part of your advisor circle. As you grow, you will rely on him or her to help with the physical aspects of the business.

Hire an attorney.
This depends on the type of business you are running. Does your company have special needs, like a product that requires patents and/or trademarks? Or, you may just need to have an attorney guide you through the process of becoming incorporated, or whatever your business structure is. I have always been fortunate to work with great attorneys that not only protect the legal interest of the business but also can provide valuable insight into growing the business. Think about it, a good attorney touches hundreds of businesses in his/her career and all that experience can be at your fingertips.

Work closely with an insurance agent.
Find an insurance agent to help you set up the company benefits. Once you have found that person, work together to set up your plans. Keep in mind that the decisions you make about benefits have long-term repercussions. For example, if you want complete health coverage for yourself and your family, when you have one employee will you offer the same to them? When you have 10 employees, will you offer it to them? If your company is only going to be five to 10 employees, which is the size of the majority of small businesses out there, you might not be as concerned about paying vastly different amounts (based on the family and ages of the insured) for the same benefits across all employees. But if you plan on growing bigger, then you might be concerned, for example, that those employees with families may have to pay significantly more. If so, you may then have to compromise on a plan that works for everyone.

Hire a bookkeeper and an IT guy.
I would argue that the two most critical pieces of your business operations are keeping your finances and your technical operations running smoothly.

For IT help, turn to any number of resources, including Geek Squad on a national basis, or any number of smaller, regionally-based software and hardware support companies.

Equip the office.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a nice office. You can buy inexpensive furniture from IKEA or Costco, and keep decor to a bare minimum. I have done this at both of my companies and I think it reinforces some important values for our customers and our employees. And we have managed to still make it nice.

For my most recent venture, we went for an open environment, no cubes, just desks and phones. We really lucked out because we got all the furniture in our office for free and at an enormous discount from a company that was going out of business. In addition, we got $150,000 worth of servers for $15,000. You have to be prepared for moving fast on some of these things.

Other key decisions in setting up your business infrastructure include incorporating the tools that will manage day-to-day operations and deciding what the company benefits and policies are.

Line up your tools.
Leverage technology whenever you can. I know from experience that the Web is the best way to do business. It is the driving force of my current and former businesses and has driven many of my business decisions. All of my advisers need to connect to the Web. Most of our tools-from our phones to our financial information-are accessed online. For me, the web allows me to work from anywhere. This is one of the key advantages of starting and running my own business. As they say, “the noose is looser and the leash is longer.” As a result of Web tools, I am able to run a 25 person business with limited infrastructure, (one day a week of outside accounting/bookkeeping help) and one day a month of IT.

For our phone system, we use Voice over Internet Protocol (or Voice Over IP). I choose VOIP for a couple of reasons but mostly because it is simpler to set up and cheaper than working with the phone company. One Internet connection can get you as many lines as you need. I had a hard time investing in phone lines for all employees since we will most likely move and most employees don’t use a phone to get their job done.

Determine your Policies.
In terms of other company policies, it’s best to have a framework or, better yet, a written policy before things come up. Figuring out policies on the fly is awkward for you and your employees. I know this from experience. So take a little time to decide what you want to do about maternity leave or vacation time. You and your employees will be glad to know what the policy is.

I think it’s really important to provide stock to all employees, so that everyone is an owner. We spend most of our lives at work and all of us want to belong. Giving stock to employees is one way of telling them that they belong. You of course get the added benefit of employees knowing that they are an integral part of the growth and success of the company.

Another policy to mull over before making a decision is whether you want to offer the more traditional vacation time and sick leave versus an overall Paid Time Off (PTO). PTO is like having a bank account of time for your employees to draw from for vacation time, as well as sick leave, a mental health day, or an emergency. After experiencing traditional vacation policies for the last 20 years, I switched to PTO. The main reason is that I wanted to give the same benefit to all employees. My experience shows that some employees never get sick while others use all of their sick time immediately. It just wasn’t fair to the folks that didn’t get sick. With a PTO policy, all time off is the same. If you are not sick you get more time for vacation. This seems like a better message to send to employees.

When I started my first company, our health insurance covered the employee but not the dependent. As the company grew, I saw how much people were paying for their dependents. I wanted to do more for employees but wanted to be fair to employees without dependents. When I started my next business, I made a decision to go with a Health Savings Account (HSA) High Deductible Insurance plan. The key to the HSA is that once you offer and contribute to the HSA, the employer is required to use a high deductible health insurance plan. The HSA is an employee account that employees and employers can invest money into to save for future medical expenses.

Most contributions and all earnings are tax free. Employees then use the funds in the HSA to cover medical expenses not covered by the deductible of the health insurance plan. The funds contributed by the employee and employer are vested immediately and are available to the employees to use today or in the future. I made a decision to contribute all of the savings from the higher deductible health insurance premiums and then some more to the employee accounts. Ultimately, I increased the contributions so that I felt that employees’ dependents were getting some coverage. The HSA allows me to contribute equally to those without dependents to use at some future date.

Rene is currently CEO and founder of bill.com. He realized the tremendous need to simplify and automate the way businesses manage bills, invoices, payments, contracts and other important financial documents; and the challenge of not having control and intelligence into daily spending and cash flow. bill.com solves accounts payable [http://www.bill.com/marketing/1/businesses/benefits.php] issues and also puts all valuable financial documents in one place for secure access anywhere/anytime.

Prior to bill.com, Rene co-founded America’s #1 online payroll service PayCycle, which now employs over 100 people and serves over 50,000 customers. PayCycle has received multiple 5-star awards from PC Magazine and numerous accountant trade publications.

Rene spent five years at Intuit, creating and managing the company’s bill presentment team and growing its bill payment and credit card businesses 30% in one year. He also launched Intuit’s first connected payroll product, growing the team from two employees to 300 in 18 months.

Author: Rene Lacerte
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Benefits of electric pressure cooker

Most small business owners seek advisors who can help them improve their businesses. They want advice from those who have the experience and really know what they’re talking about. But they can only benefit from the sound counsel if they listen to the expert’s guidance. Unfortunately, there are some entrepreneurs who aren’t going to hear the professionals out or follow a plan no matter what. At that point, experts realize that they might as well save their breath and hope that the business owner will eventually see the error of their ways before it’s too late.

When it comes to offering his advice, franchisee Sam Badgley is very up front with his Fiducial clients in Williamstown, WV. He tells them exactly what he expects and makes it very clear what they need to do to follow his recommendations. If he encounters someone who repeatedly ignores everything he’s been telling them which is a total waste of his time, he then decides to cut them loose as a client.

“Through experience I’ve learned that when you run into somebody like that they are not going to change,” said Badgley.

Trust gives you a great advantage

Where the problems usually occur between advisor and client is in the administration of the account where owners fail to deliver the timely data Badgley needs to help their business.

“I’ll get them to set timetables and set some of those goals or targets but they just repeatedly miss them,” he said.

For those businesses heading for bankruptcy that have not heeded his advice, Badgley has suggested to owners that maybe they might want to work for another company.

“Either they have never worked for somebody or they don’t have confidence,” he said. “They don’t understand that they could work for somebody else. I see the deer in the headlights look.”

Badgley says that you can tell whether or not people are going to be receptive to change.

“Most people who come to you are desperate,” he said. “They are in trouble–its crisis city and you can pretty well tell whether they’ve been there before and what caused it. They are always willing to change to solve the problem but you don’t know if they’re willing to go beyond that.”

That’s where experience helps, says Badgley, because after you’ve seen enough and been told enough things it all begins to sound very similar. He thinks that trust with any business profession gives you a great advantage because you know what has been successful with those types of comments so you can really cut to the chase.

Over the years Badgley has tried following up with former clients to see how they’re doing and whether they eventually came around.

“By and large most just continue to struggle but for me it’s kind of frustrating,” he said. “That’s the challenge.”

New stage of business development

Lisa Borgerding, a CPA and business advisor in Fiducial’s Arvada, CO, office cited several scenarios of clients who ran into difficulty by not heeding the advice of their advisors.

The first client is in the construction field and owes about $10,000 in payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. Tack on penalties and interest and it’s easy to see why this situation is having such a great impact on their business. Borgerding noted that whether you claim bankruptcy or not, payroll taxes are not going to go away.

“That’s one of the largest expenses they’re ever going to pay,” she said. “They just don’t realize how serious it is.”

And since they’ve dug themselves such a large hole it’s going to be even that much harder for them to escape it.

Another client owns a repackaging company that also hasn’t paid its payroll taxes. Companies can easily fall into this trap especially when the economy takes a turn and they didn’t have the volume of sales they normally do. But when advisors put together a payment plan to try and right the ship, owners need to follow through.

Experts maintain that it’s difficult for some entrepreneurs to accept advice from others because they’ve built their business from the ground up by themselves.

“The reason for that is they’ve had success using their own intuition,” said Dr. Ralph Daniel, a business psychologist and family business governance expert at the Center for Family Business Dynamics in Santa Barbara, CA. “They’ve done really well following their gut instincts while other advisors were wrong. They say ‘why should I listen this time?’ “

Entrepreneurs also fail to notice when they’ve entered a new stage of business development due to some kind of major change in their operation that could have been brought on by such factors as new owners, loss of owners or major growth.

“The owners don’t realize they’re in a new ballpark with a new set of rules they need to follow,” Daniel said.

Being hard-headed can cost you

Roger Bierman, a Fiducial franchisee relations manager for Alaska and the North Central and Northwest regions, says there’s no shortage of procrastinators in the small business ranks who listen to what you have to say but never put the wheels in motion.

“Some have to hear it many, many times,” said Bierman. “There’s an association between success and those people who react more quickly to changing trends and the procrastinators who just sit there and tread water.”

For unsuccessful owners who procrastinate, nothing’s ever going to happen so they can grow their business.

“Those that sit out there and don’t follow a system are least likely to succeed but you need that to show it to the people who are doing things,” he said. “There is a difference between night and day.”

Bierman has a close friend who’s owned an asphalt and concrete business for 10 years as a middle man in various projects. He advised the owner to lower his prices but the owner procrastinated for two years on his pricing and it ended up costing him a lot of money.

“He always wanted to run between 25% and 30% profit on his end but when you add that to the bill you get prices out of the market,” he said. “I told him if you lowered your price and get back to the 15% to 18% range then you would make it up through volume.”

This example does finish on an up note because the owner finally came around and lowered his prices two years later.

“Sometimes by not listening to good advice and being hard-headed it can cost you money,” Bierman said. “That happens to a lot of people. They continue to use bad practices and some don’t catch it until it’s too late. Then they find themselves buried where they never can see daylight.”

Personal fortune is on the line

No matter how strongly Fiducial advisors plead their case to convince clients, they can only go so far in the process.

Gene Polley, a senior business advisor in Fiducial’s San Diego office, has a contractor client who does stucco work in the housing boom that’s just making money hand over fist. But until he makes some changes in his operation, the contractor is going to be paying vast sums needlessly to the IRS when Polley says he could have designated some of those funds for a self-directed retirement plan. He has recommended on numerous occasions that the client change his business entity from a sole proprietorship to an S corporation to protect his interests.

“I guess he’s just too busy to listen to my advice,” said Polley. “He has multiple vehicles but his personal fortune is on the line every time one of his employees gets into a vehicle.”

It’s frustrating for Polley watching clients throwing money away on taxes when it could have been put to better use in the business but he knows there’s a limit to how hard you can push people.

“You give people the experience of your years and sometimes they listen,” he said. “Sometimes they listen to you the first time but it varies from client to client. You still keep on telling them to do the right thing.”

In dealing with clients of both sexes Polley has discovered that women are smart enough to realize what they don’t know while men only like advice when things are going well.

“When they’re on a downward trend they really don’t want to hear it,” he said.

Perhaps it’s the very strength that the business was founded on that is also its greatest weakness.

“Business people are successful because they’re self-assured and have been able to buck the trend because they have this independent attitude,” Polley added. “They don’t follow conventional wisdom in getting into the business.”

But that sometimes makes it harder for the owner to listen and act on the sound advice they’ve been given.

Dr. Daniel of the Center for Family Business Dynamics added that in his experience, the “Rule of Three” often applies to owners who resist advice.

“They don’t believe it until they hear the same difficult advice from the third person,” he said.

Stephen Parezo

Author: Stephen Parezo
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White Coat Hypertension

With a thunderstorm of different economic problems raining down on any small business owner, it can be tougher than ever for your business to survive. The question I get most often is “How can I better my circumstance?” To be short and sweet, you have to take things one step at a time, be brutally honest, know your limits, keep a positive attitude, and simplify the business equation.

Before you can start doing anything you have to be able to make a plan and understand how to implement it. Create a schedule, set expectations for yourself and take things one step at a time. By breaking things down into daily goals rather than worrying constantly about the future will ensure that you are accomplishing something positive, however small, to turn things around. This can sometimes be one of the hardest things to do, especially if you are one who is easily steered off track and pulled in several directions. Prioritize with one goal each day, remember, the turtle always wins.

Being able to remain truthful, as well as realistic, is the best thing for your employees. Be honest with yourself and focus on what needs to be done, even if it means making layoffs or cutbacks. More often than not, your employees know when things are going south. You must be able to read them clearly and address your areas of concern while showing confidence in yourself and in them, clearly communicating your plan so they can get on board and become excited about the future. Discouragement and worry can spread throughout your company like a virus.

Knowing your limits can mean multiple things, but in this case it means that you have to stay realistic. Taking chances when you are near failure as a business can prove even more costly than the place you are already in. Sometimes you just have to accept your losses and move on. For example, if you’ve launched a product and are seeing no return on investment, it may be a better solution to call it quits than to continue to invest your time and money. Knowing when to change directions and accepting what you can and cannot do are keys to being successful. Many an entrepreneur have thought they could achieve greatness and in the process taken on more than they could chew. Slow down and do only what you can actually handle.

Keep a positive attitude, stay refreshed and remain enthusiastic. Motivational triggers play a key part in being productive. Discover what yours are, sometimes it may be something as simple as taking a walk outside or writing your thoughts down on paper. Going through tough economic times can create stress that we can all relate to. Losing faith in what are doing, and being skeptical of every business decision you make, can be just as unsettling for yourself as it can be for your business. Once you make a resolution, remain confident in your decision, but not to the point when you no longer acknowledge your limits.

Simplify the business equation. There are many small yet specific changes that a business owner can consider to help have a clearer, more focused path; the goal being to eliminate tasks that distract you, take up valuable time and drain your mental energy. Software in general can help in this area. Some things as simple as automating invoices and bill paying or investing in CRM (customer relationship management) software can certainly make things easier.

Working with a number of different people to offer and maintain benefits for your employees can be taxing in itself. Communication between your insurance broker, 401K provider, lawyer (to oversee current employment regulations), accountant, (to file and pay taxes), and business or financial advisor can be overwhelming. These administrative tasks can be easily outsourced to a Professional Employer Organization, also known as a PEO. PEO Companies can also relieve you of the burden of payroll which encompasses calculating, paying, withholding, filing, tracking and being in compliance with the ever changing tax laws and regulations.

PEOs make this possible using what some call co-employment. The business owner co-employs their employees with the Professional Employers Organization for tax purposes; the PEO then will add those employees to their pool of employees of other small businesses creating a lower overall cost for the small business to employ their workers. This will allow you to offer your employees all of the services and benefits that a larger company provides, while lowering your costs on insurance, worker’s compensation, etc. The PEO will charge you a small percentage of payroll, however it almost always creates a larger gain for the employer, alleviating the load and liability of administrative HR tasks.

Today’s market does not resemble the small business friendly environment of past America, as the tough economic times of a few years ago have made business more competitive than ever. Cutbacks and layoffs are evident and job security is in jeopardy. However, almost everyone who knows success knows tough times as well and as the cliché’ goes, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”

So, as you try to keep your business alive know that you can’t make a giant leap all in one motion; you need to take things one step at a time. Being brutally honest can prove more positive than being overconfident or overly optimistic. Knowing your limits of when to call it quits and knowing how much something will cost you before pulling the plug can be painful, but in the end you will be making the right decision. Keeping faith in what you do every day and keeping things in perspective can help you personally as well as your business. Lastly, simplifying your duties by outsourcing tedious and mentally frustrating tasks, such as health benefits, SUTA regulations, payroll and workers compensation, can keep the mind focused and the business direction clear. By following these few tips you can do yourself a favor that will change you only for the better.

Carolyn Stoll is a frequent contributor to PEO Compare and writes about issues that may affect small businesses such as staff leasing, different PEOs such as PEO California & PEO Florida, and Global Human Resources. Contact her at c.stoll@peocompare.com.

Author: Carolyn Stoll
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How to choose a blood pressure monitor