The Thriving Small Business

tips for small business

Leadership In Management

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I was at a conference this week and one of the many great speakers I heard was Ken Blanchard. For anyone who may not know who Ken Blanchard is, he is one of the premier leadership gurus and has decades of experience teaching and writing about leadership and how management tactics can impact employee performance. Read the Full Article →

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

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There has been a lot of chatter on the news about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and COBRA premium reductions. The Act was amended and now provides for premium reductions for health benefits covered by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

COBRA allows workers who lose their health benefits after terminating from a position to purchase group health coverage provided by the plan for up to 18 months. Read the Full Article →

Retirement Plans for Small Business

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Small businesses are very complex and business owners wear many hats while trying to maintain and grow their business.  There are many human resources management issues that need to be handled.  Thinking through the right retirement plan for your organization can be a complicated and sometimes time consuming process.

So why do small business owners choose to provide retirement benefits to their employees? Read the Full Article →

Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act Payroll Tax Exemption Form Now Available

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The new Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act was signed into law by President Obama last month. This new law allows for a payroll tax exemption for businesses that hire unemployed or underemployed workers during 2010.

unemployment picture for HIRE article This new act provides two new tax benefits for employers who hire and retain unemployed workers. Read the Full Article →

Importance of Computer Back Up Process

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After the disasters of September 11, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina, businesses got a wake-up call to be proactive in preparing for such emergencies.  One critical structural component to any organization is its information technology infrastructure and business data.

Business computer systems are very sophisticated and complicated.  We often take for granted our IT systems and it is not until the system goes down or is unavailable that we realize the importance of it. Read the Full Article →

Department of Labor Wage and Hour “We Can Help” Campaign

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I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that the new administration supports workers and worker rights.  The Secretary of Labor has launched a new campaign called “We Can Help”.  This campaign was initiated to provide a resource for workers on their rights in the workplace and to give them information on how to submit a complaint if they feel they have been the subject of a Wage and Hour violation. Read the Full Article →

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

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We have all been attentive and possibly emotionally involved in the health care reform debate.  This has been an issue that has created much controversy and division amongst our nation.  However, now that it has been signed into law, there comes some possible help for small business owners.

Part of the new health care reform legislation is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also referred to as the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. Read the Full Article →

Example Flowchart as a Quality Management Tool

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Flowcharting is one of the Seven Management Tools for Quality Management. Flowcharting is typically used to map a process flow showing the beginning of a process, decision points and the end of the process.

Steps to creating a flowchart

1.  Identify Steps to the Process
The first step in creating a flow chart is to identify all the steps in a process. Read the Full Article →