By on Aug 17, 2016 in Down to Business |

  A 2014 survey of business leaders found that 71 percent prefer to develop their current employees’ skills and then move them into more-senior rolls versus hiring an external candidate for the same position. There are many reasons why this is so, from performance to improving morale and reducing turnover.  However, there are also situations in which an external...

By on Jul 23, 2016 in Down to Business |

Today’s employees consider schedule flexibility an attractive benefit. According to a survey by FlexJobs, an online job search website, the options these workers are most interested in are telecommuting all of the time (79 percent), alternative/flexible schedules (47 percent), and telecommuting part of the time (44 percent). While working from home full time isn’t...

By on Jul 7, 2016 in Down to Business |

According to a 2015 Gallup survey of more than 7,000 U.S. workers, 51 percent of employees have quit a job to get away from a boss. The reasons are many, from lack of communication and appreciation to favoritism and micromanagement. If you’ve noticed that turnover in your department is increasing, you may want to take a look at your management style and consider...

By on Jun 16, 2016 in Down to Business |

  According to PwC’s Health Research Institute, medical costs in the U.S. will increase 6.5 percent in 2016. Benefit plan changes, such as narrower provider rangers and higher deductibles, will reduce the increase to 4.5 percent, though many consumers and the companies that employ them will continue to struggle to afford healthcare services. What can you do to...

By on May 26, 2016 in Down to Business |

In 2008, U.S. small businesses paid $105.4 billion in tort liability costs according to the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform.  It’s a number we can assume has continued to grow, with more than 100 million lawsuits filed in our nation’s courts every year. From loss of customers and blemished reputations to devastating financial hardship and bankruptcy, they...

By on May 12, 2016 in Down to Business |

Do you use email to advertise your business? If so, those messages are subject to rules established under the CAN-SPAM Act. Signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2003, it applies to all commercial email messages that advertise or otherwise promote a commercial product or service. Should the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) find you in violation of the...