Small Business Tips and Ideas - BizSieve.com

Cheated By The Fine Print? Contractors And Worker’s Comp

Independent contractors are eligible to file for workers’ compensation if they have their own workers’ compensation insurance or if they were hired to do a job by a company that provides these benefits.Landscapers, skilled tradespeople, painters, construction and domestic workers, and other types of independent contractors are deceived into believing that they are not entitled to workers’ compensation because they are not regular employees of a company. However, they are entitled to workers’ compensation in certain instances.

Companies who hire uninsured independent contractors to do a job must provide workers’ compensation insurance for them and anyone else the independent contractor hires to work on the job. So, independent contractors are entitled to workers’ compensation just like a company’s regular employees.

According to Stokes & Kopitsky, “Even if you work for a subcontractor who claims he is not responsible for providing
workers’ compensation, an experienced premises liability lawyer can help you find a general contractor or union that is. Independent contractors may have a personal injury claim for negligence that is not barred by workers’ compensation law.”

Independent Contractor or Employee?

Independent contractors differ from employees in the sense that they work for themselves whereas an employee works for a company. Independent contractors determine their own work hours, have their own tools or materials, get paid by the job, and pay their own local, state and federal taxes. Independent contractors are not covered by certain labor and employee laws. To cover themselves if they are injured on the job, independent contractors should purchase their own liability insurance and a workers’ compensation insurance policy.

Employees, on the other hand, earn wages and are obligated to follow the rules of the company who pay
s them. A company sets employees’ work hours, provides employees with tools and materials to do their job and withholds the local, state and federal taxes from their paychecks. Employees are protected by labor and employment laws and are entitled to workers’ compensation if they are injured on the job.

Misclassification of Employees

A debate has been raging for quite some time now over companies that classify an employee as an independent contractor. Companies save money in misclassifying employees because they are not obligated to withhold income taxes and provide benefits, such as overtime, unemployment insurance and family and medical leave.

The U.S. Labor Department has joined with states to look into this problem and is holding companies liable when they are found to have intentionally misclassified workers. Because the state and federal governments a
re working with the IRS over this issue, companies have been advised to review the status of each employee to make sure they are in compliance with federal and state labor laws.

Providing Benefits for Independent Contractors

Under the federal Fair Play Act, independent contractors carry the status of “employee” of companies who hire them. This is why a company who hires an uninsured independent construction worker to perform a job must provide workers’ compensation benefits.

If you are an independent contractor without workers’ compensation insurance, it would be to your advantage to purchase an insurance policy. However, if you have been told that you are not entitled to workers’ compensation, research federal laws and laws of your state or contact a workers’ compensation lawyer to get clarification before addressing the matter with the company who hired you

About the Author: Domonique Powell is an independent contractor who enjoys sharing information with others.

The Benefits Of VoIP For SMEs

Voice over Internet Protocol has evolved dramatically as a technology in the last few years and as it becomes cheaper to install, more SMEs are implementing it in place of traditional systems.

Unlike traditional means VoIP is a far more flexible option with a huge array of features and massive flexibility. As a solution for communication issues it’s a fantastic alternative to the traditional and offers a number of benefits which we’re going to take a closer look at here.

Big Player

The thing about VoIP is that it allows small businesses on mediocre budgets to keep up with larger companies that can benefit from advanced communication tools, at a far lower cost. This is the beauty of VoIP. Unlike a few years ago,
when options such as IVRs, call recording and audio conferencing were expensive and costly to implement, VoIP has changed this. This allows SMEs to work smarter and also give the impression they are larger businesses than they are.

Scalability

The scalability of the service is also something of note and VoIP can be easily added, expanded and altered as and when required. You can simply add or change phone numbers and as they’re not tied to your local exchange you can have any number you want from anywhere in the world you want. This sort of scalability and the options that come with it are something that a lot of people really like and the reasons a lot of SMEs in a wide range of businesses love this service.

Not Office Limited

Thanks to the wonders of the smart phone VoIP is not just limited to the office and in fact is easily extendable to mobile phones thanks to 3G. In essence, this means that it’s easy to carry all your office contacts and information in your pocket and remain in contact when on the road or away from home. For businesses with home workers this is also of benefit as it means they can work from home and still seem to be in the office. The other big benefit is that there are no expensive calls, as there would be if you were using it on a mobile phone contract.

VoIP works well for the vast majority of SMEs and it’s understandable why this is the case. Here are a few little things http://solutionbuilders.co.uk advise you to consider before implementing such a system.

Look at the requirements of your staff and see whether a service like this will benefit them and the way they work.
Cost is a big factor for moving to VoIP. The best way to determine whether or not you should is by chec
king your mobile and communication costs. It’s often easily possible to save 50% on costs with a VoIP service when compared to traditional lines.
VoIP is simply a voice call over the Internet – it should be not more complex than that, so don’t feat change
Will your business begin to grow soon? If so VoIP could be a far better option than trying to expand traditional channels.
Ask questions – a telecommunications vendor should answer them for you.

VoIP is a fantastic addition to a range of businesses and you should consider it if you’re looking for a change to your phone system or communications in general.

About the Author: Cormac Reynolds has written about technology for a half decade and has covered a range of solutions. He is a lover of sports and travel.

Issues That Small Businesses May Face in 2014

Small businesses in the year 2014 are expected to face a few more crucial issues that would play a critical role in running of companies. It won’t be wrong to say that in the coming year most of the small businesses are heading with plenty of uncertainty. Slow hiring and changing trends too are expected to affect the small businesses. Not to point out to the negative scenario, small businesses in the coming year may have to face implications and complications regarding the health care law as well.

Considering the current scenario, uncertainty is the bane of most of the small businesses. The only rational response will be dependent on pulling the horns and literally slowing down. Chances are that the small businesses may or may not get enough encouragement from the economy. Not everything is gloomy.

Let’s take a look at some of the issues that the small businesses are likely to face in the year 2014.

Taxes

Tax makers are still hanging this issue and we would interestingly call it fiscal cliff. Not to mention, budget cuts and the increase in taxes are also going to have a good impact on the pace of growth for the small businesses. Even if an interesting agreement is reached, small businesses may still struggle to thrive on the kind of certainty they have been expecting since long. We are sure to discuss on the issue every year and it is an issue that is going to take time to resolve. If the scenario doesn’t change for good then the negotiations and uncertainty are sure to raise other issues in the coming year.

Now the good news is that you can expect the deduction any time. For the time being, it can be said that business owners should not just focus on getting the big break of their corporate life. Tax rates are going to pose huge changes for the small companies that are looking to making bigger investments. All these are going to affect the retailers and the other small businesses in the process, particularly the ones that are involved in selling directly to public.

Shortage of skilled workers

Most of the small businesses are struggling from this issue, they know how tough it is to find the skilled workers in the market. They hardly have the desired talents willing to join them to fill in some of the crucial job positions in their companies. Most of the manufacturing companies are looking for high-tech skills and settling for anything less is not convincing to them.

Few job positions require exhaustive training but a basic skill set is required and unfortunately small businesses are made to compromise on that. Since the trends in working style and changes in technology are becoming evident, business owners are finding it really hard to find the qualified workers; issues are expected to continue in the year 2014.

Health care

Health care is definitely one of the other resources in line that are making things uncertain for the small business in the upcoming year. Health care laws in the coming time are going to affect us all and more importantly, the small businesses.

Most of the small businesses should consider devoting some time understanding and analysing all aspects of law relating to health care. If they are planning to expand overseas then understanding the same on the global level should have an impact on the running of the business too.

Lot of small business owners are still unsure on the fact whether they will have their states creating some forms of exchanges or whether they will be required to go a bit into the national system. On the other hand, they are still going to be unsure about how these changes are going to affect the costs.

Other issues that the small businesses in the year 2014 are going to face are concerns relating with onshoring and lending. It’s time for small business to gear up and pull up their socks because the market of 2014 is going to bring them plenty of challenges. If they can cover up for their losses and focus on the drawbacks, they are sure to reach the pinnacle of success in no time. However, sustaining the elevated position is going to be yet another challenge.

About the Author: This article is contributed by Samme who is associated with a leading UK based supplier of Office Cable Protectors – CableProtector.co.uk. Click here to visit the Office Cable Protectors landing page.

Does Your Business Have an Active Shooter Protocol?

Unfortunately, 2013 proved that no school or business is completely safe from random shooting incidents and potential terrorist activity. Because of this, it is imperative for every company to develop an active shooter protocol so that they can keep their employees as safe as possible if a situation develops. Additionally, this is something that you need to keep in mind if you are in the process of opening a new business. After all, nobody is immune to the threat of having someone simply walk into their business with a gun, and this can lead to disastrous consequences if you are not prepared.

Tips for Developing an Active Shooter Protocol

There are professional security companies such as MSA Security, which can help train your staff to deal with an active shooter situation. You can also implement safety measures such as a security checkpoint at the entrance to help minimize the risk of dealing with this type of issue. However, it will still be necessary to give your staff members some training about the steps that they should take if they become aware that there is an active shooter on-site.

According to experienced security companies, there are certain things that every civilian should do during active shooter situation, including stay calm, turn off the lights, remain silent, lock or barricade all windows and doors, hide or flee depending on the situation, call 911 if possible and play dead or hide if a shooter is in the same room. It is also necessary for all of your staff members to understand that they will need to make their hands visible when the police arrive and avoid making any sudden moves until they are told that is okay to do so.

Working with Your Insurance Company

Some insurance providers will offer you literature that can help you develop an active shooter protocol. Additionally, it is possible that you could receive a discount on your insurance if you put an approved plan in place. After all, this will help minimize your insurance provider’s risk, so it is always a good idea to inquire about this possibility. Either way, you should still be committed to developing a protocol that will help your employees avoid serious injury or death if an active shooter makes the decision to target your business.

Should I Invest in a Security Company?

It can be difficult for small business owners to contemplate utilizing part of their budget for a security company, especially if they do not operate in a high-profile industry. Therefore, you need to carefully consider your company’s specific needs and risks to help you determine the appropriate steps to take. Fortunately, many security companies are willing to do a one-time assessment that will include helping you develop your active shooter protocol without needing to pay for their services on a continual basis.

As you can see, it is necessary for every business owner to be cognizant of the fact that an active shooter could enter their building at any time. Due to this, you need to develop a proven method for assisting your employees during this stressful situation. Putting an active shooter protocol in place and ensuring that each of your employees understands exactly what to do can make the difference between a controllable situation and a bloodbath.

Why Giving Back Is A Good Business Investment

If you are looking for a new way to promote teamwork and attract new local customers, you should carefully consider looking into volunteering opportunities for your company. After all, many consumers prefer to support businesses that place a focus on giving back to their community. Therefore, it is always a good idea for companies of all sizes to be charitable, and volunteering your time often has a bigger impact than making a cash donation.

Top Reasons to Volunteer as a Company

1. To Instill Goodwill in the Community – Every company needs to be concerned about their reputation, and volunteering will help cast your business in a much better light. This can become crucial if there are ever any controversies that impact your company, and it can also make a big difference if your business ends up teetering on the edge of needing to file for bankruptcy. After all, members of the local community are much more likely to rally around your company and offer support if you have given back in the past. It’s always good to look for Local volunteer opportunities within the community.

2. To Boost Company Morale – It has been proven by psychologists that volunteering has several emotional benefits that make it good for everyone to be involved in giving back. Due to this, many companies decide to volunteer as a team because it can have a direct impact on company morale. Additionally, getting people out of the office and letting them work with each other on a good cause can help smooth out interoffice difficulties.

3. To Reap the Marketing Benefits – Your company could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on marketing without receiving the same positive boost that often accompanies being included in a press release or news story due to your team’s volunteering efforts. It is also important to note that you will gain the right to mention your volunteer and charitable work in your marketing materials, and this can definitely capture the attention of a much wider audience.

4. Community Service Opportunity – Regardless of whether you simply work in the local area or also live there, it is always a good idea to take advantage of a community service opportunity because this will make the entire area more desirable to consumers. After all, volunteering as a team to clean up a stretch of highway or rebuild a local park will boost your community’s profile by making it more aesthetically pleasing. Ultimately, this could lead to an influx of new residents who are likely to become customers of local businesses such as yours.

Volunteering and participating in other charitable ways will also provide you with a tax deduction, and this makes it a win-win situation for everyone involved. Therefore, every business owner should strongly consider encouraging their entire team to volunteer on a regular basis.

In fact, when you consider all of the perks that are associated with volunteering, it is surprising that there are so many companies that fail to take advantage of this mutually beneficial method for giving back to their local community. If you are unsure how to get started, you can easily utilize a local volunteering organization to provide you with some direction.