Business Best Practices

When it comes to employee benefits, paid vacation time is a favorite. Although not legally required in the U.S. (as it is in most other developed countries), most employers — about 77% of businesses in the private sector — provide their employees with paid vacation time.¹

What’s in It for You?

But what is the business impact of letting your employees go on vacation? Isn’t it bad, especially for small businesses, when key employees are gone for a week or longer? Actually, it isn’t. While it may be disruptive in the short term, providing paid vacation time can benefit employers. A survey of human resources professionals, a large majority ranked taking vacation as very or extremely important for employee performance (94%), morale (92%), wellness (92%), productivity (90%), a positive culture (90%), and employee retention (88%).²

Survival Strategies

Vacations may be a win-win, but you still need to minimize disruption and maintain productivity when employees are away. Here are a few tips:

• If you don’t already have one, formalize a vacation policy that spells out how to request vacation time, how many employees may be gone at the same time, how disputes will be handled, etc.
• Create a master calendar and record all approved time off.
• Cross-train employees; try to have at least two people trained to cover each job.
• Have employees update their job descriptions and provide access to any passwords or other information that may be needed during their absence.
• Prior to leaving, make sure employees compose “away” messages for voicemail and e-mail and let key customers and contacts know how long they will be gone.

Benefits Are the Bottom Line

A comprehensive, competitive benefits package is the best way to attract and retain employees. Top prospects want health insurance, voluntary benefits, and a retirement plan in addition to vacation time. How do your benefits stack up? Your financial professional knows the marketplace and can provide guidance to help you make your benefits package more competitive.

Give us a call at 214-475-1708 to discuss a package of accounting services for your business. We offer a free initial consultation.

Source/Disclaimer:

¹No-Vacation Nation Revisited, Center for Economic and Policy Research, May 2013.

²Vacation’s Impact on the Workplace, SHRM/U.S. Travel Association, November 12, 2013.

Susie wanders in half an hour late two or three times a week. James checks his personal e-mail and monitors Internet auction prices at work. They’re both good workers — but they’re giving the other employees the wrong message. If you have problems like these, it might be time to create an employee handbook.

Sound too “corporate”? The truth is, even very small businesses can benefit from having an employee handbook. Having things in writing puts your employees on equal footing, gives you rules to enforce, and helps new hires learn the rules quickly.

Mission statement. Start your handbook by painting the big picture: What is your company all about? What are your goals? A mission statement can help your employees feel more like part of the team.

General policies. This is where you spell out your dress code; your hours of operation, pay periods, and holidays; the company policy on telephone and Internet use; and other general information.

Leave. This section covers your policies on sick leave, vacation time, maternity leave, jury duty, personal and funeral leave, and military duty.

Benefits. Here’s where you provide information about any health, disability, or life insurance, or any other benefits you provide.

Discipline. This part can get tricky. Some courts have considered employee handbooks as legally binding contracts. Check with an employment attorney for help and advice.

Find out how your business can get on the path to expansion and higher profits. There’s no obligation, so contact us at 214-475-1708 now to discuss your business or request a consultation through our website.

Running a small business isn’t easy. You probably wouldn’t have it any other way. The ability to survive and thrive is a source of great pride for small business owners. So when a competitor moves in — especially a big one — it can feel like battle lines have been drawn.

Sharpen Your Edge

Before you do anything, accept the fact that you can’t compete on the same level as a large national chain. But that doesn’t mean you can’t win the battle. Study what the competition does and how they do it. Then use that information to define — and sharpen — your company’s competitive edge.

A large competitor will almost certainly have lower prices and a deeper inventory. But you can connect with customers in ways the competition can’t. You can add value to every customer interaction by being attentive and providing expertise and personalized service.

Perhaps your biggest edge is your size. Being small means you can respond to market trends and customer requests more quickly. You can also change and adapt policies and procedures faster.

Rally the Troops

You have another big advantage; you have an established customer base and you know what they need. Establish a timeline to reach out to your customers directly via snail mail or e-mail (or both) with special offers. If you have a loyalty program, consider doubling rewards for a period of time that overlaps with the competition’s opening.

Look for Advantages

Having a big competitor move in may have some unexpected benefits. The new company validates the need for what your business offers and may do a fair amount of advertising. If your marketing budget allows, this could be a good time to do some strategic advertising of your own.

The competition also may create some unexpected opportunities in the future. The new company will change the dynamics of the marketplace, which may lead you to steer your business in a new direction.

Don’t get left behind. Contact us today to discover how we can help you keep your business on the right track.

If you’re an entrepreneur with a sound business concept and you’re ready to fulfill your dream of owning your own business, call Robert J. Gonzalez, CPA, PC at 214-475-1708 today. We offer a free initial consultation to get you started.

Much like a map or a GPS provides clear directions to your destination, a business plan can help define your goals and spell out the steps your business must take to achieve them. It can also establish a set of benchmarks to measure your progress. A business plan is critically important when it comes to obtaining financing. Here are the key sections that a business plan should include.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary outlines the primary points in the subsequent sections and touches on your company profile and goals.

Company Goals/Mission Statement

This section summarizes your company’s purposes and goals. It defines who you are and what you want to achieve.

Market Analysis

Here you can demonstrate your industry knowledge and present conclusions based on your assessment of the industry, your potential market and its demographics, and your main competitors.

Company Description

Provide information on what you do, how you do it, the markets your business serves, and what differentiates your business from the competition. You can include examples of recent projects that were completed and, if advisable, the names of some of your major clients.

Organization and Management

Here you can outline your business’s organizational structure and identify the company owners, management team, and board of directors.

Service or Product Line

This section provides the opportunity to explain what you sell and how your products or services benefit customers.

Strategy and Implementation

It’s important to summarize how you plan to market your business and what your sales strategy is. This section should include information on how you will reach target customers and penetrate the market and should provide details about pricing, promotions, and distribution.

Financial Plan

This is where you present an overview of your finances. It is where you lay out your assumptions about revenue growth, operating costs, and cash flows. Include balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow schedules as well as details about capital requirements.

Find out how your business can get on the path to expansion and higher profits. There’s no obligation, so contact us at 972-442-6800 now to discuss your business or request a consultation through our website