Small-Business Success Strategies Update

SMB CEOs say their confidence is up but think the government does not understand their needs and current situation.  Learn more. 

Perhaps the two most critical times for an enterprise is at the start and the finish. Entrepreneurs often make mistakes when they start a company and when they sell their enterprises.  Here are tips on starting a business and selling it.

When starting a business it is always wise to consult an attorney, but especially when purchasing a franchise.

Leading an enterprise requires many skills and often a different approach. Here is one expert's solution.

Hot weather brings out the best and worst in terms of business dress.  Some business leaders say inappropriate attire is more rampant in the summer time.  A new survey also looks at what people are wearing for job interviews.

With healthcare reform moving ever closer, small business leaders are starting to seek alternatives in terms of healthcare benefits and other ways of maintaining employee morale. 

Particularly disheartening to many employees is the fact that public sector staff often have better benefits than their private sector counterparts.  The average benefit cost for public sector staffs are about 30% higher overall than private sector employees.  This situation is a tribute to the public employee unions but across the nation, push back efforts are accelerating.

In a survey conducted by this newsletter's parent, Information Strategies, Inc., 59% of 1,112 small employers across the nation said they expected total healthcare costs to increase starting in 2011, even though most of the healthcare provisions do not kick in until 2012 and beyond. 

In Massachusetts, whose state mandated program closely mimics the proposed reforms, rates for small businesses jumped more than 13% according to The Wall Street Journal.

The same survey a larger majority (71%) reported they were putting more of the company's healthcare costs on employees. 

Experts predict that this year, more than 3 million Americans will switch, either voluntarily or by company fiat, to Consumer Directed Healthcare options. These programs, Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are usually less expensive than more traditional plans such as Preferred Provider Offerings (PPOs) and Health Maintenance Offerings (HMOs).

To maintain employee morale, firms are turning to other benefits such as subsidized commuting programs.  More on these programs is outlined in our report.

With the long downsizing cycle caused by the deep recession, many companies are adding supervisory responsibilities to individuals without prior experience.  One way to help these individuals be better prepared for their new roles is outlined in this report.