If you run your own business, then it goes without saying that you’ll want to be a better leader. It might not sound as exciting as the tangible measures like bringing in more cash, or increasing your profits, or slashing unnecessary costs, but make no mistake… ALL of these things can be a direct result of polishing and perfecting your …
What every business owner needs to know for the third quarter
So it looks like summer might well be here, but as this is England, none of us like to count our chickens about what’s to come next. However we’re almost exactly slap bang in the middle of the year, and now’s a great time to take a step back from the day-to-day running of your business and consider the bigger …
Should you be Facebook friends with your employees?
There are a ton of challenges that come hand-in-hand with employing a team of staff… Ensuring that productivity is high and that you’re getting a good return on your staffing investment. Keeping up to date with performance reviews. Staying on the right side of employment legislation. And the tricky question of whether to accept that friend request you just received …
Refuse annual leave? What happens if the employee still takes time off?
As the summer approaches and employees start thinking about taking time off, one question we often get asked is what should you do if you refuse annual leave but the employee still takes the time off anyway. Now you don’t need us to tell you that the summer period is peak season for staff wanting to take time out of …
The heat is on. Is your business ready for the summer?
The days are getting longer, and the temperature is finally on the rise. Chat in the office has probably started to turn to bikini diets and discount airlines. The pavements are packed full with joggers and cyclists. There’s no denying that summer is very firmly on the horizon. But have you thought about what that means for your business? How …
Could your business make better use of freelancers?
Not only is Thursday 8th June Election Day, but it also marks National Freelancers Day. Independent professionals up and down the country will celebrate the fact that they boldly work for themselves, as well has casting their vote. It’s estimated that there are around 2 million freelancers operating in the UK, and they’ve had their fair share of press recently. …
Zero hours contracts and the General Election
Employment legislation is hot news right now, as the main political parties release their manifestos, hit the campaign trail, and aim to make sure that voters know exactly how their lives can be improved, if they make the right choice at the polling station come June 8th. People care about how they’re treated at work, how much cash they take …
Three reasons why HR is boring!!
I’ve been to a few networking events recently and noticed that when you start talking about what you do and mention you work in HR, the other persons eyes glaze over (well maybe it’s just me). Now is isn’t new, I get that most business owners aren’t interested in HR, it’s just a necessary evil. But let’s be honest here… …
Disciplinary mistakes to AVOID so you don’t end up in hot water!!
If your a business owner who employees a team of staff, I’m pretty sure you’ve had times when you have woken up at night worrying about how to handle a particular situation with an employee, that you just don’t know when to start with. Don’t worry though, your not alone. I think it’s fair to say a lot of the …
Disciplinary mistakes you need to avoid!!
Over the last couple of months there’s obviously been something in the air, as we seem to have been dealing with lots of tricky people problems, ranging from redundancy appeals to dismissals. Now dealing with disciplinary issues is probably one of the less attractive tasks for a manager or business owner. Some people policies are about improving productivity, creating stronger …