Sarah Lerche

Do you feel like you could prioritize more efficiently at your business? You're not alone -- and this problem is not a new one.During a speech in 1954, former President Dwight Eisenhower said, "I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." A theory was created around that quote, now known as the Eisenhower Principle. It involves the use of a matrix to classify the four types of tasks on your list, as follows: U...

As you're building your new startup team, there are some things you want to consider.You want to put together an effective team that not only has the qualities necessary to do the job, but you want a team that works well together and has strengths that are complimentary.A good team is the team that propels your startup into the future and with maximum productivity and growth.In this article, we discuss the top traits to look for when adding members to your team.Strong organizational skillsIt's n...

The best way to ensure that you can find more time in your day to focus on growth is to eliminate non-core responsibilities from your schedule. The problem is that you may not be able to identify which tasks you can delegate or outsource. The solution? A time audit. Use the following infographic to find out how to determine the ways that you're spending time.  

The world of marketing is evolving, and it's a continuing challenge to ensure that your business gets the exposure it needs to thrive. Check out five marketing mistakes that you should avoid if you are looking to get the word out about your firm.   1. Counting on your marketer to solve all your problemsYou may have brought on the best marketing professional in town to handle your needs, but that person can't overcome fundamental issues if you have them. Poor products or services, a bad repu...

From LLC to C corp to cooperative and beyond, there are myriad business structures available to you when making your startup official. To help make the decision easier, we've created a simple infographic with the basics of each business type.   Courtesy of Escalon Services

A business in New Zealand experimented by offering their employees a 32-hour work week while paying them for 40 hours.The results? Happier employees and increased productivity.In fact, the experiment worked so well the company found their staff to be on time, have better attendance, take less breaks, and produce at the same level as they did with their five-day work week.While this same experiment has been repeated in countries all over the world, it may leave you wondering if your startup shoul...

You're ready to start pitching your startup to potential investors, but you aren't sure how to put yourself out there due to your introverted nature. We've got myriad tips on how introverts can pitch their firms, and translated those pointers into this quick infographic.    Courtesy of Escalon Services

By Yair SegevYour small business is at a crossroads. You're ready to scale, but you aren't sure what your numbers are telling you about the right route that will lead to growth, and you aren't in a position to hire a full-time chief financial officer to forge the path. One very modern – and very effective – solution is to bring on an outsourced CFO.The concept of a virtual CFO is a somewhat new phenomenon, but the benefits that these experts can bring to small- and medium-sized businesses are es...

​A board of directors helps oversee the activities of a company or organization. Publicly held companies have to have a board of directors, while private companies don't.That begs the question for many startups as to whether or not they need a board of directors, and if so, when? There are many reasons this is a good idea for most startups. So, for the purposes of this article, let's say you do need one.In this case, we look at what startups need to consider before forming a board of directors.B...

According to Career Builder, 74% of companies that admit they've hired the wrong person for an open position lost an average of $14,900 for each bad hire.What's more, according to the US Department of Labor, the cost of a bad hire can reach up to 30% of the employee's first-year earnings.These stats show you just how important it is to hire right the first time. To assist you, let's look at five of the most common hiring mistakes startups make.#1: Hiring people you knowWhile in some instances hi...

You know you have a problem staffer at your business, but you are too busy to address the issues at hand. So you avoid the problem and eventually sit down with the employee to say, "It's just not working out, so we're letting you go."If this sounds familiar, you could be setting yourself up for expensive and protracted litigation, says Scott Warrick, an employment attorney and HR consultant who is the author of the book Solve Employee Problems Before They Start. "Part of good employee relations ...

As a new or young company, seeking to fund your startup, it seems pretty straightforward that venture capital would be a good option.Yet, while there are many advantages to it, we're going to look at five disadvantages of seeking venture capital, and why it might not be right for your business. #1: You may lose controlBefore you get venture capital, you (and your partners) have total control of your startup. After you get funding, you transfer part of your control to your investors.This mea...

Your startup has huge potential, and that's not only for your business. It's also for the team members you hire.New team members can experience growing a company from the ground up, they can help you build a terrific company culture, and there's often a lot of room for growth.Yet, hiring can be one of the most difficult parts of running a startup. So, what's a startup owner to do? One of the first things in your hiring process is to turn to your website.In this article, we look at how a great ca...

As tech firms work to settle charges of ageism and retreats are popping up to help workers over 30 learn to compete with younger employees, many people may assume that any age over 25 is too old to launch a startup. But luckily for older workers, that view is inaccurate. In reality, the mean age for founders at the highest-growth new ventures is 45.That's the word from a report conducted by researchers from MIT, Northwestern University and the US Census Bureau, which was recently published by No...

You may not think your employees are feeling overworked, but the reality is that many staff members are at risk of burnout.That's the word from a Gallup poll conducted last year, which found that 23 percent of employees felt burned out at work either "always" or "very often," while another 44 percent described themselves as being burned out "sometimes." This leaves only about a quarter of full-time employees not at risk of burnout.If you're of the mindset that staff members are replaceable if th...

The job market is tight, and the number of voluntary separations by employees is rising year over year. It's an employees' market, and it's more important than ever to take care of your staff. What does this mean for your startup?To be successful and retain the best employees, you want to put the professional development of your team at the forefront. The most talented workers want to enhance their skills.This is good not only for your team but for your startup. Here's how startups can offer car...

As a standard business practice, most companies survey their customers. You may have even sent surveys of your own. Businesses survey their customers to gauge customer loyalty, see how likely customers are to refer a business to family and friends, and to measure their overall satisfaction with the products and services they are using.Customer surveys provide powerful data that can help your startup improve. So, it stands to reason that asking your employees for their opinions can even further y...

Are trade shows worth it for your startup?The answer is yes. While many businesses forgo trade shows for other forms of advertising, if you do this, you're leaving money on the table.Trade shows create an incredible opportunity for your startup to be seen. It's a great place for people to try your product and see it in person.What's more, Meeting Professionals International found there's a 40% close rate for meetings you have in person. Let's say you're selling hot tubs at a trade show – that's ...

One of the best things about starting a new business is picking out an office location and setting it all up.It solidifies your position as a growing startup and puts you on the path to success.In this article, we look at how startups can approach office design to maximize your space and the potential of your staff.Why is office design so important? One study shows that the design of your physical workplace is one of the top factors affecting employee performance and job satisfaction.Because of ...

You're beginning a new company and as such, you're most likely looking for funding. This is where venture capital comes in.What is venture capital? It's the financing that is invested in startups. It's usually a high risk investment with the potential for unlimited growth.Most people who provide venture capital do it on an ongoing basis. In other words, that's their business. To help you decide whether or not you should seek it out, we look at the five advantages of seeking venture capital. ...

 Did you know that nearly 80% of adult Americans don't get the recommended amounts of exercise each week? This is a set up for many different types of problems.What's more, many people spend most of their day sitting in uncomfortable chairs in front of a computer. This can lead to back, wrist, neck, and hand pain.Ultimately, without a workplace wellness plan, your startup may end up with unhealthy and unhappy team members. But you can help. Let's look at five ways startups can encourage hea...

Going through the hiring process for a new startup is not only time consuming but costly. You've put forth a lot of effort to create a top notch team, and you'd like to retain them into the future.To create employee loyalty, you want to help them feel engaged with your company. In this article, we look at how to help your employees feel more engaged at work.When they're more engaged, they're more productive and more committed to your startup.Model communicationOne way to create an engaged workfo...

As a new startup, you can set your company culture and employee morale right from the outset.You've worked hard to hire the right people for your business. This may mean you have people of all ages, races, genders, religions and political affiliations sharing a space.In addition, you want them to feel comfortable and happy so you can build a cohesive team. To do this, they must all be welcomed.Here are five ways startups can help employees from all backgrounds feel welcome. #1: Startup at t...

When it comes to staffing your startup, the price is high. In fact, your hiring decisions are vital to the success and upward trajectory of your startup.In this article, we look at five reasons why bad hires are so costly to startups. From the actual cost, to your time, your reputation, lost opportunities, and the culture impact, you can't afford to mis-hire.#1: The costThe straight up costs with putting your job on job boards, culling through applications, interviewing candidates, calling refer...

When it comes time for startup valuation, you may wonder just how you can work out the value of your startup.The methods are important because you may not have a huge revenue stream which makes valuation a bit harder.In this article, we look at five tips to help you determine the value of your startup. After all, you want to earn this highest valuation from your investors, instead of being undervalued. #1: Talk to your accountant, lawyer, and investorsYes, you are most often worth what the ...

If you think your new business is too small for a human resources (HR) department, think again.Many new startups think they're too small for HR to matter, but this couldn't be further from the truth. You might think you can handle issues as they arise, but this leaves you open to conflict and even legal trouble.As a new startup, it's best practice to set get HR onboard in the beginning. In this article, we look at why your startup isn't too small to develop HR policies and processes from the sta...

With unemployment rates at record lows, many large companies are recommitting chunks of their budgets to employee training.Why? This is to increase retention rates and enable their companies to keep their best and brightest team members.Yet, small businesses and startups may find themselves reluctant to provide employee training. Let's look at five reasons why not providing employee training costs your startup money. #1: A more competitive workforceIf you want to be competitive in your chos...

Many startups and small businesses think offering their employees a 401(k) plan isn't in the cards. The budget is tight, most startups think they're too small, and they don't think they can afford the administrative care.This is no longer true. It is possible for your startup to provide a retirement savings plan, and it can be affordable.In this article, we look at why startups should offer retirement plans to their employees. You'll attract top talentYou're more likely to recruit and hire ...

As a new startup, some of the biggest decisions you are going to make for your business are who to hire and who not to hire.Why is this so important? First, it may mean the difference between your startup succeeding, and it failing. And, second, it will play a role in determining your company culture.Because your hiring is so essential and impacts your business in so many ways, let's look at how improving your assessments can help your hiring process. What are assessments?These are pre-empl...

Startups are uniquely poised to create their own company culture right from the outset.As a new business, you can set the tone for your culture through your own employee morale. There are many things you can do to set the tenor of your business, and one such way is through your feedback process.Let's look at how startups can provide feedback to employees.Why feedback is importantFrom the beginning days of your startup and in your employee onboarding, it's important to let your new team members k...