Sarah Lerche

An employee handbook is vital to the success of your startup. But, perhaps you're wondering why your startup needs an employee handbook and when it's appropriate to create one. Two of the simplest reasons you need one are for the creation of processes and policies and to facilitate benefits administration. Let's look at these reasons as well as a few others, but first, let's discuss when you need one.   When do you need a handbook? While there's no one-size-fits-all answer, it's the best pr...

As a startup, you know you need general liability insurance, property insurance, and workers compensation insurance, but have you ever considered cyber liability insurance? What is cyber liability insurance Cyber insurance generally covers your startup's liability for a data breach that can involve private, sensitive customer information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, account numbers, addresses, health records and driver's license numbers. When hackers gain this informatio...

Your startup is in its early stages, or perhaps you've been in business for a while, and you're ready to hire employees. Have you thought about how you'll hire the best ones? The most beneficial thing for your startup and your employees is to offer a healthy benefits package. In this article, we look at five employee benefits small companies can offer new employees, but first let's look at why you should offer benefits at all.   The reasons you should offer benefits Yes, offering perks to y...

You know that to help your startup succeed, you have to have a competent, experienced, dedicated team. Unfortunately, though, many startups slip up when it comes to human resources, hiring, training, developing and retaining a great team. To help you avoid these all too common issues, we look at some top HR mistakes made by startups and how to fix them. Mistake #1: Not hiring a human resources person Whether you have a part-time, full-time or outsourced professional manage your HR, you need some...

Did you know that the number three reason startups fail is they were unsuccessful hiring the right team in the beginning? Because of this, we want to look at what you should do and look for when putting together your new company's team. Let's look at five tips for startups making their first few hires.   Tip #1: Hire early If you can afford it, begin hiring your staff as soon as you need them. While the budget might be tight at first, you'll benefit from having extra brainpower in your earl...

Did you know that business consultants often recommend outsourcing non-core functions? A non-core function is one that isn't part of your profit center. It's something you don't charge your customers for. While a non-core function is often essential to your successful operation, it isn't what sets you apart from the competition, so it can be outsourced. It's also of the utmost importance to your staff. Payroll is a non-core function and one you should certainly think about outsourcing. To help y...

The typical large company has an employee on-boarding process that works and is a natural part of their system, but there's no reason your startup can't follow the same game plan. In this article, we will look at creating an effective on-boarding process for startups. This is very important to emerging businesses as it not only gets everyone started on the right foot, but it sets the tone for your company culture. Onboarding provides your employees with training, direction and guidelines. Withou...

As a young startup or a small company, you might find dealing with health benefits and retirement benefits is a time-consuming task that isn't easy for you or your staff. This is why small companies often choose to work with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). This gives your employees access to better benefits and more human resources services than you might otherwise be able to provide. What is a PEO company? A professional employer organization (PEO) is a firm you can hire to provide ...

According to Inc , one of the most common reasons startups fail is a lack of cash. This where a chief financial officer (CFO) can really help you by staying on top of your finances, knowing what you need to succeed as well as when it's time to raise some more funds. Let's look at eight reasons why you need a CFO for your startup. The definition of a Chief Financial Officer Some businesses will choose to hire a CFO on staff, while others will decide to outsource this position. Either way, a CFO w...

Outsourcing is the secret weapon for startups. It's part of an effective business model, and one that can help you succeed. While there are several areas in which you might find outsourcing beneficial, let's look at outsourcing HR as this is one area where it's definitely a good idea. You already know that growing your startup is an exciting time as well as one that leaves you wearing many hats. The good news is that with outsourcing, you don't have to do everything. When you outsource your HR, ...

Hiring staff to take care of your IT, human resources, and accounting may not be feasible for your startup. This is why it's very beneficial for startups to hire a business service company. If you're currently in the market for an outsourced team, take a look at this checklist for finding a business services company which will work well for your needs. Know your need Before finding the right fit, you first need to know what your needs are. Make a list of the tasks you need help with. Create a pr...

Have you ever asked yourself what it costs to hire an employee who doesn't turn out to be right for your business? The U.S. Department of Labor says it costs you at least 30% of your employee's first-year earnings if they're a bad hire. For many startups, losing five figures because you hired the wrong person may mean the difference between success and failure. Let's take a look at the costs of a bad hire, so you can avoid the devastating consequences to your startup.   Initial hiring costs...

As the owner of a startup, your time is at a premium. You know that everything takes a lot of time, and when you're rushing from one task to another, some things might fall through the cracks. This is where outsourcing comes in. While you spend quality time building your business, you let others do the support work. We run into many young startups who don't think they are large enough or established enough to outsource. In this article, we'll take a look at why you are big enough to outsource ev...

Hiring new team members for your startup is a lot like marketing your company, but many businesses don't approach it this way. If you want to hire the absolute best candidates, you want to make sure your job posts are attracting the right job seekers by providing them extra information to help them decide whether or not to submit a resume. This involves using your marketing skills to craft your job postings. Here are a few ways startups can attract better talent by improving their job postings. ...

Generating leads can be difficult for new and seasoned startups alike. This is where content marketing comes in. Let's take a look at a few lead generation tips for startups and how you can use your content to build trust with potential buyers. Content marketing According to one report, nearly 90% of marketers are using this tool in their marketing strategy. What exactly is content marketing? It's when you create and distribute content consistently that users find valuable, relevant, educational...

Two of the most important things you can do for your business are to build relationships with your customers and engender their loyalty. One of the best ways to do this is through online communities. You want to encourage your customers to feel like they're a part of something special. This in turn encourages their loyalty. Here are a few reasons why you should consider building an online community around your brand and some suggestions for making this happen. Communities increase retention rate...

As the owner of a startup, you are probably trying to do a lot with a little, and that may mean you're doing your own accounting. While you may try to handle your accounting on your own, it's usually not the best idea, especially if you're working with investors and managing payroll. If you make a mistake in your accounting, you can end up with a huge mess on your hands. Therefore, we have compiled a list of common accounting mistakes your company may be making for you to review. If you find tha...

​ Preparing for the sale of a company can be a long-term process and one that can zap the energy of even the most energetic CEO. We've put together a shortlist of four things founders/management teams need to consider before selling a company. #1: Keep moving forward As you enter the sales phase, you might be tempted to scale back your day-to-day operations. This isn't a good idea. You want to keep your business running as usual, just as if a sale isn't right around the corner. This guarantees y...

Thinking about adding interns to your startup staff? Oftentimes, this is a great idea. Interns can bring fresh, new ideas and a unique perspective to your startup. They are usually inexpensive, and very often they're young and flexible. You'll find they're willing to learn many different aspects of your business and pitch in where they're most needed. As an added bonus, if they really work out, you can add them to your staff permanently. Yet, there are some important guidelines to follow when do...

According to a study , corporations are quite eager to work with startups, with nearly 67% saying they are happy to work with early stage startups and another 23% seeing partnerships as critical. This study is quite significant as the trend towards startup/corporation partnerships is looking good. This is where you might be asking how startups can form partnerships with larger companies and how this makes good business sense. Partnering with an established company helps you gain stability, but i...

According to Marketing Schools , influencer marketing is when you market your products and services to people who have sway or influence over the things other people buy. With influencer marketing, the focus is placed on influential people instead of the target market. When you employ this strategy, it's your goal to identify the people who have influence over buyers and then organize your marketing strategy around them. So, does this mean that influencers are only famous people? No, not necessa...

Whether you're in a meeting, or you meet a potential investor at a dinner party, you'll be better off if you have a prepared elevator speech for your startup. This helps you say what you really need to say without having to think about it or even worse, leaving something out. Let's look at how to craft an elevator speech for investors . What is an Elevator Speech? Sometimes called an elevator pitch, this speech is a short overview of your business, products, and services. You may use it in busin...

Every brand needs a voice, especially startups. The messaging you provide your audience is what helps your target audience understand your value and why you're useful. Your messaging tells the potential customer why they should do business with you. Your brand's promise must be clear, it must tell a story, and it must be convincing. Brand messaging for your startup should convey your value proposition and help your customers relate to your products or services. Your brand messaging should inspir...

Before we start to answer this question, you might be wondering about the term, native advertising. Just what does this mean? Native advertising is a form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed. In other words, the ad looks just like the content around it. So, if you use native advertising on your website or someone else's, it wouldn't look like an ad. Native advertising is the new buzzword, and in this article, we...

Before we dive in to the pros and cons of investing in SEO, let's firmly define it. SEO is an abbreviation for search engine optimization. While the term, SEO, can leave many startups confused, it's simply how you get free and organic traffic to your website . Breaking it down even further, consider this example. Your potential customer goes to Google and enters a term in the search bar that has something to do with your business. If you show up on the search engine results page near the top or ...

For most startups, their marketing strategy includes only online activities such as lead generation, social media, email marketing, content marketing , pay-per-click, and their website. While this is all vital to your overall marketing plan, there are other avenues available to you depending on your target market. In this article, we look at traditional marketing tools often overlooked by startups that include strategies and methods for introducing your business to the world.   Direct mail ...

It's product launch time for your startup, and it's time to do some marketing. With so many options and avenues available to you, we take a look at one traditional form of marketing – the trade show. The Pros You'll find that the biggest advantage of the trade show is the increased exposure for your startup. This is your chance to get noticed. Trade shows are a great place to increase your brand awareness and get your product in front of more eyeballs. Consider participating in a class, hosting ...

  Is user generated content the latest fad, or is it a viable way for you to grow your business? First, let's define it. User generated content (UGC) is any content that unpaid contributors, your customers or fans share online. This might be in the format of reviews, social media posts, videos, blog posts, tweets, pictures and more. It's a big boon for your startup, not the latest fad, and it's something you should definitely be encouraging your customers to do. To help you, let's look at h...

  Managing your money right from the start is vital to the health of your startup. When hiring an accountant, outsourcing your accounting, or hiring an employee to manage your books, you want to be absolutely confident in who you choose as they are responsible for managing your money. Your accountant helps you navigate the numbers and make the best financial decisions. If the numbers aren't accurate, it can be hard to grow and succeed as a small business. Let's look at what you should know ...

Payroll is much more than just paying your employees their salary or hours worked. When it comes to payroll , it encompasses not only wages but deductions such as taxes and social security as well as health insurance and more. Payroll can be difficult for some startups, so today we look at eight common payroll problems to avoid.   #1: Setting it up incorrectly Payroll is complicated, especially where taxes are concerned. Not only are taxes a vital part of payroll, but they are difficult to ...