So you've opened your doors, you've hired your first round of employees, and now you need to pay them. While payroll may seem like an easy task, it's full of twists and turns that can trip up even seasoned bookkeepers. Here is what startups need to know about payroll accounting to ensure it's done accurately and in a timely manner. Decide pay dates Your first step is to set up your payroll. It's a safe bet that your employees want to know for certain when their paycheck is coming. You have sever...

You're a go-getter. You've spent months, if not years, getting your startup off the ground. If you're like most entrepreneurs, you've done most of it on your own. But, regular tasks like recruitment, hiring, payroll, benefits plans and employee care are slipping away from you, and there's that nagging voice in your head that's telling you that you need some help. Yet, you don't think your startup is quite big enough for an HR (human resources) department. So, what do you do? In this article, we'...

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 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 ...

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, ...

Any one of your employees could be affected by drug or alcohol addiction. Whether they're caring for someone or dealing with their own substance abuse, those affected often suffer in silence because of the stigma surrounding addiction. Despite being an expensive problem in terms of lost productivity, only one in five HR professionals says their company proactively deals with employee addiction issues, writes Jerry Haffey Jr. Here, he explores the business risks associated with addiction and shar...

As an experienced professional, it can be difficult to return to your career at the same level after a lengthy break. Since Goldman Sachs coined the term returnship for the 're-entry internship' concept they launched in 2008, more companies have been following suit. While returnships were developed to help individuals update their skills or develop new skills, and to ease their transition back into work after a career break, companies are discovering they can improve inclusion and diversity in t...