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November 16, 2020

Business Promotions Made Easy with These 4 Simple Steps

Social media is an inescapable force. It appears on your phone, it can drive a news cycle, and it is the basis for many conversations between friends and neighbors. Love it or hate it, social media is an efficient, low-cost way to reach a broad audience to promote your business and grow your brand. More and more, small businesses are using social media to interact with customers and potential customers. (Check out our prior posts on creating a stand-out social media presence.) One of the key ways social media can grow your business is through promotions. Here’s a step-by-step guide for finding and running the right social media promotion for your business. 

 

Determine the Goals for your Promotion

In addition to generating buzz about your business, promotions are great tools to achieve specific objectives. So, as you consider a promotion, think about your purpose. Because there’s a vast universe of promotions, there’s not a one-size-fits-all prescription for promotional goals. Some potential options include:

  • Gaining followers
  • Growing engagement
  • Finding referrals
  • Promoting loyalty
  • Sales of a particular item or over a specific time frame

Once you know your goal, it’s easier to choose the right promotion and create an offer meaningful to your followers.

 

Craft Your Offer

Crafting the offer’s specifics is often the most fun (and challenging) aspect of the process. In general, the offering should be unique to your business and feel special for your followers. Consider your overall value proposition and how your offering could drive engagement. Make sure the promotion offers something that your followers will find desirable.

Specific promotional options are endless. Here are some ideas to help get you started:

  • Contests, including scavenger hunts, talent or art competitions, kid writing or coloring contests, product raffles, or prize drawings, often generate a lot of participation.
  • Free items, like a gift with purchase or a small free item during certain hours/days, can drive business during slower times.
  • Discounts and coupons available to anyone who shares your promotion or earned with specific interactions, such as tagging friends or starting to follow your social media accounts, are popular options.
  • Swag giveaways of premium items, such as mugs, hats, pens, and branded water bottles, can really bring out your fans. Many business owners like to give away promotional items because it results in free advertising as customers use them.
  • Exclusive access opportunities are a great option to drive traffic to shops, restaurants, and events. Social media followers can gain exclusive access to your business/product based on the steps you outline in your promotion or by using your website or other online processes to make a reservation.

As you consider your offer, keep the potential prize proportional to the entrant’s investment to participate. For example, don’t give away a high-value item to everyone who shares your link. Likewise, if you ask your followers to make a significant investment in your promotion, such as creating a meme that shows why they love your product, the pay-off should be more exclusive. If you conduct a contest, you may need a panel of judges (such as employees or other superfans) to pick a winner for your prize. Discounts in exchange for link sharing are generally a good trade-off in this area. 

You also want to make sure that the graphics that you have for this campaign shows your business logo, too. This helps familiarize your audience with your logo and improve your brand awareness. Designing a professional logo is easy with the use of logo makers such as BrandCrowd or working with graphic designers.

Next, develop a timeline for your promotion. Include plenty of time to do any pre-work and build in some time for follow up and assessment.

 

Draft a Communication Plan

With your offer and timeline in hand, it’s time to consider your communication plan. Communication is the key to a successful promotion. Look at any existing communication plans you maintain and see if opportunities exist to take an upcoming communication or advertisement and add information about your promotion. Depending on your goals, consider a mix of social media and traditional vehicles for reaching your audience.  

Then, prepare your posts and other media well in advance of your start date. Be sure to:

  • Clearly outline how the promotion works, including any exclusions or deadlines.
  • Include plans to publicly share the name of your promotion winners, if appropriate. 
  • Thank everyone who participates. 
  • Share your appreciation for the enthusiasm your followers show around the promotion.

When the launch day arrives, deploy your communication materials and monitor the feedback you are getting on your posts. Posting comments and making updates based on questions or comments that appear will let your audience know that you are engaged in the promotion. To help keep your promotion top-of-mind, regularly share information about it with your followers.

 

Assess Your Results

When the promotion ends, take a look at how it went. Consider:

  • Did you meet your goals?
  • Did managing the promotion take the time you expected? Less time? More time? (If the answer is more time, you might want to hire a Virtual Assistant to help in the future.)
  • What feedback did you hear from those who participated? How about those that mentioned the promotion to you but didn’t participate?
  • What did you learn in the process?

Answers to these questions will help you craft even more successful promotions in the future.

 

What’s Working for You?

Promotions are a fun way to drive business. We’d love to hear about your experiences–the good, the bad, and the ugly. Drop me a line and let me know what promotions you’ve tried.

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November 2, 2020

What is the Best Human Resources Solution for Your Small Business

Having a thriving business can be extremely rewarding especially when a company’s growth results in expanding to onboard extra help.

If a company owner has a managerial background, they will have some knowledge and/or experience when it comes to onboarding, training, and evaluating employees and their work. 

For the entrepreneur who is used to working for themselves and themselves alone, it’s a different story. 

This is where having human resource personnel can be beneficial. The biggest question when it comes to a company’s HR is whether to outsource or insource.

 

Outsourcing vs Insourcing HR

An internal human resource department would be a good decision if a company is mid to large size in scale. Typically this applies to companies with more than a handful of employees.

For small businesses, however, it wouldn’t make sense to hire a full HR department within the organization if they are only dealing with just a few key staff. In this case, it’s much easier and faster to outsource instead. 

 

Why is HR important for small businesses

Having some form of HR in place is necessary for the function of any business that employs others. 

But human resource tasks are redundant, time-consuming, and don’t contribute to the bottom line of a company’s profits. 

Left up to the owner or core staff members to take care of could lead to a negative impact on a business’s productivity and cost the company a lot of money in the long run.

The realized benefit of having an outsourced human resource system in place is immediate. 

The newfound time allows small business owners to focus on the tasks that bring them the most ROI and significantly improve the function of the company’s operations overall.

 

The Top 3 Benefits of HR Outsourcing

  1. Time-Saving 
  2. Cost-Effective
  3. Less Staff Turnover

 

A good HR company will set up a consultation with their client to learn about their needs and help determine the role they are looking to fill for their expansion. They will usually handle all aspects of the job posting itself and screen applicants as the resumes come in.

When it comes to interviewing candidates, the HR company can help write the interview questions, schedule, and conduct them. 

They will select only the most qualified to move forward for the final interview with the company owner. They will even send out courtesy emails to applicants who were not selected for the job.

An outside human resource organization can save small businesses time, money, and result in less staff turnover due to the thorough pre-screening and onboarding process that takes place.

If you’re a small business owner looking to expand your organization and think that outsourcing your human resources would be a good fit for you, Hire My Mom does offer an excellent Concierge Package for consideration. You can learn more about this service here.

 

 

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October 19, 2020

How to Help Your Small Business Thrive in Uncertain Times

With everything that’s gone down in 2020, it may be time to look at your business with fresh eyes to assess your current state and determine where you are headed. One way to do this is to perform a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for:

  • Strengths
  • Weaknesses
  • Opportunities
  • Threats

This analysis is quick and gives you a good sense of where you are at this point, where you are heading and how to make the most of every opportunity. Grab some paper and a pen (or sit down at your computer) and use this guide to get started. Here is a free worksheet to help you in this process.

 

Assess Your Strengths

Let’s start with the positive. Make a list of the strengths your business shows right now. They may be the same as pre-COVID-19, or they may be wildly different. Either way, be generous with your strengths. Include things like a great staff, dedicated customers, and your killer website or social media presence. The objective here is to get a good handle on all the things you have in your corner. Listing strengths helps affirm all the things that are going well. Put yourself in the shoes of a customer or staff member and consider your business from that perspective, as well. 

 

Consider Your Weaknesses

Next, make a list of the flaws you see in the business right now. Like the strengths, you may see faults that resemble what you saw before or a different set of disadvantages. It’s essential to create a complete and honest list but think big picture. Don’t include small issues that happen on a one-off basis, like a customer complaint or a minor hiccup. Don’t be overly critical. The goal here is to objectively consider areas of your business that could use some attention. A good list of weaknesses makes it easier to address any issues and solve for them going forward.

 

Identify Your Opportunities

Now, it’s time to look at your opportunities. The world has changed in the last six months, which likely means new opportunities have opened. The point of considering opportunities is to see new possibilities–both short and long-term options. You may see a long list of options right away. If you are struggling, that’s understandable. But, try to identify at least three opportunities on the horizon. Cast a wide net. Here are three ways to help frame your thinking:

  • Jot down the opportunities you have traditionally pursued if they are still viable. 
  • Consider what new avenues may be available for the future. You don’t need a plan to pursue the opportunity to list it–it’s ok just to see the prospect and note it. Planning to capitalize on the opportunity can come later.
  • Think of opportunities in many ways–perhaps you have a chance to hire a virtual staff member to bring in some expertise or reduce your workload or that of a team member.

Generating a list of possibilities will make you feel better about the future and start the wheels turning for new options in the future.

 

Outline Threats on the Horizon

Finally, write down the threats facing your business right now. I know–this can be scary. But, don’t be afraid to list the risks. Identifying them and committing them to paper won’t make them more likely to happen. Instead, looking at the list of risks can defang them a bit and make them feel more approachable. 

As you think about the threats, identify those you can control and those you can’t. For example, you can’t control what happens with the pandemic. But, you can make a staffing tweak that reduces the threat of staff turnover. List both in different categories to make them easier to assess.

 

Sample Worksheet

Here’s a worksheet to help you conduct your SWOT analysis. As you can see, it’s not fancy, but it serves as a good starting point for organizing your thoughts. You can also download one using the link above.

 

Products/Services            Staff               Marketing        General Environment
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats (Use an * to denote threats outside of your control)

 

Final Tips Before You Get Started

Here are my best tips for conducting a successful exercise:

  • Do your initial thinking, then set it aside for a week. I find creating this space helps make the reflection more in-depth and more insightful.
  • After a week passes, revisit your work and write down your initial edits. 
  • Do this again over a few days before you start making plans to address what you uncover. 

Once complete, file your completed analysis. Review it in six months to see how things have changed and how much progress you’ve made. 

 

This is the Perfect Time to Conduct a SWOT Analysis

With so many things going on, spending an hour conducting a SWOT analysis may seem like a low priority item. But, this is a great way to look at your business with fresh eyes and consider how the future may unfold. I always find this process valuable, and I look forward to hearing what you learn. Send us an email and share your experiences. 

 

 

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October 5, 2020

How to Wow Your Audience with Amazing Blog Content

If you’re reading this, you understand the power of blogs. Blogs offer fun and interesting ways to learn new things, connect with others who share similar interests, and interact with your favorite personalities, brands, products, and services. 

As a business owner, entrepreneur, or mompreneur, blogs offer a fantastic opportunity to increase your online profile, share more about your business or area of expertise, and grow your brand. Some blogs are personal passion projects, and others are geared toward selling. But all great blogs have three things in common. They all:

  • Speak to a specific audience.
  • Are relevant and authentic.
  • Encourage action, discussion, or debate among readers.

If you have a blog or are thinking about starting a blog, these tips can help you take your blog to the next level.

 

Know Your Readers

Part of the magic of a blog is that it lets readers and writers connect in new ways. Thanks to the vastness of the internet, readers can find blogs on almost any topic imaginable. That same vastness means that your universe of potential readers is gigantic. Because your blog’s reach can easily exceed your customer base, the key to tapping this magic is finding the right readers for your blog. As a creator, this means that your blogs must be targeted to specific readers. 

When you create a business blog, you want your content to find the right people–those who might have an interest in your product, service, or business. To make sure your blog lands with the right audience, picture the reader before you start writing. Ask yourself what you want the reader to:

  • Know
  • Feel, and 
  • Do differently as a result of reading the blog.

The answer doesn’t have to be serious–many blogs are for fun or branding. Your answer can also be part of a goal, such as creating interest in a new product and converting a certain percentage of readers to buyers. Starting with the reader in mind makes it easier to write content that resonates with your readers and accomplishes your goals.

Like all communication, understanding your audience is vital. Think about what interests your audience, what drives them, and what moves them to act/buy. Consider spending some advertising or promotion dollars to help find your followers and make sure they see your content. A social media consultant can help you find and entice the right readers. (Hiremymom.com is a great place to find a freelance Social Media consultant.)

 

Write Relevant and Authentic Material

With your audience in mind, it’s time to start creating content. Here are some tips to help you start writing:

  • Determine what you want to say. Pick one topic for each blog. It’s tempting to try to put several ideas into one blog but stick to one. Once you start blogging, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to share all your content. And, sticking to one idea makes it easier on you as the writer and for your readers.
  • Make sure the content you are considering is relevant and authentic to your voice and your brand. When you write about things you know and care about, your expertise and enthusiasm shine through. 
  • Choose words, phrases, and an overall style that reflects you and your business. If you are blogging about decorating, a fun, breezy tone is probably the right fit. If you blog about estate planning or insurance, you likely want a style that shows more gravitas to help you establish credibility and reflects your expertise.
  • Add photos and graphics to create visual interest.
  • Use spell check and tools like Grammarly to make sure your blog is free of spelling or punctuation errors. You can use a free-level grammar check or purchase an annual subscription to help make all your writing sing. 

 

Need help writing?

Not everyone loves the process of blogging, but that doesn’t have to be a barrier to starting a blog that supports your business. If you don’t love writing or don’t have the time to do it well, consider hiring a ghostwriter. You share your ideas with a writer who then drafts your blog in your voice. You still get credit as the author while saving a lot of time. 

 

Invite Engagement

The best blogs make readers think and create engagement, measured through likes, comments, and discussion. So, be prepared to engage with your audience and have a conversation.

End each blog with a question for readers. Invite your readers to weigh in on the topic–whether they agree, disagree, or have experiences to share. Have a plan for responding to comments. Engagement is what keeps readers returning. You may even identify a staff member or hire a virtual assistant or social media consultant to take point on responses.

Blogging is a fun and rewarding way to grow your online presence. These tips can help you take your content from ho-hum to fantastic. Leave a comment sharing your experience with blogging.

 

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September 14, 2020

How to Handle a Negative Business Review

You and your team work hard everyday to make sure your customers get the best of your product and service. But, despite your best efforts, things are bound to go wrong sometimes and you may find yourself the recipient of a negative online business review. Let’s be clear: this stings. But, it can also be a catalyst for growth and discovery.

Here are some tips to manage a negative review with grace.

Remain Calm

It’s tough to receive (or read) negative feedback about you or your business. Give yourself some time to process and even cool down before you respond. Although you may want to fire off the first response that comes to mind, responding immediately may lead to a regrettable response that can make things worse. Taking a short walk, praying and/or talking with a friend or co-worker can help you decompress before responding. 

After you’ve had a minute to process your feelings, consider the feedback. Ask yourself:

  • Is this feedback actionable?
  • Is the complaint reasonable?
  • What helpful insight can I gather from this situation?
  • Is there an involved team member who I can talk with to get a fuller picture of what happened?

With facts gathered and nerves calmed, you are ready to respond. While responding too quickly can backfire, waiting too long to respond can also backfire. Online comments move quickly, so try to respond in a timely manner. This lets you intervene before the situation spirals to a new level.

 

Respond Professionally and Politely

The first step is to draft a response that is both professional and polite. Put the first draft into an email or a document instead of the platform where it will ultimately be posted. This lets you think and edit freely without the worry of someone seeing a version that’s not final. Your response should do four things:

  1. Establish your credibility to address the problem.
  2. Acknowledge that you saw the feedback and appreciate it. 
  3. Own the issue and apologize without going into unnecessary detail.
  4. Move the conversation offline to avoid a public spectacle.

Here’s a good base response that you can use:

@JaneSmith I’m the (title) at/of (insert business name). Thank you for your feedback about our service. We continually look for opportunities to improve and your insight helps. We are so sorry that XYZ happened to you. We always try to provide ABC and I’m disappointed to learn that we missed the mark. Please call or PM me so that I can help resolve this issue as soon as possible. 

Once you have a draft, ask someone less involved to review it for tone, accuracy, and clarity.

Tip: Consider hiring a freelance writer to draft a template library of responses to possible complaints. Having pre-drafted responses that you edit as needed can make responding to complaints faster and easier. You can find a writer to help with this on HireMyMom.

 

Avoid Common Pitfalls

You can avoid common mistakes by following this list of don’ts when you respond.

Don’t:

  • Attack the person who provided the feedback by questioning their motives or asking if the interaction was real. Remember this is not a personal attack, even if it feels like it. 
  • Recount the reviewers actions during the interaction that led to the complaint. For example, don’t say: “You were rude” or dispute what happened.
  • Suggest that the reviewer is wrong or minimize their complaint For example, avoid saying “I’m sorry you didn’t like that product, but everyone else does.”
  • Make comments that could be viewed as defensive. Avoid: “You are wrong. We ALWAYS do XYZ, we never do ABC, like this review states.”
  • Ignore the review. While it may be tempting to ignore a bad review, doing so can make you look out of touch. It’s better to address it in a constructive way.

 

Learn From the Feedback

Receiving a negative business review is challenging but it also offers a silver lining in the form of growth and improvement. After the passion has ebbed and your response is posted, consider if there are nuggets that can help you or your team improve in the future. Also, consider if your response made sense based on the situation and identify anything you might do differently next time.

 

Move On Quickly

You pour your heart and soul into your business and it’s never fun to get a negative review. But, it happens to everyone and it’s important not to dwell on the negative feedback. When you get a negative review, hold your head high, follow the tips outlined here, and see what you can learn from the experience. 

I’d love to hear your stories about responding to negative reviews. Drop me a line sharing your experiences.

 

 

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August 31, 2020

Which Time Tracking Software is Right for You and Your Remote Team?

Which time tracking software is right for you and your remote team?

Having an accurate time tracking system in place is crucial in order to successfully manage remote work. It’s one of the best ways to monitor your team’s progress, understand your productivity rates, and properly measure your KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators).

The three main reasons for time tracking are to gauge client work, to manage your remote team, and to help improve productivity and profitability.

This article covers the benefits of having a time tracking system in place plus our top 5 recommendations for time tracking software.

 

Benefits of Time Tracking For Remote Teams

Accountability

With remote work, it’s easy to become distracted. The freedom, though wonderful – can become a playground for bad habits to be developed (like going on your social media accounts when you should be working).

By using a time tracking software, you’ll be able to monitor your team’s time on and time off each task and catch any issues early on before they become much bigger ones. 

From the worker’s perspective, time tracking is a great way to help you keep to your schedule, stay on track with tasks from start to completion, and it gives you the chance to celebrate the wins and milestones of your job performance. 

It also gives you the confidence so that if your work were to ever come into question, you have a track record to explain the situation to the management department.

 

Project Management

The many offers of time tracking software make it easy to manage any project from virtually anywhere (or any device). Time tracking software contains many features that help you keep track of projects. From quick reports to visual dashboards that provide you with real-time project views, it’s easy to see everything in one place. 

It helps team leaders manage the projects within their team and provides the opportunity to make decisions about priorities, tasks, and project shifting at-a-glance.

 

Less Stress

Tight deadlines, misplaced files, uncertainty with team progress, and miscommunication can contribute to stress. Stress on the workers, the employer, and overall health of the company.

Time tracking software can do a pretty great job dealing with all of the above pain points. It helps you keep on track with due dates, can act as a hub for file tracking, provides team progress in a visual snapshot, and allows for stronger communication and clarity.

 

Cost-Efficient

There are many ways that a time tracking software can help the productivity and cost-efficiency of a company’s operations. It can eliminate wasted time that takes place in an office environment where employee socialization can steal from productivity. It can help monitor project progress and once completed, can help determine the baseline of tasks and their costs to create a better pricing structure for future clients/projects. Finally, because time tracking is automated, this can free up time on your management teams end which you can use towards other aspects of running your business.

 

5 Time Tracking Software for Remote Teams

Review our picks for time tracking software and evaluate (include pricing): 

Time Doctor

  • What it is: Time Doctor is a Software As A Service (also known as SaaS) platform which provides time tracking and productivity tools. It’s owned by the team at Staff.com and was founded in 2012. It has the ability to easily integrate with the most commonly used CRM systems.
  • What it does: Time Doctor provides time tracking and employee monitoring, online timesheets and payroll, project budgeting and management, distraction alerts, allows for screenshots, website and app monitoring, client login access, and more.
  • What it costs: Time Doctor offers a FREE 14-Day Trial with no credit card required. Packages range on a per user basis between $7 – $20 per month.

Wrike

  • What it is: Wrike is an online project management platform that provides a simple way to plan projects, streamline communication, and workflow. The company was founded in 2006 and has accomplished some noteworthy “street cred” including; 2020 TrustRadius Top Rated Award, 2019 and 2018 Customer’s Choice Awards, and is also mentioned as one of the Top Places to Work between from 2015 – 2019 consecutively.
  • What it does: Wrike offers task management, Gantt Charts, workflow management, task prioritization, workload views, custom reports, real-time activity, shareable dashboards, document collaboration, file sharing, real-time activity, custom calendar, and integration with calendars, dropbox, Google Docs and more.
  • What it costs: Wrike offers a Free Trial and plans ranging from $0 to $10/month per user. 

Clockify

  • What it is: Clockify is an attractive time tracking software because it’s the only software that is entirely FREE. There are no user restrictions, it’s simply free. But there must be a catch right? Clockify does charge to upgrade and allow for additional features. The additional features do make it hard to resist. Clockify was founded in 2009 and has over 2 million users, over 100 employees, and a substantial amount of glowing reviews.
  • What it does: Some features that Clockify offers include timesheets, time-off tracking, hourly rates, real-time tracking, time reports, multiple users, exports and share reports, and more.
  • What it costs: Clockify is FREE and their plans start at $0 per month and range up to $29.99/month with a combination of user and/or flat-fee pricing depending on the package you select.

Toggl

  • What it is: Toggl is an app for time tracking. It allows you to track your activities on a daily basis across different platforms. It gives you detailed insights so you can identify the areas you need to improve on.
  • What it does: Toggl offers a way to easily organize your team through their 3-Stage Hierarchy, provide a continuous backup of data, offer no signup or termination fees, allows for easy integration with FreshBooks, Basecamp and more. It provides real-time synchronization between web apps, desktop apps, phone apps, and more. Because Toggl is open source, it allows accessibility users need to build different third party integrations into it.
  • What it costs: Just like it’s competitors, Toggl provides a Free Trial with plans ranging from $10 to $20/month per user with Enterprise Packages for more complex situations.

Harvest

  • What it is: Harvest is a cloud-based time tracking software. It is built to handle small to large-scale businesses. It has invoicing and timesheet features. Harvest was founded in 2006 by Danny Wen and Shawn Liu who were looking for their own ways to solve some of their growing web design studio pain points. 
  • What it does: Harvest features time and expense tracking, invoicing, expense tracking, time-based reporting, and more.
  • What it costs: Harvest is free to try with no credit card required. The free trial includes 1 user and 2 projects. After the Free Trial, Harvest is $12 per user. 

 

We hope you’ve found this article helpful. You also might like our “How To Effectively and Successfully Manage Your Remote Team” here. 

 

This site contains affiliate links to courses and resources. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

 

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August 24, 2020

5 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring an Independent Contractor

5 Things You Need to know Before Hiring an Independent Contractor

Hiring an independent contractor is a big step. It often means that your business is growing and that you are ready to take the next step to bigger and better things. Now that you’ve found the right person and agreed on a scope of work, it’s time to roll up your virtual sleeves and get to work, right?

Not so fast.

While the paperwork required to hire a contractor is much less than a regular employee, there are still important documents that must be completed and collected. Here’s an overview of the who, what, why, where, and how of forms needed when you hire an independent contractor. 

 

Who Qualifies as an Independent Contractor

Let’s start with the who. Any person or business you hire to do work on your behalf, but not as an employee is an independent contractor. 

Usually, independent contractors are in a different business than your own. For example, freelancers like artists, editors and writers are often independent contractors. Independent contractors can also include outside companies doing work for you on an ongoing basis. Think cleaning service, an attorney, or a tax prep person. Basically, independent contractors include anyone you are paying for services and who is not an employee.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has set guidelines for determining if someone is an employee or an independent contractor. As a rule of thumb:

  • You pay independent contractors for the result of their work. 
  • You pay employees for the ability to control how the work is done.

 

Why Independent Contractor Status Matters

When you hire an independent contractor, you aren’t required to withhold federal or state taxes or Social Security and Medicare taxes (collectively known as payroll taxes) from their pay. That’s because rather than paying them a salary or a wage, your business is paying another business for services.

Independent contractors are self-employed/owners of their own business and are responsible for reporting their income and paying the associated taxes. (You can learn more from irs.gov.)

When you hire people as employees, you are responsible for withholding the appropriate payroll taxes. This applies for part-time, full-time, and seasonal employees.

 

When to Call the Pros

Issues around employment status and taxes can be thorny.  The IRS offers some guidelines for making this determination. But, it’s wise to consult an attorney or accountant with specific questions or for advice when hiring people or businesses to do work on your behalf. While this article is a good overview of your obligations when hiring independent contractors, we aren’t attorneys and we don’t practice law here at HireMyMom.com. 

 

Start a File for Each Contractor

Before we talk about which forms to collect from your contractor and when, let’s take a step back and consider why it’s important to collect them. While you aren’t required to share information about your independent contractors with the IRS, there are still good reasons for keeping a file on each contractor. 

  • Maintaining project overviews and any feedback you share with the contractor, helps you keep good records about your projects– including how and when they were completed, who did the work, and what you paid to have the work done.
  • If you are ever audited, you can easily pull information about each contractor to share, as needed. 
  • Keeping a contractor file makes it easier for you to connect with contractors in the future. 

 

Collecting the Right Forms

Collecting the correct forms from independent contractors is often an overlooked step that offers important benefits for your business and the contractor you are hiring. Securing the correct forms at the beginning of your relationship can set you up for greater success later. It’s easier to have the information on file before the project begins when you and your contractor are in more constant communication. 

Collecting the forms early gives you peace of mind that you’ve checked all the boxes with your independent contractor.  According to The Balance Small Business, there are several forms to collect and keep on file, including: 

  • A completed W-9 tax form. This form and directions to complete it are both available online at irs.gov and should be on file before you pay the contractor. Once you collect the W-9 form, hold on to it for your files in case you need to share it with an auditor. (You don’t need to send it to the IRS.)
    • While you don’t need to withhold payroll taxes from an independent contractor, you are responsible for issuing them at 1099 Form for Non-Employee Compensation at the end of each calendar year. 
    • Independent contractors use the 1099 Form to report their business income to the IRS.  
  • A contract. When you start a new relationship with an independent contractor, establish the terms of your engagement with a written contract. The contact should:
    • Outline that the person you are hiring is an independent contractor and not an employee. It’s important that the person you are hiring understands that you will not be withholding payroll taxes because he/she is not an employee.
    • Stipulate who owns the finished work product. (This is especially important for creative services such as art work or design.)
    • Outline the scope of work to be performed.
    • Document billing rates, invoicing, payment processing and timing. Settling on this at the beginning of the project can make for a more productive relationship.
  • A resume and reference information. You know why you hired this person to do work on your behalf, but keeping a resume and reference information on file makes it easier for others to review, if needed. You may even have your contractors complete an application so you can easily access pertinent information about them in the future.

 

Additional Forms to Consider

In addition to the items outlined above, your business may dictate the need for additional forms, according to The Balance Small Business. For example:

  • A non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Sometimes called a confidentiality agreement, this gives you confidence that your independent contractor is not sharing your business plans or trade secrets with competitors or other businesses. 
  • A non-compete agreement puts restrictions on the contractor’s ability to take your customers or clients to a competitor. These documents tend to outline specific actions and timeframes where the restrictions apply.  
  • A non-solicitation agreement keeps an independent contractor from working for your competition while also doing work for you. This can be tricky because sometimes you want a contractor with expertise in your industry, which means he/she also works for other similar businesses.

Consult a lawyer if you are considering asking your contractor to sign any of these items. State laws vary considerably. Working with an attorney can help make sure that any steps you’re considering are legal and advisable based on your state, objectives, and situation.

 

We’d Love to Hear From You

Tell us how you found your independent contractor and the success you experienced.

 

 

Disclaimer. The information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this site without seeking legal or other professional advice.

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August 10, 2020

How to Hire the Best Candidates for Your Remote Team

There’s nothing better than landing a great new team member-especially a remote team member. It’s a sign that your business is growing and you are ready to support additional people to help you get to the next phase.

But, finding that person is often easier said than done. And the stakes are high. According to a recent article on business.com, a bad hire can cost your business up to 30 percent of that person’s first year’s pay. More, if you factor in the time and expense that went into finding, onboarding, and training that person. If the bad hire hurt team morale or caused you to lose a customer, the costs can quickly grow.

While those numbers can be scary, take heart–it is possible to find and hire the right person. But, like most things in life, it’s easier to do it when you have a well-thought out plan and understand the common pitfalls that can lead to making a poor choice. 

 

Search Your Own Heart Before You Search for Candidates

A key ingredient in successfully finding the right candidate is understanding exactly what you want this person to do. This is easier to do before you start searching for a candidate and is best accomplished by writing a job description. To get started, consider:

  • The goals for the role. A year after you’ve hired this person, how will you measure his/her success? For example, do you want to see sales increase by ten percent? Improve retention rates? Increase your social media presence? Maybe it’s important that this person fits in well with an existing team or brings new ideas to your business. Whatever the goal is, think of it in terms of an evaluative measure that can be used to assess success.
  • The skills and background needed to successfully do the job. Thinking about the objectives for the new role, consider the skills and background that will help a candidate succeed. 
    • If you have people already in this role, get their thoughts on the right background and compare them to your own ideas.
    • Look at similar roles both within and outside your business and see what skills and backgrounds others are asking for in the role. 
  • The things that matter to your team. Do you have a team of night owls who are looking for a morning person to help balance them out or take customer calls earlier in the day? Maybe you have a team of project managers who would love to have someone with sharper design skills join the group. Thinking about the dynamics of your team and organization can make it easier to know more about who you are looking for when you start your search.
  • What “remote team member” means to you. Do you want someone to work set hours or are you more of a core hours shop? If so, what are the core hours? Are you open to someone located in a different time zone? Do you prefer someone who can personally meet with you for an occasional lunch or team meeting? If you have preferences in this area, be sure to make note of them at this stage.
  • Know what you value in this position. Are you looking for integrity, efficiency, intelligence? Maybe you want  someone who is proactive, a team player, organized, attentive to detail, and  handles correction well. Whatever the traits are that matter to you, identify and document them as part of this process.

 

Write a Job Description

Now that the ideas are churning in your mind, sit down and write a formal job description. You may want to include:

  • A functional and descriptive job title.
  • An overview of the job’s responsibilities.
  • Goals for the role.
  • The skills and background required to succeed.
  • Any specific hardware or software skills.
  • Information about why the job matters to your company.
  • Pertinent details about how you expect the remote work relationship to work. 

 

Share Your Thoughts

Once you have a draft, share it with others who know about the job or will be working with this person. Discuss the job until you get to the heart of what you want. Be specific. 

Continue to revise the job description until it really fits your needs and you have agreement that it captures what you’re looking to achieve by adding this role.

 

Create a Plan to Find the Right Person

When you are looking for a remote team member, you have the important advantage of not being limited by geography. You can find and hire a team member who’s located anywhere with good internet access. 

Using a platform like HireMyMom.com is a great way to source qualified candidates who are specifically looking for remote work. You can save time and money by turning to a site dedicated to connecting driven mom professionals with small businesses. 

If the prospect of a nationwide search daunts you, consider our concierge service to help reduce the amount of leg work you need to do. HireMyMom’s Concierge service was created for busy entrepreneurs and small business owners, like you, who need to hire help but don’t have the time or desire to go through the time-consuming process. With our full service Concierge service, our HR Specialists will do it all for you start to finish and present you with the top candidate(s). 

 

Prepare to Interview Candidates

With candidates identified, it’s time to develop initial interview questions before the first interview. What are some questions that would help you spot those who do and don’t have those skills or qualities?

In the Book, “Who” by Geoff Smart and Randy Street, they outline a thorough process for hiring “A” players. The process may be overkill for some smaller remote roles but the basics of the process provide a solid foundation for selecting the right candidate. 

The interview questions Smart and Street recommend are easy and conversational. They recommend an initial phone interview asking the following questions:

  1. What are your career goals?
  2. What are you really good at professionally?
  3. What are you not good at or interested in doing professionally?
  4. Who were your last five bosses and how would they rate your performance on a 1-10 scale when we talk to them?

Each of those questions should be followed up with “tell me more”, “how” and/or “what” to dig deeper to gain more insight about the candidate and their performance, work ethic and skill level. 

Once you’ve discovered who passed your first interview, Smart and Street recommend the “Who Interview” which “is designed to give you more confidence in your selection because it uncovers the patterns of somebody’s career history and is a chronological walkthrough of a person’s career.” They recommend walking through their past five jobs and asking:

  1. What were you hired to do? How was your success measured in that role?
  2. What accomplishments are you most proud of? Be listening for correlations relating to the expectations of your job. 
  3. What were some low points during that job? Or what part of the job did you not like? In what way were peers stronger than you?
  4. Who were the people you worked with? Ask specifically for the boss’ name. Ask what that person will say were their biggest strengths and areas for improvement. That lets them know you will be calling and they are more likely to give you an accurate response. 
  5. Why did you leave that job? Dig deeper into their response with more questions to more fully understand. 

 

The Reference Checks

The last step of the selection process is to check the candidates references. This will be an opportunity to see what others think of them. You may want to ask them some of the same questions from above to see how similar their responses are. 

Taking the time to get a more full and complete picture of someone’s work history, personality, strengths and weaknesses will help you determine who is the best match for your role. Knowing what you want and what your goals are will help guide you in the interview process. The rest will be determined by the answers you receive!

 

Avoid Common Pitfalls

With all the work you’ve done so far, you are likely sailing toward the right pick for your opening. Still, beware of these common pitfalls:

  • Short changing the thought process to determine exactly what you are looking for or needing from this role. 
  • Limiting the job description so that it includes only skills needed or tasks to be accomplished. It does not include the goals and outcomes for the role.
  • Conducting  interviews that are too are short and do not give you an accurate representation of the candidate. 

 

Enjoy the Process!

Hiring the right candidate with the right skills for the right job can dramatically impact your company’s productivity, outcomes and goals. Your biggest asset is usually those you place on your team. They can help you succeed or they can hold you back. Embrace the opportunity and the process to find the right fit.

 

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July 27, 2020

Are You a Leader or a Manager?

If you lead a company or a team, you likely hold the title of leader, manager or even owner. So what is the difference between a leader and a manager? The dictionary defines a leader as, “the person who leads or commands a group or organization.” And it defines a manager as, “a person responsible for controlling or administering all or part of a company.”

Perhaps the best way to convey the difference between a leader and a manager is metaphorical. Managers handle the processes whereas leaders handle the positioning take for example climbing a mountain. A manager will make sure you have all of the right equipment, a timeline to follow, and ensure that proper safety and procedures are followed. A leader on the other hand will make sure that you’re climbing the right mountain.

Leaders set direction and have traits that inspire others while managers take care of all of the processes, operations and resources.


Character Traits of a Leader

According to the Center for Creative Leadership, the characteristics of a great leader include:

  • Integrity
  • Delegation abilities
  • Strong Communication
  • Self-Awareness
  • Gratitude
  • Learning Agility
  • Influence
  • Empathy
  • Courage
  • Respect

 

Character Traits of a Manager

In Project Smart’s article “Top 10 Qualities of an Excellent Manager” they list the following traits:

  • Creativity
  • Structure
  • Intuition
  • Knowledge
  • Commitment
  • Being Human
  • Versatility
  • Lightness
  • Discipline
  • Big Picture/Small Actions


Top 3 Differences Between Leaders and Managers on the Job

It’s easy to see how the two roles can be confusing and sometimes have overlapping traits. The following is a breakdown of typical tasks and the role each plays on that task completion.

  1. When completing tasks – managers take stock of what needs to be done, they assign these tasks to the appropriate team members and then oversee the tasks until the project is complete. A leader will motivate and encourage his or her team to reach the finish line and complete the task but the delegation is something they often lead to the manager.
  2. When supervising others – managers supervise their staff. They are also responsible for job review and performance and making sure that everyone does their part. A leader is often more flexible and less likely to hold others accountable. They cheer the team on, motivate them to do the work, and urge them to follow their lead when it comes to getting things done.
  3. When budgeting and reaching monetary goals for the company – a manager often has specific sales targets that need to be met for their department. Leaders often leave this task to the other team members. 

 

Other Differences


The Best of Both Worlds

It’s important to have both the motivation and drive to encourage task completion but also that focused resilience to ensure the job gets done right, on time and cost-efficiently. This is why you need to have both roles in your company. 

If you’re a small business owner, you could be playing the dual role of leader and manager. Part of being a good leader is listening to feedback and being a continual learner knowing that there’s always more to learn and ways to grow.

If you’re ready to take the next step and grow your company, HireMyMom offers access to high-quality, experienced and qualified candidates for every need of your business. To find out more, visit our Employer / Small Business page here.


“Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things.” Peter Drucker

 

 

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July 13, 2020

How to Effectively & Successfully Manage a Remote Team

Digital transformation has really changed the workplace environment. In fact, if you are deemed a “non-essential” business, chances are, you’ve now had to adapt to a work from home environment in order to stay operational.

The trouble with remote office management is that employees who might have been readily available in-house can become difficult to manage remotely.

In this article, we will cover the basics of effective remote team management plus provide our top 3 software choices to help you maximize your team’s performance, productivity, and cost-efficiency.


Are you a great remote boss?

As a remote team manager, it’s important to hold yourself accountable for the outcome of your team. Here are some questions you can ask yourself each day to help you stay on track:

Are you providing the proper reports, tools, and training to your team?
Are you making yourself available to your remote workers in case they need assistance and clarity?
Are you taking the time to review the processes?
Did you share clear expectations with your team and assign tasks accordingly?

5 Tips To Help You Manage Remote Teams Effectively

1. Check-In With Your Team At The Start of Each Day
Team check-ins are extremely important to ensure productivity. Whenever possible, it’s best to conduct team meetings at the start of the day to go over any pressing matters, any priority changes, and cover new deadlines.

2. Set Clear Objectives
Remote office environments have many benefits but at the same time, there are certain setbacks that can arise from miscommunication. A huge part of the miscommunication can stem from not setting clear objectives. Because you can’t have in-person contact, it is important to ensure your objectives are clear, concise, and achievable within the members of your remote team. You can start by making a list of tasks that need to be complete and the timelines in which to complete them and then break down these tasks into smaller steps. Once the steps have been determined you can assign them to one worker or a team.

3. Monitor and Track Progress
Once you have your objectives in place, you will need to track your progress and monitor your team (without micromanaging them) in order to ensure deadlines are met and the quality of work isn’t compromised. The use of a Project Management Software can be highly effective when assigning tasks to your remote team and we will cover our top 3 picks later on in this article.

4. Communicate Effectively
They say strong communication methods are the driving force behind highly effective teams but in a remote environment, this can sometimes be hard to achieve especially if you are dealing with a large number of people. 

Fortunately, there are a variety of communication platforms that allow you to see and hear each other, share screens, and provide comments and feedback on projects as they progress. Some of the most common platforms include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts.

5. Provide the Right Tools
Because you’re working with a remote team, it will be extremely important to make sure they have all of the right tools in order to perform their roles optimally. Some of the basic equipment includes; a quality laptop, cell phone, printer/scanner/fax, and software such as Microsoft Office.

 

Our Top Picks For Project Management Software

When it comes to Project Management, having the right software can really impact your ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, and meet tight deadlines. Here are our Top 3 Choices and why:


Monday.com 
– Monday.com offers customization and full control.
– It offers several channels of communication, allows for collaboration and selective visibility.
– It allows you to allocate tasks, keep track of time, and visually lay things out within its dashboard feature.
– Monday.com can integrate with a variety of software from your email platform to your e-commerce store and accounting software.

AirTable 
– Database dynamics that easily integrate with platforms like Excel
– Drag and Drop tools for simple and easy form build and use
– Customizable views and dashboards

Basecamp 
– It allows for both business and personal projects to be managed
– It offers both desktop and mobile access 
– It offers one of the most comprehensive to-do list features
– It provides easy file transfers

 

Staff Reward Programs

Staff rewards can keep your team motivated and celebrated which can boost productivity and in the long run, your revenue.

Here are just a few of the ways you can reward your remote workers:

Verbal Recognition
Often just a simple acknowledgment towards your employees, when they go above and beyond, is all it takes to make your worker feel appreciated. You can give them shoutouts in an email, group chat, monthly newsletter, or have a customer of the month recognition through social media.

Digital Rewards
Digital Rewards are an easy way to appreciate your staff. You can set up a point system and assign points for certain milestones and goals that your team reaches both together and individually. They can then turn in their points for a digital gift card of their choice. 

Treat them to Lunch
Even though you can’t physically take them out to lunch, you can still treat them to it through the use of a service company such as Skip the Dishes and Uber-Eats which offer a variety of lunch options and provide delivery to almost any location.

Provide Extra Vacay Days
Any remote worker would appreciate having an extra day off to be with his or her family, friends, or just take a day for themselves to relax and unwind. 

By adding an extra vacation day into your reward system you’ll find workers putting in more time and energy so they can achieve that extra day off.

 

Are you looking to expand your company? At HireMyMom we have a selection of rock star candidates who can really help grow your business. Visit our Employer section here for more details.

 

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