With all the technology available to us, sometimes we work with people for years before we ever meet in person. That can be terrific, or it can be a headache. Digging around in my notes from conferences, I found these tips on managing a distributed workforce from a 2008 session at SXSW with Andrew Huff,…
The IRS may have some useful tax credits for you if you hire members of certain targeted groups. The work opportunity credit has been extended to cover members of targeted groups who begin work for you before September 1, 2011. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2006, there is no longer an alternative minimum…
By Steven HendricksonWith all the unsettling national news about recession, layoffs and unemployment, it may seem strange to be talking about labor shortages, but that’s what we face in Oklahoma. The state’s 2009 employment outlook is vastly better than the nation’s, and Oklahoma employers will continue to confront shortages in all kinds of jobs. Some…
Deb Brown, a small town newspaper editor from Iowa, has interviewed me on a wide range of subjects! She has also shared the interview on her blog, Deb Works. We talked about making a living in a small town, Small Biz Survival, lessons I’ve learned from my businesses, social media for small town businesses, African…
Hiring the right people is vitally important when you have only a few or even one employee. Contributor Zane Safrit knows quite a bit about hiring, through direct personal experience. He’s sharing the best of his experience in a free ebook, The Collaborative Hiring Process. Zane goes through the whole process, from finding people to…
Temporary holiday help is critical in small business. You cannot afford a bad hire, even in the short term! Kay Bell asked my opinion on a holiday hiring for an article for NFIB. She also collected some great tips from workforce development specialist Jacquelyn P. Robinson. The tips break down into six areas: Start looking…
Our Friend Chris Penn took my rant on the rural workforce shortage and ran with it. The result? He’s spilling the secret over on the Financial Aid Podcast. Will we be overrun with city folks seeking the land of opportunity in the small towns? Um, no. I can’t tell you how happy I would be…
Rural areas with sparse population, like western Oklahoma and Kansas, are up against a brick wall that is a workforce shortage. G.L. Hoffman has the story of his cousin Craig, offering $50,000 a year, health care, and home, for farm workers. No takers. Too far out in the country. Too much hard work. Too little…
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