According to a report recently released by the NFIB, the rising cost of health care continues to be the top concern for small business owners. That challenge has topped the list since 1986. For the time being, Obamacare, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), still controls the American health care system. Therefore, while American businesses with 50 or more full-time employees are required to offer health care coverage to their staff or face stiff penalties, there are no such provisions for businesses with smaller staffs. Read more...

According to Inna Kinney, founder and CEO of the Economic Community Development Institute (ECDI), headquartered in Columbus, the methods a small company owner utilizes to recruit top employees vary depending on the type of business. For example, if a small business repairs cars, meaning the staff is generally comprised of manual laborers, posting a ‘Help Wanted’ ad in the New York Times won’t likely yield the type of employee your company seeks. Read more...

Well, the holiday season has come and gone. If you haven't already given out a holiday bonus or send your assistant to fetch more knick-knacks, slogan-wear, or fruit baskets, you might think about what will be more meaningful to your employees.  Based on our recent research, we learned that fulfillment was in short supply. Over 80% of employees sought more fulfillment in their lives. And because work was first or second in importance to fulfillment for most people—they spend 50% or more of their non-sleep time at work—their job and employer influence their fulfillment a great deal. Read more...

The exit interview is of paramount importance to employers, says Zuni Corkerton, president and founder of RefCheck, a Columbus company that provides background investigations that delve beyond the standard criminal background check. Read more...