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Tricky interview questions
Given our two-speed economy, I figured I should fulfil my promise to table my killer job interview questions sooner rather than later. You see, if you’re: Hiring, you need to be more certain than ever...
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Should I block employee access to social media?
I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked by small business owners if they should block social media access to their staff. My answer is always no. Social media represents an enormous...
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Back in the fold
A very sharp knife is in da house. It’s a red-letter day at The Feisty Empire. After a six-year absence, my smartest associate has returned to the fold. Adam Finlay helped build my business. Now he’s...
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How to keep employees motivated to perform (it’s more than pay raises)
When it comes to keeping employees motivated, research will tell you that it’s more than just financial rewards that encourage staff to stick with you. Time and time again, I’ve heard people say...
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Happiness = Productivity
A great cake to top off a great year As the final icing on our cake this year, we were recognized in the top 5 best places to work in New Zealand. We placed fifth in the 2012 Kenexa Best Workplace...
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When should you hire a new employee?
When should I hire a new employee? This is a question that has plagued many small business owners as they plan for—and then experience—a growth phase. There is no easy answer, but in general, it’s...
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Change: How to get people on board?
In my coaching work, one of the most typical challenges business owners experience is pushback from team members because of changes the business is implementing. Similarly, when facilitating team...
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Resolving business disputes
Butting heads The old adage “agree to disagree” has been tossed around often enough during heated discussions. But if the dispute arises from your customers, contracts, employees or debtors, you need...
View Article5 tips to pre-screen new hires via social media
Hiring new people for your firm is both exciting and risky. On one hand, bringing new ideas, experience and enthusiasm into your business can reinvigorate your existing teams and drive your business...
View ArticleCoaching your staff
Today’s business environment and the attitude and expectation of employees do not lend themselves to the old command-and-control style of management. Gone are the days where the boss sends a flurry...
View Article3 reasons to part ways with an employee
Nobody likes firing an employee. But there comes a time when keeping a staff member gets costlier than running a profitable business. The most obvious reason is usually when the job becomes obsolete....
View ArticleYou’re fired, son! How to keep your kid but lose an employee
By Leon Gettler, Business Spectator It’s an old joke. The non-family director of the family business approaches the boss. “Your son is a bad fit, he has to go,” says the director. “He doesn’t do what...
View ArticleHow to recruit and retain high performing millennials
Generation Y are often perceived as opportunistic, fickle and always on the lookout for the next best thing. While large corporations can offer many perks and benefits to captivate and retain the...
View ArticleHow to clone yourself in business
Do you sometimes wish that you could clone yourself in business so there is more of you to go around? You are not alone. When you are the product and there is a great demand for that product, then it’s...
View ArticleWhy I sacked my “best” staff member
The deal was done, and we had shaken hands on it. I was so excited. I had just employed a Senior Manager for my business, and the future looked bright. I was going to delegate much of my day-to-day...
View ArticleIt doesn’t need to be spring for a business spring clean
It’s time to shake out the dust and to brush away the cobwebs! Originally referring to the annual undertaking of physically cleaning a dwelling from top to bottom, the phrase “spring clean” has more...
View ArticleWhat should I do with my profits?
So your business has being doing well and you have a decent, consistent profit at last. Then you look at the options of taking more salary or a dividend, and you see the tax man wants his share. Even...
View ArticleSmall business and the triple bottom line
Traditionally a business is measured in purely financial terms or by its economic performance — a successful business generates sufficient returns from its operations and investments, and one that does...
View Article5 signs of a thriving service business
I benefit from being in a small business networking group made up of mostly service-orientated businesses. It has become very clear which ones work like a well-oiled machine and which are struggling....
View ArticleDelegate, but monitor. Or prepare to pick up the pieces.
With most small businesses there comes a time when you need to trust someone else to perform tasks you have managed yourself until now, and they are often crucial to your business success or service...
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