Teenagers are the workers that keep many businesses afloat, offering them affordable labour at flexible hours (especially during the holidays). The one thing that business owners forget about though is that teenagers are getting smarter over time, and it can be...

Letting your employees know that they’re doing a good job is a simple way to boost both moreale and productivity. Any manager that has been in the game for a while understands the importance of employee morale, and how it can seriously impact the success that your...

Running a business isn’t easy by any means, and most of you reading this already understand that fact. It takes a lot of time and dedication to run a business of your own, but there are fewer things in the world that can make you feel more prideful. Running a...

Running a coffee shop is a popular choice these days, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s tough to do. Many business owners believe that they’ll open up a coffee shop and immediately start raking in the cash, but that’s not how it works at all. As a...

Communication is one of the easiest ways to keep your team members in the loop, as well as improve upon productivity. Whenever you can connect with your team and communicate effectively, you can get your point across without any wasted time. This leads to people...

Scheduling will always remain one of the toughest things to handle as a retail manager, but there are many tricks you can use to ensure that employees are always in high spirits during the Holiday rush. During the Holidays (and more specifically during Christmas)...

Employees are turning towards freelance and remote gigs now more than ever, but there are also more small businesses being developed on top of that. The minimum wage that people in Ontario experience is lackluster to say the least, and that’s mainly due to the living...

Those of you who run a business that is open 24-hours a day should consider working in rotating shifts (if you haven’t already), but this can be applied to just about any company. Whether you’re operating hours are 14 or 16 hours out of the day, it always helps to...

Working through the pandemic, in general, has been tough, but that can ring especially true for anybody who is also a parent. Whether they’ve got toddlers or even college students, the pandemic has pushed many children back into their homes for school - the only...

If you’re struggling to find and retain employees ever since the pandemic, you’re not alone. There’s a reason why remote and gig-based work has become more popular recent, and that’s simply because people are more willing to do it. The economy seems to be bouncing...

There are four total management styles to consider, with each one pertaining to a different sort of managerial process. Some managers will be laid back and allow employees to do their thing, while others will demand greatness and help people reach their true...

Working in the health care sector comes with a lot of pressure. The hours can be long and the shifts never seem to stop coming, which is why we’re going to look at the importance of proper scheduling in the health care sector. Creating manual schedules puts pressure...

Growing a business requires constant learning, from your own experiences and those of others. There are thousands of experts out there willing to share their experiences and all you need to gain access is a library card (People still use those?). The following list is...

Ever since the pandemic managers have been trying to figure out how they can keep their employees engaged throughout the year, regardless of whether they’re working remotely or not. If you aren’t completely sure how to revitalize your team and keep them engaged,...

Some business owners believe in hard work and determination, which translates into less than stellar circumstances for their employees. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t any fair and successful business owners out there that have this philosophy, but there’s a...

While it is true that employee monitoring (sometimes called employee tracking) existed before the pandemic turned the working world upside-down, the vastly increased number of remote workers has meant traditional, in person management practices have gone out the...

We are living through unprecedented times. We don’t know when we’ll be able to stop and look back on them, because we don’t know when they’re going to end. What we do know is that the constant change, the constant dealing with the unknown, is making things tough on...

As we’ve said, nothing beats the knowledge of a seasoned labour lawyer when you’re trying to navigate your way through Canada’s labour laws. But if you can’t afford one as you’re starting out, these snippets should help you gain a basic understanding of your legal...

Changes to federal employment standards under Part III the Canada Labour Code came into effect on September 1, 2019. They have had a significant impact on many employers. One area that saw changes under the Code was the addition of new types of Leaves of Absence, and...

Starting your own business means wearing a whole lot of different hats, at least at the beginning. Head of Production, V.P. Marketing, HR Director. One hat you want to be careful about wearing is Head of Legal. Canada’s labour laws as outlined in the Employment...

Achieving individual work productivity among employees is a factor that greatly affects the company as a whole. For instance, people with management and business administration careers are always looking for ways to create more optimal work cultures and environments....

A simple question: Is it appropriate to discuss politics at the office? The simple answer (that would make this the shortest article we’ve posted by several pages): No. The last decade or so has seen the most divisive and polarizing political figures, policies and...

We've added more details to the vital signs on the dashboard, we now show you yesterdays numbers and this week so you can keep on top of the current budget percent.

For some, becoming an entrepreneur is the culmination of the (North) American Dream. It can be a thrill ride that leads to enormous wealth and a pathway to true freedom. But it carries with it a great deal of risk, especially at the beginning. It takes a real...

How to Fire Your IT Professional While Protecting Your Data Firing an employee is never easy and never pleasant. Firing your IT pro or Systems Administrator comes with a whole other set of issues. Often referred to as “the keeper of the keys”, this individual has the...

Getting Your High School Grad Tech-Ready for the Next Step Time flies! It seems like just yesterday she was all pigtails and puddle jumping, and mere weeks ago that you were teaching him how to knot a tie for his first school dance. (Does anyone wear ties to school...

As your business expands and grows, you will find a need to have an IT Professional. These 4 tips will help you get the right fit, the first time! How to Hire the Right IT Professional for Your Business As your company grows, there is no doubt you will need a...

TenThings Your Employee Handbook Should Contain Whether you are Smith & Son or an enterprise with 75 employees or more, it is important that everybody on the team is well-aligned on the same page. It’s awfully difficult to move forward with  people pushing and pulling...

We've updated the asset tracking so you can create assets that require the employee to enter the asset number at punch.  When creating the asset, select the new optionThen on punch, your employees will be prompted:

Employee retention is a critical component of any successful business. Employee turnover can be extremely expensive, not to mention extremely disruptive to your business. Retention strategies need to start early. In fact, the best retention strategies start with...

Things are starting to open up and the possibility of travel is just over the horizon. If you own your own business, travel can often be an important part of keeping that business growing. And on top of the business trips that take you away from the office are,...

It is impossible to read them all, and perhaps in the face of such an overwhelming number, you need some ideas to get started. We recommend that you start with one of the following books: Profit First: A Simple System to Transform Any Business from a Cash-Eating...

It is a practice used to express appreciation, motivate employees, and reinforce desired company behavior. The goal of job recognition is to encourage employees in the workplace and showcase their good performance and positive business results. When an employee feels...

9 Tips to Help Scale Your Small BusinessScalability is about capacity and capability. Does your business have the capacity to grow? Will your business systems, infrastructure and team be able to accommodate and keep up with growth? There’s a difference between scaling...

As a small business owner you are forced to wear many hats, particularly as things begin to take shape and your company begins to grow. Having people on staff who can step up and help in larger roles will become a necessity. Bringing leaders in from outside the...

When an employee works over 40 hours in a workweek, you may be required to pay them additional wages at a higher rate.  Overtime ranks as one of the biggest ongoing expenses for most companies, and poor management of overtime can cost your small business a lot of...

Running a company is complicated, even more so in times when reality is harsh and life has changed so much in the past year. Many workspaces had to reinvent themselves to survive, many employees lost their jobs, others changed their way of working, others stopped...

When you first started your company, employee reviews were probably just an act of self-reflection, as you were the only one sitting at the table. But as your company grows and you hire more employees, it becomes more and more important that you regularly evaluate...

The Advantages of Self-SchedulingEven before COVID-19, many small businesses were working towards a self-scheduling model. Now, with so many people working from home or other remote locations, and with customer demands going unpredictably up and down, self-scheduling...

First, you must recognize the issue. Many people ask, what is the difference between stress and burnout? Is there one? There is. And it’s important to understand that. Because there is a difference in how each syndrome presents itself, there is a difference in how...

While we are not through the pandemic yet, the roll out of vaccinations has provided a light at the end of the tunnel. We are at a point where going back to the workplace is becoming a not-so-distant reality. And this is bringing with it a whole new set of challenges...

Ways to Deal with Work-Related StressThese unpredictable times have led to unprecedented levels of stress in the workforce. Its effects are real and potentially devastating. Many studies have shown how stress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset...

Many people forced to work from home by the pandemic may find it difficult to be on their own - maybe for the first time. It is very easy to lose contact with “the outside world”. For some people, especially those who feed off the hustle and bustle of a busy office...

How to Hire During Times of CrisisA global crisis changes everything! Don’t we know it! You make your plans and the universe laughs.Things change everyday and it can feel impossible to keep up. And this is as true for your business as it is for everything else. Maybe...

10 Lead Generating Strategies for Small BusinessWhether you’re just starting out or are an established small business, a good portion of your time, or your staff’s, is likely spent on lead generation. Lead generation is the actions or tactics you use to attract...

7 Attributes of a Great Small Business LeaderGreat leadership is essential for any business to succeed. Without it, it is nearly impossible for a company to grow and expand in ever-changing markets. This may be especially true for small businesses that are often...

7 Tips to Stay Productive While Working from HomeIn this year like no other year, many people have been forced to work from home. If you are used to, and happy with, an office environment, this change can be rather unsettling. There are a whole host of potential...

11 Ways to Improve Communication at Your Small BusinessImportance of Communication Effective communication, both internal and external, is essential to the success of any business. It improves business performance in several different ways. First, good communication...