Small Business Owners: Ignore Employment Laws at Your Own Risk

One of the biggest worries for many small business owners is running afoul with employment laws. The number of labor laws in the U.S. has increased significantly in the last several years. There are countless federal and state agencies such as Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division that govern these regulations. All of these agencies are looking at all aspects of labor management to ensure small business owners comply with the laws. Forget to comply with one of myriad laws and you will find yourself in the crosshairs of one these agencies. The consequences of running afoul can range from hefty fine to even jail time. So what can you do to ensure you don’t end up in this situation?

There are several steps you can take to avoid being in trouble:

• Make yourself familiar with all the different employment laws and regulations. Some of the most important regulations you need to be aware of are Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Equal Pay Act, the WARN Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In addition, different states have their own regulations that you should become familiar with.

3 Basic Skills Small Business Owners Must Have

Running a business is always challenging. With marketing being as competitive as it is today, business owners must go the extra mile to gain competitive advantage. If you are a business owner, you must be familiar with the ups and downs of the market. Some of you might even know how to cope with market changes already.

Before you can go further and take your business to a whole new level, however, there are several important basic skills to master. These skills will help you lay a strong foundation for growth and keep your business on the safe side at all times. In this article, we are going to focus on the three basic skills small business owners must have and whether they can be outsourced to ease your burden.

1. Leadership

Every business owner must lead their businesses by example. While there are ways to delegate some of these responsibilities to others, the job of setting a particular goal and leading every member of the team towards achieving that goal still lies on you as the owner of the business.

Fortunately, leadership is a skill that can be developed. Some business owners choose to go back to school and pursue a master’s degree in business administration to sharpen their knowledge. Others rely on their experiences as professionals and employees of other businesses to become the leader that they need to be.