There is no better feeling than bringing a new employee into your company. You’re positive that he or she will have a huge impact on productivity, efficiency, and of course, your bottom line.

When starting a small business, there are many things that you are going to have to consider and important decisions you’ll have to make in order to get your business up and running. One of these decisions that you won’t want to take lightly is choosing a legal structure. As a small business owner, there are several options to choose from, with pros and cons for each depending on your business goals.

There’s nothing better than the feeling of a new year. While you’re resolutions and best intentions may have dipped a little in the last month, it’s not too late to re-focus and take control of your business.

Located in Wheaton, IL, Diane Moore owns and operates the toy store MOORE Toys & Gadgets. Originally a forensic accountant, Diane was looking for a way to spend more time with her family, and possibly get them involved in a business, and thought a fun toy store is something her town needed. Her toy store is special because she sells unique toys that you would be hard pressed to find in big box chains. Merchandise is chosen with care, and she appreciates the valuable feedback from customers on items she should begin carrying in the store. Diane sat down with us and told us the value behind a strong community, shared how Small Business Saturday has been important for her business, and offered some valuable advice for those looking to operate a small business.  

When thinking about customer service, you probably are focusing more on the actual conversations with customers or ensuring you have a plan in place to help them throughout their buying journey with your small business. However, customer service is more than just the face-to-face interactions or the emails you send to customers and the help you provide when customers have questions or problems. To make your customer service efforts better than ever, we encourage you to look at other areas of customer service that you may have not considered.

Being productive comes in waves; some days it’s easy to hop out of bed and be ready to hit the ground running, and other days you’re hitting the snooze button continuously. If you’re trying to be more productive this year and start crushing your goals, we found some articles that can help.

Pete Leonard is a seasoned small business owner, and since the beginning of his small business journey, has trusted SurePayroll with all of his business ventures. With a background in software, and now a passion for roasting coffee, Pete is currently on his fifth and most personal business. As the owner of roasting company I Have a Bean, and Café On The Park, both located in Wheaton, IL, he sat down with us and shared the personal story behind these businesses, his experiences as a small business owner, and advice for those aspiring to open their own business. 

We know that as a small business owner you wear multiple hats and are constantly on the go. While running your business is a huge priority in your life, as it is how you financially support yourself, taking breaks is necessary. Burnout and exhaustion happen easily and burning the midnight oil all the time isn’t good for you or your business.

Choosing to make your health a priority in the new year is a popular resolution for many. However, health can take on various forms that you may not be factoring into your resolutions. This week, we have some articles that will help you start 2019 on a well-rounded healthy note covering your physical, mental and financial health.

Self-care is a topic that is talked about frequently. With increasing stressors, such as struggling to find work / life balance, the negativity that lurks on the news and social media, and just day-to-day stressors, people have been looking for more ways to relax and escape from the negativity. As a small business owner, you likely know a thing or two about stress, burning the candle at both ends, and trying to keep your business, and life, on track. Since your business can’t run as efficiently without you there, it’s crucial to make sure you’re setting aside some time for yourself to recharge.  

Happy New Year! The start of a new year is the opportunity that many are looking for to start fresh and set some new goals. However, by January 17^th many people stop pursuing these new resolutions altogether. If you’re looking to make some changes this year, we found some articles that might help. First of all, if you haven’t set any resolutions yet, don’t panic, because our first article says waiting can be best. Next, so you don’t waver from your goals, we found some very simple tips for helping your resolutions stick. Last up, check out some resolutions one small business owner set for business in 2019 that are still relatable today.

2019 is officially next week, and while it may just be another day on the calendar, the new year tends to bring in some changes. To help you get started, we found a couple of articles that could be useful in understanding 2019 a little better. First, taxes are going to be a little different in 2019 thanks to the new tax laws passed this year, so you’ll want to plan now to avoid any tax surprises. Next, the retail industry has been constantly changing thanks to technology advancing. If you’re a retail small business owner, you’ll want to check out the trends expected in the new year. Last up, saving for retirement is important, and the IRS has made some changes that will allow you to save even more.

While giving thanks to your employees and showing appreciation is welcomed year-round, there is an extra emphasis on this at the end of the year. Another employee moment that pops up this time of year is annual performance reviews. This week, we found some articles that about how to end the year on a positive note, including ideas to give thanks to your employees, and how to put a more positive spin on the annual review (spoiler: not doing one).

In some ways it feels like we were just talking about New Year’s Resolutions, and other times we realize just how jam packed the year has been and how much has happened. If you’re looking to start the new year on a fresh start, we understand and have you covered. In the past, we did a series on focusing on three different areas of health: physical, mental, and financial. After all of the fun of the holidays with shopping, and eating all of the delicious food, if you need some inspiration about how to start the new year a bit healthier, we have some ideas.

Between the parties and fun of the holiday season, comes a lot of stress and planning for small business owners. It’s a time for evaluating how the year went, making plans and setting goals for the new year, and wrapping up important tax documentation. To help with the crazy that happens this time of year, we gathered articles about managing stress this season, year-end tax tips, and some ways to get you planning for the new year.

With an extra focus on family this time of year, we thought it would be a good time to talk about family run small businesses. Working with your family is going to be different than working with others; your family knows every single thing about you, including your strengths and weaknesses, and tend to be a bit more honest than others might be. Whether you are already in business and want to keep thriving, or looking for best tips to start, we have some articles that should help you out.

Money tasks aren’t usually enjoyable to deal with, and as a small business owner they can be especially stressful. As we are quickly approaching year-end, it doesn’t hurt to spend a few minutes cleaning up your finances and if you’re struggling, finding some new ways to change your spending habits to start the new year on a clean slate.

With National Entrepreneurs’ Day and Thanksgiving this week, there is a special emphasis on being thankful and practicing gratitude. In addition to this time of year, it’s important to be thankful year-round and can actually lead to better health and well-being, along with delivering positive results for your small business. This week, we found a few articles that help explain these topics in more detail.

Ahead of National Entrepreneurs’ Day, we wanted to find some articles that celebrate the success of small business owners. Being a small business owner is no easy feat, and for those times when you’re feeling a bit discouraged, it can be helpful to look at some stories to see you aren’t alone in your struggles and can succeed. Learn from one small business owner who went from broke to raking in sales, one Uber driver who got creative and turned his vehicle into a product showroom, and lastly check out four more stories that have something to teach you about being a small business owner.

Employee handbooks. How often have you received one of these and wondered if it was worth the time it takes to read? You might thing that most of the information in the handbook is stuff you’ve seen before.