Health Care Reform... Approaching Fast

As an employer, are you prepared for sweeping health care reform changes scheduled to come into effect in 2014?  It's true, the Obama Administration's Health Care Reform Act is being challenged in the Supreme Court and many of those stipulations in the Act may be modified or even dropped, but many legal pundits still believe there will be plenty for employers (and employees) to contend with when the majority of the Act's aspects come into full effect in 2014.

A recent article in Workforce delves into the Health Care Reform's challenges for employers.  It's worth a look, even if you believe you are exempt from a lot of the Act's regulations because you're a small employer.  Remember, even small employers have some requirements with this piece of legislation - designed to increased health care coverage for Americans - and not meeting those requirements could cost you in the pocketbook.  So check out this article and make sure you know where you and your business stands when it comes to this important legislation.

Customer Service Workshop

Delivering quality service is the key to survival in today’s business world. How you handle your customers will differentiate your business from the competition. Here’s what’s at stake: When customers are happy, they are likely to spend about 10% more on your product or service plus bring repeat business. But if they think they haven’t been treated right? They will tell everyone who will listen about their bad experience(s) and more than 90% of them (according to a study by Technical Assistance Research Programs) will never buy from you again.

Knowing what your customers expect and determining their needs, managing difficult customers, and increasing your company credibility will add value to your organization and develop the necessary environment for a quality, customer oriented culture. This workshop will help you recognize and fine-tune the critical aspects of serving customers better – securing that customer satisfaction and increasing repeat business.

This workshop will cover areas such as:

• Who is the customer?
• Presenting a customer-oriented package
• Establishing customer expectations
• Communication skills are vital
• Dealing with difficult customers

For more information on this value-added workshop, click HERE.

Small Business & Hiring...

It appears the outlook for hiring by small business is grim.  In a recent CNN Money article, small business employers are saying they plan to stay at their current employee numbers for the remainder of 2011 and in 2012.  In a survey released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, two-thirds of small businesses stated they have no plans to add employees through 2012.  This is not good news for the labor market or unemployment rate.

For more on the story, click HERE.

Many Firms Find Social Media Workplace Misuse Problematic: Study

Of 120 employer respondents, 43.4 percent said social media network misuse has been an issue for them, and 31.3 percent said they have had to take disciplinary action against an employee because of misuse, according to the survey.

For more on this article, click HERE.