Worker or contractor?

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Many courier companies hire contract workers to fill a number office positions. For example, a delivery company may hire drivers, office assistants and marketing personnel on a contract project basis (you hire someone to update your website), or to help during busy times (you contract a few extra drivers during the holidays.)

But some companies just prefer hiring part-time employees, or temp workers (people who work a certain amount of hours per week and are hourly. These workers typically don’t work over 30 hours a week.)

What type of employee does your company prefer hiring? Is there a reason why you prefer hiring part-time workers rather than contractors? We’re covering this topic in our upcoming September/October issue, and want to get the conversation started early. Feel free to reach out on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or here, in the comment section.

How Small Businesses Benefit Communities (and why Small Business Collaboration is Great)

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Bill McKibben, environmentalist, broadcaster and environmental justice advocate, and Mike Brady, social entrepreneur, recently discussed how small businesses could help each other while revitalizing local communities.

The discussion occurred during a panel after the screening of the documentary Fixing the Future, by David Brancaccio. The documentary is about finding innovative strategies to create sustainable businesses and stable local economies. The following small-business-collaboration ideas were discussed during the panel and reported in the article “5 Steps For Small Businesses to Revitalize Local Economies,” by Alice Groesbeck, film and video production student at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and visual communications intern for Ashoka USA.

Small businesses should discuss social responsibility (even with the competition)

Businesses in a similar, local marketplace should see each other as possible collaborators. “Partnering with other businesses offers you an opportunity to learn new ways to foster a sense of social responsibility within your community,” said Groesbeck.

Organizations, such as The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, can help connect local businesses with each other and can help businesses create sustainable economies, said Groesbeck.

Businesses should develop accountability with customers

“According to a 2010 University of Toronto study published in Psychological Science, people aren’t just buying products based on how much they cost,” Groesbeck said. “Customers also consider how the things they buy reflect their personal beliefs and impact their environment. Since communities have been devastated by the economic downturn, Americans are now shifting away from being isolated consumers and coming together as contributors.”

Businesses should try to build accountability by building natural and respectful business interactions between people in the community.

Local businesses should have a global impact

When local businesses work toward having a global impact, the business can reap rich resources that can, ultimately, help the community.

Small victories are still victories

Work in increments and celebrate the small things. Trying to tackle everything at once can leave you tired and unable to help the community – or your business.

Easy Ways to Stay Fit at the Office

Image source: Fey IIyas

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle while keeping a 40-hour-a-week job is not an easy task. Every day, you get to work pretty darn early and many days you leave the office late. And whether you’re sitting behind a desk taking client calls, or sitting behind the wheel of one of your company’s trucks, you’re sitting. A lot.

Luckily, there are a few ways that you (the employee) can still maintain your health while working long hours. And manager: There are a few things you can change (and add) at the office to help your employees keep fit and healthy, too.

For employees

Invest in fit-boosting technology

While technologies, such as television and video games, can make a person more inclined to recline, some innovations (think fitness apps, health websites, etc.), can help people stay healthy.

Use technology to track your health

If your days are packed and you can only fit in random runs in your day (aka you don’t have a particular “running path,” and you just run whenever you can), you can track what you’ve done (and a lot more) by using technologies, such as the UP by Jawbone wristband, to store your activity.

Bring your fitness routine to your desk

Use a fitness ball instead of a chair to improve your balance and strengthen your core muscles. Also: Keep small weights at your desk, and stretch through the day when you can. And take time to go for a daily walk outside -- the sunshine will do you good!

For managers

Offer fitness classes during lunch (or at other times during the workday)

Small businesses often can hire an independent contractor who teaches an aerobics class, or a yoga class, to teach a class -- in the office -- once or twice. Employees can pay a small fee to participate in the class.

Keep healthy snacks in the office kitchen

You don’t need to go overboard or anything, but stocking the office kitchen with healthier options, such as whole-grain oatmeal, natural juice, organic coffee, and fresh fruit, can influence employees to eat healthier throughout the day.

 

Consider adding a standing desk

Granted, this may be a bit pricey, but it may be worth offering a standing desk to employees who are in the office a lot. Or just add a few standing desks throughout the office, and allow people to use them as an option throughout the workday.

Resources

Mashable.com, “Live: Chat About the BestTech for Health and Wellness,” by Dani Fankhauser

Mayo Clinic, "Workplace Exercises: How to Burn Calories at Work," by Mayo Clinic Staff

Forbes, "What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Standing Desks," by Steve Mullis

Blogging for Your Business Part 2: Make Your Blog Better

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If you and your business started blogging a long while ago, you’ve probably built up a decent readership. Your readers dig your voice and you’re able to guess (with reasonable accuracy) what topics will garner likes, shares and comments. Or maybe you kinda tried to start a blog and maybe – just maybe -- attempted to forget the fact you began that blog out of frustration, etc.

No matter if you’ve an active blog, or merely an existing dead-as-a-door-knob blog, you can still wring success out of what you’ve already created.

Keep and entertain current readers:

Know your target audience: Don’t scare away current readers by changing all of your content. Add in new types of blog posts (photo, or gif-centric posts, or fun employee Q-and-As) along with your currently covered topics. If you think you’ve lost touch with your current audience, ask your readers what they want to see on the blog.

Use free keyword research tools:

Before you begin to write your next blog, stop and do keyword research. Most keyword research tools are free and all keyword sites are relatively easy to use. After you’ve searched for relevant keywords, make certain to pick keyword phrases that rank as a “low,” or “medium.”

 

“Once you have a few keywords chosen, make sure that at least one fits into your headline, as close to the first word as possible,” Verrill says. “Try to have it appear again in the first few sentences, and your other related terms somewhere else in the copy. Only do this if it seems natural within context of the blog.”

 

Take advantage of social media:

Promote your posts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you mention a particular industry service, or person, make sure to tag the company, or person in your tweet. Including people in the conversation will help you get more clicks and shares.

Source: Improve Your Blogging and Increase Traffic: 3 Tips,Jonathan Payne from Social Media Today, and Ashley Verrill from Social Fresh

The Importance of Supporting Other Small Businesses

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I’m going to take a wild guess and say that most of Courier Magazine’s readers own or work at a small business. So, I don’t have to tell any of you how important small businesses are! But did you know that small businesses tend to thrive more and find continued success when they work together?

In the article, “6 Ways Small Businesses Can Band Togetherfor Better Results,” on Mashable.com, Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, a filing service, said that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for small businesses to access business capital and credit over the recently past years.

Akalp said it’s important for small businesses to work together to compete with larger companies. Although it might be difficult to see other small businesses as partners and not competitors it’s essential. According to Akalp, small business owners should: 

• Seek out symbiotic and collaborative relationships with other small businesses.
• Build a collective co-op of similar businesses and individuals.

Akalp said the business owners can easily meet other like-minded company owners by:

Joining a local meetup group for entrepreneurs: Finding new business is all about finding referrals and connections. Join local groups that meet weekly, or monthly at local cafés, or restaurants. Akalp suggests checking Meetup.com, or your local chamber of commerce for groups.

Organizing a social media meetup: Get all your social media followers together and organize an in-person meetup.

Getting online: I know I just suggested that’s it’s important to get out from behind the computer and meet your contacts in person, but connecting with other small business owners online can be helpful, too. Akalp suggests browsing online communities, such as Entrepreneur Connect.

Reaching out to other types of small businesses: Even though not all small businesses may be similar to your company, you can still help other companies learn how to increase exposure. “By giving business to others, you will get business in return,” Akalp said.

Supporting other small businesses at your own company: See if you can use other local businesses to help provide your marketing materials, or serve a local coffee blend in your break room.

Fourth of July: How to Celebrate the Holiday at Your Office if You’ve Got to Stay Open

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Everyone loves celebrating the Fourth of July and that’s completely understandable – the holiday is full of tasty food, relaxing picnics and amazing outdoor activities. Oh, and did I forget to mention explosives? Lots and lots of explosives.

While we all acknowledge the Fourth of July is a grand holiday that doesn’t always mean you – or your fellow employees – can always have the day off.

You’re a delivery company for goodness sakes, and just because many companies take a day off doesn’t mean you can afford to – especially if you’re a small, local delivery business.

Still on the fence about staying open or closed? We’ve come up with a few examples for each case:

Why you should stay closed:

Your employees would appreciate a few days of rest and relaxation. Also: many people don’t expect delivery companies to be open on the holiday. So, even if you do decide to stay open, you may not even get many requests for deliveries.

Why you should stay open:

If you are a niche, small delivery business and are up to deliver anything, you may have requests for party decorations, food and beverages. And if you’re a well-known local business that’s known for delivering odd stuff to locals at strange hours this may be a great day to stay open.

If you do stay open:

• Plan ahead: Take account of how many employees you need to have on staff and who you should keep “on-call” in the case of an unexpected rush.
• Have a bit of fun: If you do stay open and have a reason for keeping a lot of people who are on staff in the office, you may want to consider having a few, fun Fourth of July festivities.
• Have a picnic or cookout: Chances are you have a few grill masters on your crew. Provide the staples: burgers, brats and hot dogs. Ask employees to bring side dishes and beverages.
• Still give them a day off: Let people have an extra day of PTO for July. Let employees take the day whenever they please.
• Schedule short shifts: If you’re able to (and it makes sense for your company’s bottom line), try to schedule shorter-than-average shifts for employees. This way, everyone will still get to celebrate some part of the holiday.

Sources

Prepare Your Business for the Fourth of July

8 Affordable, Fun Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July