ASR Blog

A Great Day to Blow Off Steam

For those working in an office where a little boost of humor is needed, today is your day. April Fools is the perfect occasion to blow off a little steam and play an outrageous joke on a co-worker, boss or employee without getting dinged too badly. Hey, you have an excuse.

But, what kind of practical joke is going to be funny without hurting anyone's feelings or damaging company property? If you need some ideas, try these 5 Perfect Office Pranks. Some of them may be familiar, some might not be. Here are a few samples.

1. Stapler in Jell-O. Yes, you remember. From The Office. But, you sort of need to know how to cook.

2. Fake Press Releases. Get your client involved with the joke and everyone comes out unscathed. You hope.

The truth is that every office is going to have its own unique prank. Is someone obsessed with the temperature gauge? You could conveniently "relocate it." Does someone have a favorite plant or stuffed animal on their desk that could quietly disappear for a few minutes?

Share your office prank here. At the very least, we could have a little laugh over it.

Mission Impossible: Affordable Health Insurance

The world is full of good reasons not to become self-employed (one of them being the delayed pay schedule, as I pointed out earlier this week). Also high on the list is health insurance, which you are going to find much easier to obtain by working for a big company. In spite of the fact that most health insurance costs can be written off as a business expense, it's still a whopping charge--even for those who are perfectly healthy.

In the last year or so, premiums have risen at a shocking rate. So have co-payments and prescriptions. New York Times small business writer Marci Alboher wrote an article on the subject recently and the response was overwhelming. Not only are many entrepreneurs and sole-proprietors struggling to pay these costs, they also have no idea why they're skyrocketing. Some high-risk candidates have had to wait years to get health insurance, while others are having to coast without it.

But this could have to do with where they live. Some states, it turns out, have more options than others. Georgetown Health Policy Institute has an interesting tool called healthinsuranceinfo.net that shows you which options are available in your state.

If you're insured, uninsured or simply want to sound-off, share your story with us.

How Does Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Sound?

The District of Columbia's Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act is just one of many initiatives around the country that would require all businesses to pay their workers for sick leave. The law, which passed on March 4, mandates the following (according to FORTUNE Small Business):

"All businesses within the District must provide their employees with paid leave time, which can be used in cases of illness or injury from domestic abuse, or to care for a sick family member. Businesses with 100 or more workers must provide seven days of leave, those with 25 to 99 must provide five days, and those with 24 or fewer, three days. Part-time workers get pro-rated time."

The law differs, however, from the original measure introduced and passed in February. Under this new law, paid sick leave will not be given to workers who have been on the job for less than a year or to those who have worked less that 1,000 hours total for their employer. It also doesn't count for bartenders, waiters or part-time health care workers. Also, in a move that will make most entrepreneurs breathe a sigh of relief, businesses that are unable to pay for sick leave may claim "hardship" exemptions.

But, as a small business owner, how would you feel about having to pay sick leave for employees? Would it make for a happier office or spell disaster for your bottom line?

New Productivity Ploy: Halo 2

Managers and business owners have always searched long and hard for sure-fire motivation techniques. And I would say, yes, reverse psychology has played a part. Encouraging employees to relax and unwind with off-sites, parties and football pools can sometimes result in more productivity and less stress. But, how about encouraging employees to, I don't know, play video games?

According to a new article by Entrepreneur.com, video game break rooms are the new office perk. According to the article:

...according to a recent survey by WorldWinner, a subsidiary of FUN Technologies Inc., more than 80 percent of online gamers who play on and off throughout the workday said they are able to better focus on work after playing. A reported 72 percent actually rely on game breaks to help them deal with job-related stress.

And it's no wonder: Fans of NBC's "The Office" have already seen office-wide video game sessions in action. But, at a time when we're trying to encourage children to limit video game use, will this practice really motivate our workforce or simply lull it into complacency?

I don't know. Let me finish this round of Miss Pac Man and I'll get right back to you.

The Relationship Between the Manager and Employees

I recently came across a survey that reported U.S. employees have the most positive opinions and friendliest relationships with their managers. So good job employers!

According to the international ''Employees Assess Their Manager'' survey from Chicago-based SSP-BPI Group, 86 percent of U.S. employees reported a good opinion of their immediate supervisor. The study also had employees describe their relationship with their immediate supervisors and 62 percent of U.S. employees said it was ''friendly,'' while 33 percent said ''purely professional.'' The U.K., Germany and Switzerland also reported similar results, while other European countries, including France, reported more distant relationships with their managers.

The working relationships between supervisors and employees are different in each country and the responses of U.S. employees, who gave their supervisors the highest ratings of any of the 10 countries in the survey, show that professional skills and personal friendliness go hand-in-hand. When asked if their supervisor was ''competent,'' 90 percent said yes, while 90 percent said yes to ''friendly,'' 87 percent to ''talented,'' 87 percent ''honest,'' and 83 percent ''open to feedback.''

''As U.S. companies are becoming more global, it's important for leaders to understand how employees around the world view their managers and what they expect from them,'' said Juan Luis Goujon, CEO of SSP-BPI Group. ''According to the survey, the U.S. has a competitive advantage when it comes to employees feeling positive about their supervisors. This is particularly important because companies today require employees to be more engaged in order to achieve business results. Most U.S. supervisors appear to be providing a good work environment and direction, but employees still want greater recognition and support.''

You can see more results from the survey, including more international findings, online. Are these results surprising to you? Have you worked in an international capacity and have you seen some of these results first-hand? Please share!

~Kimberly Maul

Why Outsourcing Sucks

I'm a reasonable person. I know very well that a call center in India is not the source of all my economic troubles. Still, there's no denying that outsourcing by large American companies hurts small American companies. It's a punch to the jaw of American entrepreneurs.

I know, because my own jaw is sore today.

Indeed, I learned last week that one of my largest and most consistent clients has decided to outsource my job function, presumably to a professional services firm overseas. A service that I charged several hundred dollars for — a bargain, I assure you — is being given to them via their new provider for just $10 a pop. I can't compete with that, and neither can any of my stateside peers. We have rent to pay, groceries to buy and — here in Chicago, at least — thermostats to fund.

I understand outsourcing. Especially as a small business owner, I can relate to being attracted to folks who offer a decent service at a fast speed and at a super low cost. That's why I stock up on bread when the grocery store when it's "Buy One, Get One Free." Never mind that my bread box is full already. But you know what? If I'm cooking something special for dinner, and I can afford a better loaf, I'm going to buy it because I know it's the right thing to serve.

This isn't an excuse to whine. It is, however, an opportunity to redefine corporate responsibility. We encourage American companies to be good corporate citizens, and we allow them to fulfill their obligations by volunteering, by donating to charity and even by being more environmentally conscious. Perhaps we should also start encouraging them to invest in small-business vendors, partners and suppliers. That's as "responsible" as anything else we ask corporations to do, isn't it?

Especially in weak economies like this one, we need big businesses to put entrepreneurial investments ahead of obsessive-compulsive cost-cutting. It's time to bring home the bacon — literally.

Going Paperless? Four Things to Consider

Over at Small Business Trends, David Bohl writes:

We have all been anxiously waiting for the paperless office prognostications to come true, yet this promise appears to be a delusion that is more elusive than ever.

And it's true. Just like the folks back in 1969 who thought we'd be sending men on Jupiter missions in 2001, modern technology -- including PDAs, computers, scanners and the like -- have not visibly reduced the piles of paper around our offices. I myself insist on paper address books and organizers instead of electronic ones.

We'll never be completely paperless, of course, but there are methods we can adopt in the day-to-day to help save a few trees. Mr. Bohl, who recommends scanning and organizing files on your computer, has a list of four things to consider when going paperless.

Is your business trying to go paperless? If so, share some of your methods.

How to Reward Employees This Holiday Season

Whether or not you've had a good sales year, and no matter the size of your business, it's always good to recognize employees during the holidays. A gift for your team shouldn't break the bank, either. Over at the ProNet Small Business Resource Center, editor Matt Alderton has a great article series called "The Holiday Gift Guide." The first article, 12 Must-Have Tech Toys, covers mobile phones, flash drives, wireless printers, digital picture frames and other groovy gadgets; while the second, 12 Must-Have Travel Toys, lists the carry-on luggage, battery chargers, tracking devices and translators any traveler would treasure.

While your employees would appreciate any of these gifts (especially Nokia's portable Internet Tablet and the TomTom GO 720 GPS unit) the $400 price tags might not be within your budget. Therefore, here are a few ideas:

Shop Around: There's still time to find the perfect gift for your team. Flight001 offers great travel gifts, including grooming bags and "aero-therapy" items. CoolComputerBags.com offers... you guessed it, though they also sell some interesting workplace trinkets like pads, pens and calendars. And RADTech sells an array of iPod accessories, data storage devices and techie gear.

Gift Cards: A safe bet. And most chain stores have them. Is one of your employees a book worm? Try a Borders or Barnes & Noble gift card. A techie? Best Buy offers them. And don't forget places like Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma, which have housewares and small kitchen appliances. With a little research, you can make the gift-giving process easy on yourself while still being thoughtful.

Gift Credit Cards: Sure to be a hot item, these gift cards -- offered by the major credit card companies -- work just like credit cards, meaning they can be used anywhere. A great choice, especially when you're stumped.

Workplace Perks: Did one of your employees do an especially good job this year? Why not purchase something for their work station? Like, a new office chair, a wireless mouse, a new monitor, or even something fancy like the Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000: a wireless keyboard and mouse set-up. Though technically company property it's a nice perk, and other workers will notice the gesture. For some cool and edgy office furniture, try Izzy.

So, how much do you spend? It all depends on the size of your office and your yearly sales numbers, of course. In a normal year, with a small workforce, $50-$100 is a pretty reasonable amount to spend on each employee. If you had an exceptional year, or if your business employs just a handful of people, that number could be increased.

All in all, any gesture this season will make a difference to employee morale, setting the tone for a blissful and productive 2008.

Are you buying gifts for your workers this season? If so, share your ideas here.

The Very Best Small Business Employers

I've worked for a lot of small companies. They're not always easy to work for, but the rewards always outweigh the challenges. When you work for a small business, after all, your co-workers become your family, and your boss becomes your entrepreneurial matriarch or patriarch. It's a good feeling. Still, some small companies are better to work for than others. In fact, The Wall Street Journal has just released its list of the very best.

The Journal's list of the "Top Small Workplaces 2007" rivals the common belief that only the biggest companies, such as Google, can offer dynamic workplace environments and cultures. The list is proof that small businesses know how to treat their employees. They pay them well. They give them great benefits. They even offer them spectacular perks. Mom and Pop might not have the same sex appeal as Google does, but if the companies on the Journal's list are any indication, they don't need it. They've got plenty of everything else.

So what makes a small business a "top small workplace"? According to the Journal:

These small businesses tend to let employees at all levels make key decisions, and they groom their future leaders from within. They offer generous traditional and untraditional benefits (how about a six-week sabbatical?). And they constantly hunt for new ways to improve the employee experience or engage employees.

And many share a sizable slice of their profits with employees, teaching them to read company financial statements so they grasp how their job is connected to the success of the organization.

In all, these are companies that can become role models for both large and small companies struggling to lure the new generations of college graduates, who increasingly care more about their work environment than the size of their first paycheck.

Check out the list. It's got some pretty incredible companies on it. Almost makes me want to quit my life as a sole proprietor and go work for these folks. (Almost!)

Do you think you've got what it takes to be among the country's best small employers? Consider nominating your business for next year's list. You can do so online, here.

Give Yourself Dental Benefits

As small business owners, we talk an awful lot about health insurance. And with good reason. If I get the flu, some unsightly rash or, God forbid, worse, I want to make sure I'll be taken care of, not put in the poor house. Meanwhile, though, entrepreneurs across the country are suffering from rotten smiles. We're covered if our stomach's bleeding, but not our gums. Big mistake.

As an entrepreneur, your smile opens doors. The bigger and brighter it is, the more customers you attract. You therefore ought to take darn good care of your pearly whites. But is the cost of dental insurance worth it?

I didn't think so — until I found out how affordable it can be. Here's a few options:

• Insurance: Get a free quote for dental insurance online at eHealthInsurance. I assumed dental plans would be at least as expensive as health plans. Not nearly. My quotes were priced between $20 and $50 per month. Not bad.
• Discount plans: If your teeth are healthy, this is a pretty good option. Check out DentalPlans.com. You pay about $100 per year — much less than with insurance — and you get discounted dental services. Instead of paying $75 for a cleaning, you pay $44. I love a bargain. Of course, if you need major work done, a small discount isn't going to provide much in the way of savings.
• Bulk benefits: You buy Spaghetti Os in bulk, why not insurance? A business membership at Costco in certain states gets you decent rates on dental plans. It's worth a look.

Personally, I went with the dental discount plan. I figure I brush, floss and gargle often enough to keep the dentist at bay for most of the year, and I don't like paying for something I don't need.

I saw my guy last week. He gave my mouth a good scrub and it cost me about $70 for the exam and the cleaning. I saved $47. It cost me more than when I was working for the Man, sure, but really, not too bad. Well worth it to keep my teeth, don't you think?