Month: August 2015

Hiring Your First Employee – What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt Your Business

August 30, 2026August 31, 2015 by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Ready to hire your first employee? If so, you’re probably wondering about the right way to begin the hiring process. Remember that hiring the best person takes time—you don’t want to fill the position with the first candidate you interview. He or she may seem like a good fit in the job interview, but if you aren’t asking the right questions and going about the process methodically, you could be hiring the wrong employee for your company. And one bad employee is all it takes to disrupt your business.

Entrepreneur Fumbles National Relaxation Day! What To Do Now?

August 30, 2026August 27, 2015 by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

I missed National Relaxation Day (August 15, 2015)! ACK! Just my luck to miss an excuse-worthy motive to kickback, put my feet up, and do absolutely nothing…but relax. Ahhhh!

Isn’t every Saturday relaxation day? Should we really be working on our so-called “day off?” As any entrepreneur knows, Saturday is often a solid catch up workday—one without the constant interruptions and distractions of the typical business day.

Exit Interviews: Useful or Waste of Time for Small Business Owners?

August 30, 2026August 24, 2015 by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Over the last three years, John has been an integral part of your small business, helping grow it from a tiny number of people working from home to a moderately successful corporation just starting to really get noticed. Yesterday, he announced that he was quitting. For a small business like yours, without much time to spare, is giving him an exit interview really worth it?

Yes. It is definitely worth conducting an exit interview, and here’s why.

4 Ways to Inspire Employee Engagement and Boost Employee Retention

August 30, 2026August 10, 2015 by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

Keeping employee retention rates high is a major concern for any business—after all, it’s hard to get through long-term projects and expand your business if you can’t ensure that people will stay around. Here are some of the best ways to inspire employees, encourage them to engage, and make sure they stay around.

Low-cost Ideas of Appreciation for Referrals Leads to Business Growth

August 30, 2026August 6, 2015 by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

No matter how advanced our technology or the number of new marketing avenues invented, there’s one time-tested path that enhances business growth: the referral. Most business owners think of current clients when they hear the word “referral,” but there’s another group that can launch your brand to success through referrals—your Centers of Influence (COI).

How Building a Brand Like Starbucks Sparks Business Growth

August 30, 2026August 4, 2015 by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

If you’re in business, you’ve likely heard the term “branding.” But, what does it mean for business growth? How do companies like Starbucks, whose coffee is highly overpriced for its quality, get away with increasing prices without experiencing the slightest drop in loyalty? They’ve mastered the art of creating a brand that resonates.

A Solution to the Small Business Health Insurance Conundrum

August 30, 2026August 3, 2015 by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia

It’s a common conundrum—how do we offer health benefits without breaking the bank? In fact, this is such a common small business challenge that only 54% of small and midsized employers (with fewer than 200 employees) even offer traditional health insurance coverage today.

As small businesses strategize how to afford health benefits, an increasingly popular approach is defined contribution.