Starting a business does not take a huge commitment that it once did. A number of businesses started as side gigs that eventually grew into full-time commitments. Technology has allowed people of all skill sets to work hourly to complete tasks of various kinds.
An individual with copywriting skills at the marketing agency level can earn more per piece than they would hourly. The ability to generate quality content in a short period of time can allow a freelance writer to earn six figures in 40 hours per week. Those that might be good at writing but incredibly productive can put in the time to earn potentially life-changing money.
Watching out for certain things when starting a business is important. Preparing for potential problems will give you a plan of action if something unfortunate does occur. The following are things that you need to watch out for when starting your first business.
Background Checking Employees
Employees need to feel safe at the workplace regardless of the type of business being run. The last thing you want is to have to hire a federal attorney due to embezzlement occurring at the company. You want employees to feel comfortable in the workplace no matter what. Violent crimes can make the entire office feel uneasy if it is public knowledge that this is a part of the past of an employee.
Issues With Terminated Employees
Terminated employees can be a nightmare, to say the least. Some of these people are going to be upset they were terminated even though their job performance was subpar for months. Keeping passwords on a need-to-know basis only and changing them when someone with access does leave the company. There are those that will want to wreak havoc or simply make the jobs of those still at the company more difficult.
Clear HR procedures are very important due to the fact that a similar situation handled differently can be seen as a form of discrimination. There should be uniform writeups and disciplinary action for specific offenses. Paperwork that helps document the warnings and probation phase is very important. This helps show that a person was aware that their performance had to improve or they would lose their job. Signing of this document is also important as an email should accompany a copy of the signed document.
Losing Employees to Direct Competitors
Employees going through a training process only to be lost to a competitor is frustrating and can limit the talent at a business. Agreements that are a part of employment paperwork need to be created. You might not want to limit a person from working in the industry but at least within a 20-mile radius. Others might just want to go into business for themselves. Eliminate the possibility of losing clients via employees to direct competitors.
Starting a business can be tough if you do not protect yourself and your investments. Take the time to do a risk assessment in a variety of areas of the business. Being proactive is far better than reactively dealing with issues that continually arise due to a lack of policy changes.
