Download Disaster Plan Template

The past three weeks have been tough for all of us, to say the least. As all of us have banded together, put on our seat belts and have screamed: "let me off of this roller coaster", there have been a ton of realizations. So here's my realization and true confession- we didn't have a disaster plan in place. We have been in operation for two years, and I could come up with a slew of excuses: we are just getting started, too busy, it won't happen to us, etc. But, the fact of the matter is that we needed one and we didn't have one.

Now that that embarrassing confession is over, here's the other side of my confession. I am a little bit glad that I didn't have one in place. Why? Because not having gone through a true disaster, I would have put together a pretty bland disaster plan. Now that we have a disaster under our belt and we have had the luxury of consulting with some of the best experts in the business, we have a good idea of what needs to be done...

The Senate CARES Bill (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act)

Source: Estimates for third relief bill based on bill text, committee and administration numbers.

Credit: Audrey Carlsen/NPR

The Senate developed $2 Trillion dollar, multi-faceted legislation attacking this disaster from multiple sides: tax and debt relief, small business loans, unemployment expansion, and individual stimulus payments. They see we’re hurting and they aren’t playing around.

Incentive and assistance for small businesses to keep employees working

The bill creates a “paycheck protection program” for

• Self-employed individuals
• Small businesses
• “Gig economy” workers

Hey solopreneurs and giggers, you finally aren’t being excluded from the group and chastised for being your own boss! Congratulations!

Let’s take a big bite and jump in.

INDIVIDUAL TAXES

They will need your individual 2019 taxes (and valid social security numbers) in order to cut you a check for $1200 and $500 for each ...

SBA Disaster Relief Loan

As small business owners and as a community, all of us are sailing in uncharted waters. All of us are in the same boat, filled with uncertainty and fear.  What does the future hold?  Is my business going to survive this?  How am I going to pay my bills?  There are so many concerns that all of us have and most of it is deeply rooted in our financial situation and future.  There are a number of economic stimulus packages that are being discussed locally and federally.  As of today, March 21st, there are not many options available.  However, our representative and community leaders are working diligently to provide us with a little relief.  The first financial option to become available to small business is the Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan program.  This is the fist time in the history of the SBA that this loan has been made available for a pandemic (these loans are generally leveraged during natural disasters). 

As of Thursday, March 19,...

3/26 Update: 

We now have a workplace poster about the FFCRA (Families First Coronavirus Response Act) and employee rights in regards to paid sick leave and the expanded family and medical leave.

This will need to be posted with the rest of your employment posters in a common area by April 1st. There has no been specific guidance on methods to notify your remote workers but we suspect there will be soon. We will keep you updated, however, have a plan in place to provide this to remote workers such as email, posting to a payroll portal where employees regularly log in, or printing and mailing. 

If you have already laid off some of your workforce, there’s no need to alert them.

 FFCRA Workplace Post (Non-Federal)

The U.S. Department of Labor sent out a bulletin about 30 days of non-enforcement between March 18 and April 17, 2020 as long as employers act reasonably and in good faith to comply with the FFCRA. One thing to note is this does not protect you from lawsuits or willful viol...

Today, we are looking at extremely tough times for all small businesses.  Along with tough times, we will be forced to make some very tough decisions.  When it comes to the future of our employees, the future is quite unknown to all of us.  One of the most difficult decisions that we will be facing is what to do with employees that we may not be able to keep busy, now and in the future.  No matter which way you slice it or dice it, this is a hard call.  However, laying off non-essential employees may be the difference between keeping your business or closing your doors.

Did you know that there are different types of layoffs that may provide you with a little more flexibility in how you maneuver these turbulent times?  Let’s take a moment to look at the different types of layoffs and what they mean to you as a small business owner:

Work Share Program- The Work-Share Program provides an alternative to laying off employees by allowing them to keep working, but with fewer hours. Wh...

News Alert!!

The Colorado Department of Labor has issued a temporary leave rule to assist workers in specific industries within the state of Colorado to assist in the containment of Covid-19. 

The Colorado Health Emergency Leave with Pay is a temporary rule that requires employers in the below industries to pay four days of wages to employees with flu-like symptoms who are in the process of Covid-19 testing.

Impacted Industries:

• Leisure and hospitality
• Food services
• Child care
• Education, including transportation, food service, and related work with educational establishments
• Home health, if working with elderly, disabled, ill, or otherwise high-risk individuals
• Nursing homes
• Community living facilities

Is My Business Impacted?

If your business operates in on the of the above industries, then, yes.  This rule covers ANY employer engaged in the above service offerings... even if it is only a small portion of what your business does.  For example, if you own a bookstore...

Updated: March 17, 2020

The Coronavirus has been making headlines over the past two months.  Now that this bug has hit US soil, the buzz is much greater and scarier.  The media is telling us to run for cover and self-quarantine and buy up all of the toilet paper and bleach wipes you can find (hint: there are still some bleach wipes at Home Depot).  Outside of the media, people are torn, we hear a ton of information, but we are unsure of what to believe. 

As you are reading this blog we are seeing more and more forced closures.  Ski resorts, restaurants, gyms, and other public gathering locations have already experienced forced closures.  Unfortunately, we are seeing the likeliness of more and more closures.  Small business are going to feel a tremendous impact today and in the long-term future.  Taking precautions and making plans now, will help to minimize the impact.  Who knows what the fallout will be, but it's time to prepare for the worst.

Here are a few things to consider when...

Rock, Paper, SCISSOR!

Know When to Cut Your Employees Loose

                 Have you ever had that uncomfortable moment when you have to say the infamous phrase to an employee, “can I speak to you in my office?”. As an employer or manager, you may catch yourself in those last few minutes before they arrive reverting to your childhood with a good ole’ game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. It seems like it’s a fair way to try and get yourself out of the hot seat and place it onto someone else, right? Terminating an employee is sometimes like this game because no one wants to be the bearer of bad news by looking like the bad guy (or gal). Terminations have their challenges with even some risk, so it’s an emotionally difficult task. You want to ensure that you are confident with your decision, especially if the employee isn’t underperforming or violating any company policies. So, this process needs to be in the best interest of the company. You must gain your confidence and always remember to ...

Getting “Bored” with Your Onboarding Process?

Make Onboarding and Training Fast and Easy!

For most of us, we have experienced what it’s like to be that “newbie”.  That’s right, a new face in a new company where countless thoughts of excitement, worry and anxiety flood our minds. If you are like many, those thoughts can turn into piercing questions or doubts. Did you make the right decision? Is this truly the right company for you? Where is the nearest exit in case you need to make a run for it?  

As an employer, hiring manager, or HR representative, your focus is guaranteeing that you can “walk the walk”. Your newly hired employee accepted the position for a reason, now it’s up to you to ensure that he or she continues to feel that this opportunity was too good to pass up.

So, how does this happen? Think about the first few days on the job and how much information and training was provided. It’s a bombardment of documents, materials and an assortment of new knowledge that needs ...