Common Business Questions

BY UNSIGNED

Business owners must delegate tasks to concentrate on personal strengths

Janet A. Harte
Small Business Development Center

Q: My goal is a stable flow of work through my business, but I spend too much time in production and not enough time selling to make this happen. What should I do?
A: At some point in any growing business it becomes clear that a division of labor is critical to future growth. The roles you fill as the business owner depend, in part, on your strengths and preferences. While factors such as capacity, financial health and demand influence business growth, leadership and the organization’s structure are at the very foundation. What you can do is build an employee team that takes advantage of your strengths and interests and enables you to grow your business.

The Pursuit of Peak Performance

BY LISA EDWARDS

Performance management is a two-way conversation between employee and supervisor

Lisa Edwards
Clark College

The challenge for many executives is how to make ordinary people do extraordinary things. You have a workforce, and they do a good job. So, how can you increase their productivity? Performance management may be your solution.

The upper hand

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As the job market continues to improve, employees are prone to seek opportunities elsewhere

Improving employment figures mean businesses are growing and the unemployed are finding jobs. Seemingly content employees may be considering a jump into a job market that is presenting better opportunities than it has in the past several years.

‘So- tell me about yourself!’

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A well prepared interviewer saves time and more often chooses the right candidate

Tony Johnson
TJ & Associates

Finding talent is one of the most important aspects of any growing, successful business. Recruiting has many aspects, including a thoughtful job description, placing ads, networking, interviewing, referencing, testing, negotiating and making an offer. Interviewing is just one area that can allow business owners and managers to maximize their time and effort in hiring skilled professionals to meet their changing needs.

Caught shorthanded

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It’s 2006. Do you know where your future workers are?

Lisa Edwards
Clark College

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one out of every four workers will reach retirement age by 2010, resulting in a shortage of almost 10 million workers. If that alone isn’t cause for alarm, consider Deloitte Consulting’s recent report that more than 80 percent of companies are already experiencing a serious shortage of qualified employees. A 2005 Nielsen study found that corporate executives expect the costs of the labor shortage will be between $50 and $100 million in the next four years. The lack of qualified workers will adversely affect business ability to compete locally and in a global economy.

Department of labor adopts new wage deduction rules

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Richard G. Matson
Guest Columnist

Effective Jan. 1, 2006, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries adopted new rules governing deductions from an employee’s regular or final paycheck. Special rules apply to adjustments for overpayments. These rules apply to most private employers in Washington. Special rules may apply to employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Some of the rules do not apply to public employers, while others may apply unless they are in conflict with other statutes or rules.

Wanted: The next generation of leaders

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Succession planning should be approached in a thoughtful, organized way

Lisa Edwards
Guest Columnist

If something were to happen to you tomorrow, who would lead your organization? Departures of senior and mid-level managers have been a wake-up call for many businesses. This trend is projected to continue as the Bureau for Labor Statistics reports that overall labor force participation rates are on the decline. Between 1996 and 2006, the population of people between the ages of 55 and 64 increased by 54 percent, while those between 25 and 34 experienced a net decrease of 8.8 percent. Corporate observers are predicting that more than 20 percent of all senior executives will be nearing retirement in the next five years.

Probst pushes employment bill for returning soldiers

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As of Jan. 25, there were a total of 127,825 National Guard and reserve soldiers called to active duty, including many from Washington, according to the Department of Defense. Many of these soldiers are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan for extended periods of time, leaving behind civilian life, families and jobs.

Local lobbyist leads national legislative committee

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Vancouver-based workforce development leader Tim Probst pushes for public awareness

Tim Probst has been Chief Executive Officer of the Washington Workforce Association, the organization representing all of the workforce development councils throughout the state, since 1998. Probst came to Washington from the office of former Illinois governor Jim Edgar, where he oversaw the $1 billion state Medicaid budget and advised Gov. Edgar on welfare reform policy.

Shining a light on training

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Shell Solar utilizes grant to boost worker skills and company productivity

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