Small Business Tax Center
Small Business Ideas, Grants &
Plans to Start & Run a Business:

Small Business Grants
CyberSchmooz
Network in Cyberschmooz Community Ask Questions Questions and Answers Share Tips Small Business Ideas List Your Business Business Advice from Idea Cafe Experts Coffee Talk with Experts Starting A Business Business Plan Biz Planning | Sample Plans Small Business Ideas Idea Name Your Biz Name Plan Your Biz Plan Financing $ Starting a Business Do It! Running your Business Marketing Tips Promotional Merchandise Marketing Tips Marketing | Sales | Customers Human Resources HR | Employees | Contractors Legal Forms & Tax Information Legal | Biz Forms Managing a Business Managing | Operations
Financing Resources Financing Your Business E Commerce & Webhosting eCommerce Take Out Info Trade Publications FREE Trade Publications Business Books Biz Books Your Own Business Small Business News Small Biz News Gen X Biz Gen X Biz Work at Home Work @ Home Business Information The Fridge - Biz Info on Ice Destress Send Awards Send Awards & Greetings Yoga At Your Desk Yoga @ Your Desk Fun Guide Guide to Find FUN Online About Idea Cafe Press Idea Cafe has received Idea Cafe in the News Idea Cafe's Kudos Kudos for Idea Cafe Advertise on Idea Cafe Advertise on Idea Cafe Privacy Policy Privacy Policy Contact Idea Cafe Contact Idea Cafe Link to Idea Cafe Link to/from Idea Cafe Join Idea Cafe
Search Idea Cafe Site Directory Site Map Online directory to business resources Biz Web Guide



Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.

color business bar

Featured Biz Question

I own a retail store that does roughly $350,000 in sales a year. I'm fairly new to the business and have kept on a manager (paid at $24,000) to help me learn. There are benefits to this system. I can be with my children, and he's an excellent salesperson. But I don't trust him to make competent decisions. He's getting better, but he has done several things that make me question his leadership ability. On the other hand, I have an excellent assistant manager (paid at $8.30 an hour) who makes sound decisions, but lacks the manager's drive to make money. I want to eliminate the manager's position, handling ordering etc.. myself and promote the assistant manager to a sales manager position. I'd prefer not to confront the manager but rather eliminate the post. Any ideas?? It seems to me I'm paying too much for functions I can do myself. But, with the manager in place, I'm allowed to have my own life. Help! This problem plagues me day and night!!

Answer from our Guest Expert Peter Hupalo of Hupalo Ltd.

Hi, There!

Sounds like you have a strong business! Congratulations! Now, regarding your employee angst -- It's difficult to give meaningful advice for a specific situation in human resources management because so many subtle human nature-type insights play a role in the big picture. Only you have that information. For example, we don't know exactly what the manager has done to make you question his judgment. So an in-depth answer is a tough nut to crack.

Hiring and firing employees is often an overwhelming task for many small business owners. So don't feel alone. Sometimes, decisions we dread making, deep down inside, we know are correct. In retrospect, we often realize we mulled over and worried about decisions far more than was justified. Be confident of one thing: You know far more about the situation and what's best for you and your company than anyone else. It's your decision, and you can make it on objective grounds. That's every business owner's right. Your thinking seems very astute about the issues. You like having time with your children, but $24,000 is probably a big chunk out of the overall profit pie. If you haven't made a decision yet, I've made a few suggestions and observations here that might help you rest easier at night (and day!). continued

Page 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Google      

Small Business Tax CenterIdea Cafe HomeSign UpBiz Grant CenterCyberSchmoozCoffee Talk with ExpertsPeople in Biz ProfilesStarting Your BizBiz PlanningRunning Your BizFREE Trade PublicationsMarketingFinancing Your BizHuman ResourcesLegal & Biz FormsManaging Your BizeCommerceYou and Your BizGen XWork@HomeThe FridgeDe-StressSend an AwardSend an eGreetingYoga @ Your DeskWeb GuideIdea Cafe in the NewsAbout Idea CafeAdvertise on Idea CafeContact UsPrivacy PolicySite MapSmall Biz News

Copyright 1995-2024, Idea Cafe Inc. Downloads are for personal use only, not for resale to others, and may not be reprinted in any form without written permission from Idea Cafe Inc.

DISCLAIMER: We hope whatever you find on this site is helpful, but be cautioned that it may not apply to your own situation, or be totally current at any given time. Idea Cafe Inc. and all of its current and past experts, sponsors, advertisers, agents, contractors and advisors disclaim all warranties with regard to anything found anywhere on this family of websites, quoted from, or sent from Idea Cafe. and its related sites, publications and companies. We also take no responsibility for comments published by others on these pages.

TRADEMARKS: The following are Registered Trademarks or Servicemarks of DevStart, Inc.: Idea Cafe®, Online Coffee Break®, The Small Business Gathering Place®, Take out Info®, Biz Bar & Grill®, Complaint-O-Meter®, A Fun Approach to Serious Business™, CyberSchmooz™, and BizCafe™.

 

 



About the Expert

Peter Hupalo
Owner of HCM Publishing, Inc.
Peter investigates the latest computer-programming technologies and researches companies for investment. He also writes a column about entrepreneurship and small business for iSyndicate.com and reviews biz books. Peter wrote Thinking Like An Entrepreneur, about how to make savvy business decisions and take real control of your financial destiny. more