It seems like we are always on the quest for happiness. For some people, happiness comes naturally and others it can take a little more work to find it. There is also always the question about what truly makes you happy. This week, we gathered an article that gives you all of the details on an extremely popular happiness course at Yale. Next, learn the truth about how much money will make you happy, and lastly find out how to refocus on the things that are truly important in your life.

Safety is an important workplace subject that has evolved over the years. As a small business owner, depending on your business, you may be wondering just how much emphasis you need to place on safety. It’s important to remember that while some industries have more to plan around than others, injuries and accidents can be as simple as tripping over your computer cord. By ensuring your small business is as safe as possible, you can protect yourself, employees, and customers from unfortunate situations that can easily be avoided.  

In recent years the workforce has been changing, and more and more people are working remotely. While many people believe that work from home employees are less productive and tend to slack off more, research actually shows the opposite. However, it can easy for remote employees to feel like they aren’t part of a time and that communicating can sometimes be a problem. This week, we found some articles that will better help you understand remote employees and ways to keep them engaged.

As a small business owner, processing payroll is just one item on your to-do list, but ever-changing regulations and tax code updates can make it the most time-consuming task in a given week. These tax updates occur at the federal, state, and local levels, and depending on where your business is based and where your employees live, some small businesses have it tougher than others. We’ve started this monthly series to focus on state-specific tax considerations, to help you keep up with what’s changing around you.

The holiday shopping season is quickly approaching, with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday now being less than a month away. This year, consumers are ready to spend, which is great news for your small business. This week, to help you gear up for the season, we gathered articles about how other small business owners are advertising, the consumer shopping habits for the season, and the 5 online shopping trends to be aware of.

Most people don’t associate the process of running payroll with the concept of “flexibility.” But at SurePayroll, where our focus is entirely on small business payroll, we recognize that flexibility is not a nice-to-have for small business owners, it’s a need-to-have in all aspects of their professional lives.

We are officially one month out from Small Business Saturday! As a small business owner, this is a day to look forward to, but you might not know how best to participate. Last year, we did a two-part series about the history and importance of Small Business Saturday and some things that you should keep in mind as you plan. This year, we are sharing some stats from the 2017 shopping season, providing a recap of what you can do to be successful, and asking for your help in filling out a fast Small Business Saturday survey.

Hiring as a small business owner can be hard and overwhelming. With everything else you have going on, while you might need help, getting the process started can take a while. This week, we found some articles that can help you out and offer advice on hiring on a limited budget, hiring more effectively, and how to find the right seasonal employees for your small business.

At this point, you have learned what employee engagement is, how money may or may not affect engagement, and now you’re ready to learn how to keep employees at your small business engaged. Perhaps you have the money to give everybody raises, but if you don’t, there are plenty of ways that you can still keep employees engaged in the work they are doing. 

For any business to be successful, a solid marketing plan is key. After all, if people don’t know that you exist, or what products or services you sell, how are you supposed to make any money? Marketing can also be confusing, and is an area that is always evolving. This week, we have some articles that will help you better understand marketing, tips for a great plan, and how Generation Z is going to shake up online marketing.

“Money can’t buy happiness.” How often have you heard this saying, and how often have you heard the follow up along the lines of “maybe not, but I would be happier sitting at my beach house with a margarita in hand”? Researchers have spent a lot of time understanding how money affects people, and at what point will they be happy. The same is applied to workers and how much money will make an employee engaged. 

As a small business owner, year-end likely means more than just celebrating the holidays. While you’ll probably still be shopping for those last-minute presents, spending time with family and friends, and making your resolutions, there’s still work to be done.

Did you know that October is National Women’s Small Business Month? To kick off the month, we are dedicating this week’s reading list to female small business owners. Being a female small business owner can be a challenge. From typically being paid less than male counterparts, or struggling to find the funding, many women are intimidated to launch their own business. This week, we gathered some articles that will help female entrepreneurs with funding, building a supportive team, and understanding how to charge what they are worth. 

Employee engagement can be tricky to measure. Some people think that money is the biggest factor involved, while others turn to workplace benefits and culture. In our three part series on employee engagement, we are going to explain what it is, share some research about it not being all about money, and how you can get your employees more engaged, especially if you can’t increase salary.

As a small business owner, you likely struggle to find the time to keep up on the important news that could impact your business. This week, we gathered three timely pieces that you should be aware of. Check in to learn the latest tech news, which states are “friendliest” for small business owners, and understand what other small business owners are thinking about the new tariffs.

As a small business owner, processing payroll is just one item on your to-do list, but ever-changing regulations and tax code updates can make it the most time-consuming task in a given week. These tax updates occur at the federal, state, and local levels, and depending on where your business is based and where your employees live, some small businesses have it tougher than others. We’ve started this monthly series to focus on state-specific tax considerations, to help you keep up with what’s changing around you.

Payday is a day that all workers look forward to. As a small business owner, are you aware of the different ways you can run payroll and the schedules that exist? With weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly options you may be overwhelmed with which schedule to choose. However, in some cases, that choice is made for you depending on what state you live in. Here’s what you need to know when setting up a payroll schedule.

Outsourcing your payroll to a payroll provider greatly reduces the strain you have to deal with as a small business owner. It’s a to-do list item that most small business owners wish they didn’t have to deal with, so they choose to let somebody else manage the heavy lifting. While we support this decision, are you aware of some of the hidden costs that some payroll providers charge? In this article, we are pointing out some of the most common fees charged, and explain where we can help you save.   

Each season brings something new such as warmer temperatures or changing leaves. When it comes to owning a small business, that something new may be your busy season. Two of the most common busy seasons are summer and holidays. For some businesses, these seasons are crucial to their success, such as a summer only lakefront restaurant, or a wintertime ski resort. During your busy time, you may be struggling to manage everything solo. In these cases, seasonal employees can be a major asset to your business. These seasonal employee hiring tips are bound to set your business up for success before the crowds start pounding down your door.  

Saving money is hard. As a small business owner, you’re likely juggling balancing your personal savings and saving money on your businesses expenses as well. Being a small business owner certainly isn’t cheap, and it can take some extra strategy to save your money. Below are some tips to help you keep more cash in your wallet, and check out the bonus article about some retirement news.