Along with the year long contentious debate over the recently signed Health Care Reform bill, there have also been many misconceptions and falsehoods spread that the Health Care bill is bad for small business. Truth be told, as with most legislation, there is both some good and some not so good. The good is that this bill will do much to counter the skyrocketing costs of health Insurance while cutting a projected 138 billion dollars from the federal deficit between 2010 and 2019 and an additional 1.2 trillion over the second decade which could, in turn, reduce taxes and interest rates. Additionally, Starting with 2010 taxes, small businesses with fewer than 25 employees that pay at least 50% of the health care premiums for their employees qualify for a tax credit up to 35% of your premiums (50% after 2014 if you purchase insurance through an exchange). How much of a credit you'll get depends on the number of employees you have and their average wage. NOTE, This tax deduction is not available to sole proprietors, so you may want a different corporate legal form. The not so good is that there are no caps on health insurance premiums. This may cause insurance companies to hike rates significantly before they have competition in 2014. If a company has more than 50 employees, They will have to provide coverage, or pay a fine beginning in 2014.

I read a great article in the March 2010 Harvard Business Review. According to their research, twice as many Indian leaders as U.S. leaders think that human capital drives business success. Among the Indian firms they studied, 81% of the heads of HR reported that employee training and development was essential to building competitive organizational capabilities, whereas according to a survey by the American Society for Training and Development, only 4% of U.S. Chief Learning Officers head that view of their own operations. Their research demonstrates that they place an intentional focus on employee motivation by:

An employee will remember their first day of work at a new job. They will remember if their new manager and team were eagerly awaiting their arrival with warm smiles. They will remember if their workspace was ready with an internet connection and ready phone line and even more so a welcome package on their desk; not just with typical HR paperwork, but maybe a company logo t-shirt, set of pens or coffee mug. The first day will set the tone for their new job. And the level of effort put forth by the employer to welcome their newest hire over the months to follow could possibly determine the length of their stay and their level of productivity. The area’s top employers recognize the trends associated with new hire orientation and employee retention and are adopting robust assimilation programs. These programs are targeted toward:

Augmenting a workforce with independent contractors can be an effective way to rapidly adjust to changing business needs. Not only is this flexible work arrangement beneficial to dynamic organizations, it has become an attractive option for a growing number of talented professionals. You can supplement your team with both independent contractors and W-2 employees, just make sure you follow proper HR compliance.

McLEAN, VIRGINIA (June 8, 2006) – Kathy Albarado, President of Helios HR based in Reston, VA, was granted the 2006 HR Leadership Award for Community Service/Corporate Social Responsibility. In addition to participating in community support for local charities such as The March of Dimes, Reston Interfaith, Northern Virginia Family Services, and The House of Ruth, Ms. Albarado has been active in a leadership capacity in a number of professional associations to include Women in Technology, the Northern Virginia Employer Advisory Committee and the Society for Human Resource Management.