How should an employer address questions related to things like restroom use, employees transitioning genders while employed, benefits and insurance coverage? Keep in mind that there is currently no clear federal law specifically defining LGBT as a protected status. However, the trend is clear and savvy employers may want to take proactive steps to guard against future discrimination or harassment claims.
People are always asking me how a woman can be successful in business. My short answer is “plan for it.” Any successful person doesn’t just happen upon it. They prepare, work hard and are open to learning and adjusting along the way. And, the most successful professionals all have one thing in common: They know how to market their accomplishments.
Whether you’re a new tire retailer, an automotive service center, or a used tire retailer or wholesaler, you will have to properly dispose of your waste tires at some point. The decision as to how to do this is not always easy. Many cities and states are enacting “manifest” programs, requiring proper documentation from service centers, retailers and wholesalers alike, as to how they are recycling their tires.
Today’s consumers have more choices than ever before. When it comes to choosing someone to take care of their automotive needs, they turn to their friends, family and co-workers for recommendations, they consider brands that they’ve heard of and they also search the web. Once they have a shop in mind, they may then either reach out over the web or stop by the shop, but the majority of your potential customers will pick up the phone and give you a call.
Insurance can be a large fixed cost for any shop. Periodic reviews of insurance needs and coverage, however, can help reign in your costs. Follow these tips during your next insurance checkup to make sure your business is covered and you’re getting the best bang for your buck.
The most common reason shop owners are reluctant to fire someone is they feel the employee is either irreplaceable, or it will take a long time to find the right replacement. First of all, everyone is replaceable, and as I have often said to clients, the graveyards are filled with irreplaceable people.
If there is one thing most shop owners have in common, it’s that they have big hearts. They typically start their careers as technicians, and, as soon as they have their own shops, they want to help as many people as they can. To achieve this goal, they network through their family and friends and do everything in their power to get the word out into their communities about their shop. And then the inevitable happens: they wake up one morning and decide it’s finally time to advertise.
Business plans are for start-ups, right? Why would an established business need one? The fact is, the questions you have to answer as a start-up get forgotten in the daily hubbub of running a business. A little time spent asking some basic questions can trigger new opportunities, greater freedom or both.