Published on: 17 October 2018
Last Updated on: 02 March 2020
If you’re thinking of becoming an entrepreneur, you probably already have the motivation and guts to do so, but do you have the right knowledge and the right amount of capital?
Many Latinos have the drive and initiative to become entrepreneurs. This comes with many perks including consistency, hard work and an innate ability to be resilient and not stop at the potential of obstacles. But entrepreneurs often lack the proper information about how much it costs to start a business. For example, how many funds will I need upfront? How much do I have to invest from my own savings and how much will come to from a bank loan? How many employees will I have to pay? The cost always varies depending on the field. Usually, the industries with the largest profits are also those that require more expenses and ongoing investments: land, facilities, infrastructure, and major manufacturing equipment. Unless you’re starting a business solo as a freelancer or business consultant, there are a plethora of costs involved with starting a business.
Let’s start with a concrete example. If you are thinking of launching your own Mexican restaurant, what initial expenses should you consider? Well, first off you have to pay yourself. What will your salary look like? Then, estimate your business cost by creating a business plan. How many employees will you employ and at what hourly rate? What is the hourly rate for your state? How much do you have to invest in to make the restaurant appealing to customers including equipment and supply costs? All of these factors should be a top consideration in your mind and in your business plan. Having your own business means having to take care of your employees as well.
You will also have to consider administrative charges such as the fees you need to pay your state for being a business entity. Many companies opt to become a corporation, a process that can cost roughly around $100 – $250 in fees depending on the state. Franchise tax fees can cost an additional $800 to $1,000, with government filing fees adding an extra $50 to $100 to your expenses.
Plus, you cannot forget rent! In pricey areas, you can be coughing up around $50-$60 per square foot. That’s just an example, but the price varies depending on location and state. And, finally, insurance. Insurance is a pivotal part of business as you want to be sure you’re operating from a place in which you’re protected from liabilities. In an atmosphere where so many diners come and go day-by-day, insurance is a must-have.
Is your case similar to the one mentioned above? Do you dream of setting up your own business in a different field? Do you want to work for yourself? Whether you’re in the hospitality industry, the freelance industry, or legal, there are a lot of costs you should become aware of before you start. These are some of the questions you should think about and answer before starting your business.
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It’s the end of your first day. You’ve completed a plethora of online applications, psychometric tests, digital interviews and hopped through all manner of recruitment rings of fire – and you’ve landed the job of your dreams. Or so you thought… But do you know what are the ways to prepare a new employee?
You arrived at your fancy new office, but there was no one to greet you. After waiting near an hour, your co-worker-to-be apologized and took you to your desk, only to find it hadn’t been cleared. Grimacing that your equipment hadn’t been set up, your ‘guide’ spun you around the office’s sea of blank faces. Did they even know you were starting? The awkward acclimations were interrupted by an irritated-looking administrator who lugged a thick binder of forms to fill in. You missed lunch with the gang.
After finally navigating through all the red tape, the person you were meant to shadow was never notified so you were given menial tasks to pass the time, while they were in an important meeting with a client. You stared at the clock, waiting, waiting, waiting.
With the day over, you’re just sad you didn’t get out sooner. Wait – is this really your dream job?
New hires expect and need their onboarding to run smoothly. The above scenario sounds like an exaggerated horror story, but in a survey, Cezanne HR asked new employees about their onboarding experiences and was shocked to find:
52% didn’t know what to expect on their first day
30% didn’t have a buddy
8% didn’t meet their managers
23% didn’t have a desk ready
6% didn’t get told about health and safety regulations
5% didn’t have data security training
6 didn’t have a laptop or computer.
Great onboarding is extremely important. It increases retention and reduces staffing costs. It delivers an engaging experience for new hires, so they connect with the organization and colleagues from the moment they’re given the offer. Also. it should turn first-day new employee anxiety into genuine excitement. It should make them feel prepared for the new job and welcome!
Of course, no one said it’s an easy process, and orchestrating the activities to get onboarding right is time-consuming for everyone. In addition, the burdens of paper-based systems or dancing between data spreadsheets, such as Excel, allow important processes to slip through the cracks – which shouldn’t happen in a modern workplace. However, with the right HR software, you can make new employee onboarding engaging and straightforward, while automating and streamlining the admin involved in bringing on new hires.
Here are the ways to prepare a new employee:
Stay in touch after the job offer
It’s very important for a new employee to engage with employers from the moment they’re hired. This can go beyond a simple email. Make sure you consider the following:
Welcome portals are a very common feature in HR software because they do precisely that: they welcome people. Welcome portals act as an information hub and enable constant communication. They are a platform to share all essential details, including the new hire’s start date, office location, and contact details. It’s also a great way to prepare the new hire by letting them know how their first day will be structured and what their first projects will be.
Make sure you send your new hire links to any documents they need. Provide them with essential advice including what they should bring with them on the first day or week, including items like their passport, P45, national insurance number and other relevant work documents. You could use your HR software system’s welcome portal to deliver this information and advice.
Get the paperwork out of the way in advance of the first day. Signing a lot of forms can delay more pressing tasks, such as the relevant introductions, training, and the new hire’s first projects. HR software can be especially effective here. Instead of wasting time filling out form after form, new hires can sign documents electronically. It streamlines admin processes and makes everything available in one place – and it can all be done before the starting date.
Making use of welcome portals and their visual content is a powerful way of engaging with new hires and allows companies to add photos and embed company videos – it might be a hello from a CEO, or a video demonstrating the company’s culture, or brand values and goals. Portals can also allow new hires to self-serve, adding a profile, information, bank details and the like.
Moreover, all information you collect should flow straight through to your HR system. Cloud HR solutions should come with onboarding modules that are simple to set up and accessible 24/7. Storing information in one place also cuts back on the task of re-entering the same data into multiple systems.
Prepare the desk
When your new hire’s first day comes, ensure you’ve got a plan:
assign someone to receive and greet them at the door
put in an order with IT and prepare all the relevant equipment: a computer, phone, email, and network access, and office supplies
moreover, ensure security and compliance policies are explained as appropriate.
Spread the duties for onboarding tasks across different departments. For example, the IT department might be responsible for setting up the new hire’s laptop and email; the finance team might organize payroll, and the line manager will arrange inductions as well as check-in meetings. HR software’s task management systems can help significantly here.
HR software makes it much easier for these departments to fully understand their roles in the onboarding process. Task managers and checklists make use of notifications, meaning important processes don’t get forgotten about. It gives an overview of what’s been done and what needs doing.
Involve your employees
Send the first-day welcome announcement to the organization and share the news of the new hire with the team. Give their name, title, and something that distinguishes them: it might be a hobby or interest, for instance. This allows current employees to easily see if they have anything in common, making everyone more prepared for the big day. Moreover, give your current employees details of the new hire’s background, making sure the new employee’s biggest strengths are acknowledged.
Find a peer and assign them to mentor/buddy the new hire. This will help the new hire to get settled and to be comfortable enough to ask any questions that are on their mind. This also helps build relationships with the team, integrating the new employee into the company significantly faster.
Also, consider explaining who’s who – HR software can create a staff directory mapping this for you. This will help your new hire to familiarise themselves with their co-workers and assists them in directing their queries to the right people from the right departments, so they don’t feel like they’re barraging their mentor with questions.
Planning welcome social help breaks the ice, too – and not just between the company and the new hire. From team lunches to company happy hours, both new hires and current employees can benefit from getting to know each other in a more open and casual environment, building stronger relationships and channels for collaboration.
Establish a formal training program
The importance of setting a clear and comprehensive training program can’t be overstated. Doing so helps prepare and motivate the new hire for the first day and sets a precedent for the weeks and months ahead as they approach their new projects. Such a structured program does much to ease their potential short- and longer-term worries. Indeed, the HR portal assists here, too. By being able to provide access to important training documents, setting out a comprehensive program schedule through calendars, and by making use of notifications to make clear to current employees what is expected of them in the onboarding process and when. On top of this, it’s an effective and simple way for new hires to view set assignments and tasks, as well as their own schedules.
Check-ins
Check-ins are a series of regular discussions between managers and employees about their progress. They are:
ongoing and build a rapport, setting short and long-term goals
an extremely effective way of ensuring employees are continuously aware of their professional development within the company, allowing them to express any concerns and ask questions, and
they form a crucial part of the onboarding process.
At the end of the first week, give the new hire the opportunity to ask any outstanding questions. This helps demonstrate your enthusiasm towards the employee’s start beyond just the first day and will help set a clear and lasting relationship between the new hire and the company.
HR software can make continuous performance reviews and check-ins an integral part of company culture. Cezanne HR, for instance, provides a seamless and engaging way of recording conversations, achievements and agreed goals or outcomes, so it’s easier to ensure everyone is aligned.
The right HR systems are equipped with performance management functions that allow employees to make use of their flexibility and to collaborate in an online forum where others can easily and securely request feedback, record check-in conversations, and track outcomes.
Poor onboarding is a wasted opportunity
The benefits of great onboarding are infinite. It reduces unnecessary barriers that might otherwise inhibit the new employee from settling in or performing at their best. It gets new hires up to speed swiftly and immerses them in the company’s values, vision, and culture.
Furthermore, great onboarding protects your new investment. A robust, systematic onboarding process boosts new hire retention by 50%, and new hires that experienced strong onboarding are 58% more likely to stay with the company for more than three years.
Why would you waste all your efforts with a dissatisfactory onboarding process?
Onboarding can be the difference between a quick and costly new employee turnover, and a long and lasting productive relationship.
Above are just some of the boxes to tick to ensure an engaging onboarding experience. Do you have any more? Let us know!
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These triple wall corrugated boxes are iconic ever since they were used for packaging and transportation of virtually all products. With an impressive carrying capacity that stretches between 500 to 1000 pounds, these versatile boxes are in great demand among a large number of users. However, for many individuals, the purpose of the boxes will be limited and conclude the moment they have finished using it. This leaves them with additional inventory. The featured site offers attractive options for individuals who would like to either make use of sparingly used boxes or offer the same for sale.
Disposing boxes :
In the event that you have these boxes and find no practical use of space to keep them, it would be a good idea to send them for recycling to The gaylord box exchange. The featured site offers free service for individuals who would wish to get their spare boxes recycled. On furnishing the required contact information and details of boxes that need to be recycled, the site will dispatch it into the pickup and transport the spare boxes for free recycling. This spares the owner the necessity of hiring transport or spending time in transporting the same to any recycling facility.
Sale of boxes :
Owners who would like to sell boxes that are in good condition will find the featured site useful. Individual only need to get in touch with the site through the online page and furnish details of the location and the boxes which they intend to sell. Depending upon the condition of the boxes and the dimensions the owners will receive payment and the boxes will be transported to the facility of the featured site. This offers owners the opportunity to make some money out of the used boxes while frying up precious space in their homes establishments. Additionally, owners will not have to inquire about any expenses towards transport of the boxes.
Buying good quality boxes :
Requirements for good condition boxes will remain in high demand. The featured site offers individuals who wish to procure good quality boxes, the options of purchasing boxes of various dimensions from an impressive inventory across different locations. The advantage of opting for a sparingly used box is the double benefit of pricing advantage and superior quality. The condition of the boxes will ensure that storage or transportation will be safe inside the triple corrugated boxes of different dimensions and categories.
Slash transportation costs :
One of the challenges that many individuals may face is the ability to source boxes from a particular location. While boxes may be easily available, it is important that the boxes are in a location that is closer to the individual's place. This will keep transportation costs low. The featured site has the advantage of being able to source, pick up and make available boxes in virtually all locations across the U.S. This makes it easy for individuals to meet their requirements. Requirements can differ from person to person such as the need for buying, selling and disposing of boxes.
Different categories of boxes :
It is necessary to choose a box as per the nature of consignment of contents that needs to be transported or stored in any of the boxes. The wavy design that is wedged between the outer and inner layer of the boxes, ensure that a cushioning effect is afforded to the products that are stored inside the boxes. However, it is necessary to check out the carrying capacity of the boxes based on the categories. Some have a carrying capacity of 500 pounds while boxers of the highest category can easily handle loads up to 3000 pounds.
It would be a good idea for individuals to understand a little about the composition of the boxes. Different categories of boxes have different capacities as far as stacking strength is concerned. This refers to the pressure that can be handled by the box when it is subjected to pressure either above or below it. Another important consideration as far as specifications are concerned is the ability of the corrugated material to handle pressure from the inside. These factors and specifications are largely determined by the ply of the cardboard and the fluting. This refers to the material between the outer and inner layers and comes in five different categories with the first two categories offering greatest resilience and ability.
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Singapore is a business-oriented country with a lot to offer to both local and foreign entrepreneurs. Young entrepreneurs and experienced investors who are looking for an avenue to expand their businesses can start a venture here. The main reasons that make businesses thrive here include a stable political environment, friendly taxation policy, supportive investors, and availability of a ready market among others.
If you are a foreigner who is looking for an opportunity to obtain a business visa that is valid in Singapore, there are many avenues to get one. Here, we will advise you on how to go about it in the best way. One important thing to note is that each has its requirements, and you must fulfill them to successfully get a visa.
Apply for an EntrePass
Any foreign entrepreneur with an interest in starting a business in Singapore should apply for this visa category. The main qualifications include a viable business idea (even without capital) and proven business skills. The Singapore government nurtures young entrepreneurs who are likely to contribute a lot to the progress of the country.
Therefore, they can introduce such entrepreneurs to various investor programs and government funding and grants. If you have the right qualifications, applying for an entrepass will be straightforward and easy especially if you have an immigration agent to walk you through the process. In this case, you can check the Visa Express website for more information on how to go about this.
Applying for an Employment Pass
Also known as an EP, this is a visa that allows foreigners to come and work in Singapore in different positions depending on their skills. The visa is renewable after two years. According to studies, many foreigners who have been employed in the Lion City find it easy to switch lanes and start a business of their choice.
The good thing is that applying for another visa during the renewal of a previous one is easy. But it still requires the help of an agent to ensure that you meet all the qualifications before you start.
Obtaining a Permanent Residency Visa
If you want to get a PR in Singapore, you must invest in the country either directly or indirectly. However, holders of an EntrePass or EP who have stayed in the island state for long enough might qualify for PR. The good thing about a PR is that you can start any business that suits you and move in and out of the country without any restrictions. Actually, you get to enjoy numerous benefits just like the citizens.
When you invest directly in the country, you are given the PR visa instantly. This could be a big business with significant capital. Alternatively, you can inject your money into any business in the country and earn indirectly.
Final Word
As you can see, there are many ways of getting a Singaporean business visa and becoming a big success within no time. No wonder, many foreigners are choosing this destination to either start a new business or expand one through a branch company.
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