Archive for November, 2009

As the economy continues to do tank, so the number of Americans are not health insurance and the owners of the few who could afford to insure their workers.
A recent survey by the NFIB Research Foundation, a small business advocacy group, found that only 47 percent of small business owners offer health benefits for workers. Those with 20 or more are twice as likely to offer health benefits than employees who are under 10.
The survey showed that low numbers are mainly the result of new small businesses chooses not to cover employees. Most small businesses the benefits of the offer have been for some time and are reluctant to leave for fear of losing good employees.
“It’s much better for morale if a small business owner offers health benefits ever, to offer and then forced to take because it is too expensive to continue,” said William J. Dennis, senior investigator of the NFIB. “The owners of small businesses feel great turmoil in their early years. Who often face cash flow problems and are reluctant to incur additional costs such as health insurance. What’s new in this table is that it seems that the new small business owners are waiting longer or choosing not to offer insurance benefits for employees of the health of all. ”
The fact that new small businesses will choose to offer benefits is a worrying trend because of the rapid rotation of the small business population. If this trend continues, the number of employers offering the benefits will not increase. And that will hurt small businesses because the limits Thet talent pool from which they originate.
What can be done?
Small businesses are not only struggling with health care costs (and premiums) in the current economic climate. The U. S. Census Bureau reports 47 million people, or 15. 8 percent of the U.S. population had no health insurance in 2006
Unfortunately for owners of small businesses, new legislative approaches to help the uninsured may actually hurt. A popular option is the “pay-or-” play mandate, which requires employers to provide health insurance for their employees or pay a fine to cover expenditure by the government to provide health care for the uninsured. The rules apply only to full-time workers.
Proponents say that such orders could significantly reduce the ranks of the insured, since the vast majority of uninsured are in families with at least one full time employee. Many low-income families, suggesting that these measures would benefit the working poor.
Opponents argue that many low-wage workers will not only earn less, be reduced or dismissed in part to offset the cost of insurance.
In their paper, “Mandates for health insurance by employers and unemployment insurance,” the researchers Katherine Baicker and Helen Levy found several factors that influence the extent to which these orders cost more jobs:
; Cost of insurance.
; What part of the cost of coverage will be provided to workers through lower wages.
; How many uninsured workers have earnings so close to the minimum wage, their salaries can not be reduced sufficiently to offset the cost of the new coverage.
The scientists found that the mandate would still leave 54 percent of American workers are not covered.
“The vast majority of those who benefit from pay or play mandate living in families with incomes twice the poverty level or more, depending on how coverage is determined, the mandate will leave a significant part of the suspension working poor in these services, either because their hourly wage is too high, or work for small businesses are exempted, “the authors wrote.
Most experts agree that mandates are bad for small businesses. Employers face difficult choices. The survey NFIB, only 20 percent of small employers said they simply provide the necessary guarantees. Many others said they either cut jobs or move to more part-time workers.
The return to work part time is a particularly attractive option for small business owners. Indeed, how a few employees are treated is a key factor affecting the ability of small businesses to pay maintenance or regulation play.
According to NFIB, «The treatment of these agents changed the relative costs in one way or another, providing strong incentives for small employers, on the change. ”
Small business experts agree that, if part-time employees covered by the mandate, most employers simply respond by eliminating jobs, adding to unemployment and do nothing for the uninsured rate.
Small business owners have always faced an uncertain future, but today’s economy and the crisis of health care to take this time extremely difficult to move the start.

Communication is at the heart of modern society today. Whether the Internet, television, pod cast, or whatever medium you choose. So many companies competing for the same company as you that your customers distinguish between you and your competitors?The answer is not particularly the size of your Yellow Pages advertising, but how to work your business has to offer. PR has a huge impact in the minds of consumers that received the approval of the third coming of editorial coverage can be significant, perhaps even more than advertising which can cost hundreds or thousands of pounds. PR done well can lead to increased exposure, increased sales and increased profits. And if you want your company to be the best that could then be good public relations is something you want to do.