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In web technology development, the term ‘back-end’ describes all the processes and codes written that no one else can see – things like the server, database, and the applications that are essential for keeping your site ticking over. It’s unglamorous, but without a tidy and clean back end, the front end – everything your visitors see when they arrive on your site – will start to develop problems.

It is also something of an analogy to your business as a whole. All the dull and boring stuff you have going on in the background is, in fact, critical to the success of your public-facing service. There are a lot of operations that, if left, can quickly damage your reputation and lose you money, resources, and customers. Let’s take a look at some of the issues you need to consider.

Finances

Finances and accounts are often significant problems for small companies. Many small business owners don’t want to fork out for professional help, whether it’s paying for an accountant or a bookkeeper, and can often be found at the end of each financial year frantically going through receipts. The trouble is, not handing over your finances to an experienced professional is ultimately going to lose you money. Yes, there is a fee involved, but the money and accountant will save you in taxes, schemes, and advice will pay for itself by a significant amount. And, most importantly, gives you a safe financial footing that can help you overcome everything from legal claims to economic downturns.

Technology

The technology behind your business is also essential. Again, no one will see it, but it will soon become apparent to your customers when something goes wrong. Broken websites, corrupted databases, server issues – all of them will end up costing you money and market share. It’s worth looking around for an IT Consulting and Support Services in your area, and get an experienced hand that will take care of everything for you – especially if you are a small business owner. Ultimately, it will save you money, help you keep customers, and also frees up your time by a significant amount.

Stock/Inventory

If you are selling products, nothing is more critical to your business than stock control. Inventory management can be tricky and time-consuming, however, particularly in these modern times. The solution is to ensure you are using a good tracking software, that helps you identify fast moving stock, places orders automatically, and that you can use to ensure you are capable of meeting demand. You don’t want to overorder as having too much back stock will cost you money – and you may never be able to shift it all. But having too little stock is only going to cost you in sales and profits. It’s a delicate balance to strike – but it’s one you must achieve.

Your team

Finally, do you really know what’s going on with the people that work for your business? If life is getting your employees down, it’s going to start impacting your company at some point, so it’s essential that you are an empathetic boss with a good ear. Not only will this encourage your employees to open up, but it will also improve your company’s culture – and sense of camaraderie.

Running a business is a huge juggling act. Many people will put off thinking about the legal side of things to focus on other aspects. However, neglecting legal precautions could be costly as it could open you up to lawsuits. Not implementing certain legal requirements may even get you fined. Here are five mistakes to avoid in order to keep your company legally tight.

Choosing the wrong business structure

There are lots of different business structures to consider from sole proprietorships to partnerships to LLCs and corporations. All of these structures can have different benefits and drawbacks, so it’s worth doing your research before picking one. For example, if you’re a sole proprietor, you’ll have more control over the running of your business and won’t have to pay corporate taxes, however your personal assets could be at risk if you’re sued.

Not having a solicitor on call

There are a lot of rules and regulations that businesses have to abide by. Hiring a solicitor can be useful to help guide you through these regulations and ensure that you’re doing everything above board. Corporate lawyers can also help handle lawsuits. Shop around for solicitors with a good reputation that have worked in your field before.

Writing contracts yourself

Every business needs legally-binding contracts. These could be terms and conditions for clients or contracts for new employees. Whilst you can write these yourself, it’s worth getting contracts professionally written so that there aren’t any loopholes. Legal contract writing is a fine art and wording is very important – it could help defend you against lawsuits in the future or allow you stable ground to sue others who have done wrong to you.

Failing to have a privacy policy

A privacy policy is essential for any company that markets its services. This policy ensures that clients’ private details aren’t given out to other people without their permission. Every business needs a privacy policy in place as data that has been passed on without permission could result in you being sued by a client.

Neglecting non-compulsory insurance

There are lots of insurance schemes out there for business owners. Many will only take out employer’s liability insurance as this is generally the only one that is compulsory. However, there are lots of non-compulsory schemes that could also be of benefit to your business such as product liability insurance and professional liability insurance. These can help to cover other common claims made against businesses such as faulty products, malpractice or negligence. Often you can save costs by taking out a general business insurance scheme. Whilst not all trades may benefit from these insurance schemes, others could find that they are very useful for deflecting big lawsuit costs.

Are you looking for an employee to rock your world (in a professional way)? Then you need to make sure you’re taking the smart steps to find the employee that you really want. If you know something is missing in terms of staff when it comes to your team, you must do something about it ASAP. Here are the smart steps to find that rockstar employee of your dreams:

Outline Exactly What You’d Like

The first thing you need to do is outline exactly what you’d like in an employee. It’s a good idea to prioritise what the employee must come already equipped with in terms of skills and qualifications, and what they can learn on the job.

Make sure you then sell the position with your job post. This is the best way to attract talent. You want them to want to apply and work at your company by making it sound like a wonderful opportunity. Don’t write a boilerplate job advertisement! Know what makes your company great and unique and talk about that.

Get A Little Help

It’s OK to get a little help when you need it. One way of doing this is by asking for leads from people you’ve already hired. Go to employees that are exactly who you wanted them to be, and ask who their favourite colleagues were and why. Tell them about the position becoming available. They might just be able to bring someone great to the team.  

Another way of getting help is by using a headhunting service like http://www.eagleheadhunters.co.uk/. You let the company know what you want and they basically do the hard work for you, which can take a lot of the stress out of it and save you time.

Think Of Past People You Didn’t Hire But Considered

Maybe you’ve had a ton of amazing candidates in the past. You can only choose one, though, right? Make sure you stay in touch with these people via email marketing. This way, you can let them know that another position has become available.  

Use Facebook To Advertise

Facebook is not just for socialising or selling your products. You can use Facebook ads to target people who may be looking for work in your industry. You can even create a post and make it easy for employee shares to take place, so that as many people see the job ad as possible. Facebook is a wonderful tool for a multitude of reasons!

Make Sure The Interview Process Is Perfect

Now, all you need to do is make sure the interview process is perfect. How will you ensure that you’re hiring the right person for your team? Make sure you ask the right questions, introduce them to the rest of the team to get feedback from them, and maybe even present them with a task to see how they handle it.

These smart steps will help you to hire the employee you really want on your team. Good luck!