Tips for managing multiple location businesses

Tips for managing multiple location businesses
by Robert Lerose.

Tips for managing multiple location businesses.When Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast last year, thousands of businesses suffered devastating damages, prolonged power outages, and disrupted sales. Now, imagine a small business owner who operated at multiple locations, some far removed from the hurricane’s path and you’ll see an unexpected benefit from having several business locations.

Of course, avoiding a natural disaster is probably not the first reason that a small business owner would open secondary locations. But whether you set up in a distant geographical area or just across town, success in managing multiple sites ultimately comes down to formulating prudent strategies, installing competent people in leadership roles, communicating clearly and frequently with key team members, and tracking results. Tips for managing multiple location businesses

Consistent procedures

Expanding your business provides many advantages, such as not starting from scratch. You can use some of your existing infrastructure and systems already in place for the satellite locations.

“If you open up another location, most likely you aren’t going to have to duplicate everything that’s in the company,” says Tim Smith, principal of The Plaid Group, a Houston-based operations consultancy. “You could add sales by building on what you have without having to increase as much back office [support].” Tips for managing multiple location businesses

Putting some standard operating procedures in place can result in a consistent, streamlined organization that delivers the same efficient response at each location. For example, Smith says, having a procedure for handling seven to ten core daily activities of the business is a great foundation.

Establishing measurable targets and making sure that every employee knows what the business owner expects is vital. “The person who is responsible for the second location needs to share the definition of what good performance looks like,” Smith says. “It could be customer service, profitability, on-time performance—whatever criteria the owner uses to determine that the second location is doing well.” Tips for managing multiple location businesses

Small business owners must also stay in touch regularly with the teams in the branch locations. In one scenario that Smith was intimately involved with, the operations manager at an industrial distribution company has a conference call with the managers at all his locations every other week. On off weeks, the ops manager checks in with the branch managers individually. The calls serve multiple purposes: they announce initiatives that are underway, and they also allow managers the opportunity to talk about things that they might be wrestling with. “It creates collaboration,” Smith explains. “The next time that a branch manager has a problem, they’ll turn to their peers before they go to the owner to borrow his time.” Tips for managing multiple location businesses

This kind of collaboration and relationship building can lead to handsome payoffs. For example, Smith once worked with a company that was suffering because it had 15 locations, and each one had their own individual protocols. Smith got all the branch managers to hammer out consistent procedures for their core activities, document them, and train everyone uniformly across the company. Tips for managing multiple location businesses

“One of the concrete benefits that came from that is we reduced inventory losses by 75 percent within two years,” Smith says. “We also improved our relationship with our suppliers, because the accounting department now had proof that they received the product and could pay the invoice.” Tips for managing multiple location businesses

MultipleLocations_PQ.jpgPractice the basics

Besides a hedge against turbulent weather, having more than one location may increase your buying power.

“Since you’re buying for multiple locations, you should be able to participate in some additional discounts from your vendors,” says Bert Martinez, president of Bert Martinez Communications, who operates offices in both Houston and Phoenix.

In some instances, it may not be possible to come up with a mirror image of the main office in an outside location. “The mistake most people make is that they don’t investigate the new area enough,” Martinez says. “Opening up that second store needs to be treated like a brand new business—not like you’re duplicating an existing business—because typically that new store has a new neighborhood and a new set of demographics. You might have to market that business slightly differently.” Tips for managing multiple location businesses

Still, like Smith, Martinez sees the big secret to success as having a documented system that can be replicated and taught to the key people in your workforce—then verified that they are using the system properly. For example, retail small business owners could send a secret shopper into a store location to see if sales members are following established selling procedures. Or, have a friend call a business site and take notes on the conversation to see how the in-office customer service team handles phone calls and other issues. Lastly, test your managers—literally. Tips for managing multiple location businesses

“When you’re having your weekly meeting, drop down a pop quiz,” Martinez explains. “And be open-minded enough to know that you might have to make a system change. Little problems can be addressed and dovetailed right into the system.”

Managers who depart from proven protocol on their own might be surprised at how fast things can turn sour. For example, Martinez was hired by a CBS affiliate in Los Angeles to improve the sales for one of their radio programs. After implementing a comprehensive new set of procedures, sales jumped from around $10,000 a month to $50,000 a month in only three months. But when Martinez did an audit of the program six months later, he discovered that the manager had begun to deviate from the system and to cancel the weekly meetings. Result: sales plummeted by almost half. Tips for managing multiple location businesses

“Your results get better and better and better as long as you continue to get brilliant at the basics,” Martinez says. “The system is responsible.”

Trust others

On a personal level, small business owners also need to be honest with themselves and accept that they will have to trust others to oversee operations without their direct supervision.

“If you like to micromanage, then you’re probably going to be frustrated,” says Randy Moon, president of RMoon Consulting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “Don’t be afraid to hire someone smarter than you or better than you in other ways. Combined, you can be a powerful team.”

When Moon consults with a business about expanding, he does an assessment on the industry itself to see if there are other cases of stores that operate multi-site locations in the same niche. He also recommends that small business owners take full advantage of technology to stay in touch, whether in a video chat on Skype, or by cell phone or email. That said, it is critical that owners still show up regularly at their various locations.

“You have to make your presence known periodically, especially in certain types of labor intensive businesses where there are a lot of employees,” Moon says. “They expect to see the owner. When the owner shows up or has lunch with the employees, it makes people feel that they’re not out there on an island.”

eleanordrury310 July 25, 2013 Today's Businesshiring_employees, managing_employees, small_business, Tips for managing multiple location businesses 6 Read more >

Ways to Engage Your Employees This Summer

Ways to Engage Your Employees This Summer. One summer, I interned at a law firm in San Francisco. I wanted to impress the partners so that they would offer me a job after I graduated the following year. This was back in the day when law firms really wined-and-dined their potential associates.

Man, I loved that summer.

The partners took us river rafting, invited us to fancy dinners and drinks at their homes, and yes, they even took us in a hot-air balloon. Oh yeah, we also did a little work too. Needless to say, I really wanted to work at that firm. Well, I got my chance a year later, and let’s just say that the real world was a tad different than my summer of fun. Ways to Engage Your Employees This Summer.

It turns out that many businesses are learning that one of the smartest things they can do, especially at this time of year, is to take advantage of the natural rhythms of the season and give employees their own summer fun. Ways to Engage Your Employees This Summer.

In fact, if you take a close look at the latest edition of the spring 2013 Bank of America Small Business Owner Report (SBOR), it turns out that many employers are taking this idea of creating a strong culture seriously. The Report found that almost nine in 10 small business owners offer some type of benefits to their employees.

If you want to engage your employees this summer, here are a few tips mentioned in the SBOR that will make your employees feel more engaged:

1. Offer flexible work hours: Forty-five percent of the entrepreneurs surveyed in the SBOR said that they reward their staff with flexible hours and/or they let them work from home. While this used to be an exotic idea, it is much more commonplace today. Between the cloud, smart phones, apps and laptops, anyone can work anywhere at any time. Ways to Engage Your Employees This Summer.

So let them.

Especially during the summer, it makes sense to give employees some flexibility and some time to enjoy the nice weather. By allowing your employees to get work done at a time more convenient for them, they will reward you with their loyalty and hard work.

2. Share amenities like free lunch, massages, etc. When you visit a large, successful Internet company like Google or Facebook, one thing that is very noticeable is the amount of free (or subsidized) food available. No, it’s not cheap, but it is a benefit that keeps people at the office and not taking two-hour lunches.

For small businesses, one alternative might be to provide free, healthy snacks like fruit and water, which are affordable and appreciated.

3. Lead team building events: According to the SBOR, only about 25 percent of the small business owners surveyed used this tactic, and I think that is a mistake. In the summertime, when everyone is thinking about a lot more than just work, a fun event together away from the office is often just what the doctor ordered. Whether it is going out to dinner, a game, or a concert together, a team-building event is the best way to grow as a team and build a strong culture.

4. Allow social media at work: This is a tricky one. Twenty-four percent of those surveyed said they use this tactic to reward employees. However, as we all know, social media can easily gobble up a whole lot more time than one anticipates and potentially decrease productivity in the office. I recommend offering this perk to employees as it is a great way to take a short mental break from work, but certainly speak up if you feel the privilege is being abused.

5. Give unexpected freebies: Give employees some free time off. Have a spontaneous contest and give the winner a pair of seats to a game. Buy gift cards from Starbucks and hand them out. Give everyone an unannounced afternoon off.

This is the time of year when people like to take advantage of the outdoors. Let them and you and your business will both be rewarded. Ways to Engage Your Employees This Summer.

eleanordrury310 July 18, 2013 Today's Businessemployee, employee_benefits, healthy_employees, managing_employees, productivity, small_business, small_business_expert, small_business_owner, small_business_owner_report, steve_strauss, Ways to Engage Your Employees This Summer 4 Read more >

How to hire a CEO for your small business

How to hire a CEO for your small business
by Susan Caminiti.

How to hire a CEO for your small business. It may sound counter-intuitive, but the skills needed to start a small business—perseverance, patience, and passion, to name a few—aren’t always the same ones necessary to take a company to the next level. Sure, as the founder you’re the person who came up with the brilliant idea for your product or service, and can zealously promote it to potential customers better than anyone. But if you can’t (or don’t want to) deal with the day-to-day functions of running a growing enterprise, it might be time to consider bringing in a chief executive officer.

Charley Polachi, a partner at Polachi & Co., an executive search firm in Framingham, Mass., works with many small companies as they’re entering their early growth stage. He says the first step he recommends for any founder looking to hire a senior manager is to define the pain they’re trying to address. “Usually it’s a matter of too much or too little,” he says. “The small business owner is either too busy and can’t keep up with all aspects of the business adequately, or the business has stalled and he or she needs someone who can come in and move it ahead.” How to hire a CEO for your small business

Know what you want

Regardless of which scenario is driving the decision, the experts we spoke with all agree on one thing: define the CEO job thoroughly before you start your search. It’s not enough to say you want someone with financial or organizational skills. As you draw up a detailed list of the attributes and qualities you’re looking for, go a step further, suggest Polachi. What functions will this person be responsible for every day? What are you able to pay? And of course, as the founder, what roles and duties are you willing to realistically delegate? “Very few small businesses need a clone of the owner,” explains Dan Bowser, president of Value Insights Inc., a business valuation and exit strategy consulting firm based in Summerville, Pennsylvania. “When you’re drawing up the specs for this new person, you want to hire someone with skills and abilities that you don’t have.” How to hire a CEO for your small business

Evaluate the person, not just the resume

Once the job has been defined, don’t rush through the interviews. “There should be no fewer than three interviews when you find a promising candidate,” says Polachi. Each time you bring them back, the conversation should delve deeper into determining if you’ve found a good fit. “Ask them if they’ve ever scaled-up a business and how they did it,” he adds. “When you’re bringing someone into a small business in a senior position, his or her management style is absolutely critical.”

That’s because the skills and style that worked wonderfully in a billion-dollar corporation with thousands of employees doesn’t always translate well into a million-dollar organization with dozens (or fewer) workers. “There is a huge difference in support and responsibilities between a big and small company,” observes Bowser. “Everything from having to make your own travel arrangements to the ego boost that comes from working for a big company—all those issues have to be considered before bringing someone into your small business. I’d have real concerns about an otherwise great candidate if all they have is big business experience.” How to hire a CEO for your small business

HireaCEO_PQ.jpgDon’t expect perfection

What if you do everything right to find a CEO for your company and the person still doesn’t work out? For starters, don’t panic. Experts say most small business owners aren’t terribly good at (or even like) the hiring process, so the chances of getting it wrong—even when looking for a senior person—are pretty high.

John Brown, president of the Business Enterprise Institute (BEI), agrees. He recently worked with a couple that was routinely clocking 50 hours to 60 hours a week at their small business and hadn’t taken a vacation in 15 years. They hired a senior manager to relieve some of the burden, but when he didn’t work out they moved him into sales and contacted Brown about selling the company. “They were so burned out and so sure they’d never find the right person that they just felt they had no choice other than to sell the business,” he says. How to hire a CEO for your small business

To avoid that sort of draconian response, set 60- and 90-day performance reviews once you’ve hired someone into a senior position. “You’ll probably know within the first 30 days if this person is going to work out, but after 90 days you should certainly have a feel for whether this was a smart hire,” says Brown. And if it’s not, Brown says he likes to remind his clients of management consulting guru Peter Drucker’s advice: Hire slow and fire fast. How to hire a CEO for your small business

Understand your new role

“Someone can be an ex-CEO of a company or an ex-president, but no one ever introduces themselves as the ‘ex-founder’ of a company,” says Polachi. “Once you’re the founder, you’re always the founder.” That doesn’t mean, however, you’re going to play the same role if you’ve decided to bring in a CEO. How to hire a CEO for your small business

Bowser advises clients to take the time to introduce the new manager to existing staff, outline his or her responsibilities within the organization, and then clearly state that this new person has your full support. Do not tolerate end-runs around your new hire by employees who say they’re more comfortable working with you. “That will only confuse people even more and undermine the person you’ve brought in,” Bowser says. “Calmly explain that the new person is now handling some of the duties you had been and ask them to work directly with him or her. Eventually employees will get the message.” How to hire a CEO for your small business

eleanordrury310 June 7, 2013 Today's Businessemployee_delegation, employee_development, employees, entrepreneur, How to hire a CEO for your small business, leadership, managing_employees, small_business 4 Read more >

Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

by Susan Caminiti.

Interns Can Grow Your Small Business Remember when you were in college and couldn’t wait to get some work experience out in the so-called “real world”? Well, there’s a current crop of college students who feel the same way, and when utilized correctly, they can be a big help to your small business. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

Contrary to what you might think, college interns aren’t just for Fortune 500 companies. Whether for the summer or during the fall and spring semesters, hiring an intern enables you to influence the next generation of professionals that will soon be out in the workforce—and gives you valuable insights from young, enthusiastic men and women who are interested in your industry. In fact, in a survey of their members, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reports that employers last year planned on hiring 8.5 percent more college students for internships than they did the prior year. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

Before you rush out to your local college or trade school to find students to hire, however, there are some basics do’s and don’ts of internships that are important to understand. Some are simple common sense, but others, if violated, could run afoul of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

Define the job

The first thing to understand is that these opportunities are more for the benefit of the college student than your small business. Think of internships as a smart way for you to take your experience and success and pay it forward. That’s not to say, however, that there can’t be an upside for your company. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

That’s why it’s important to take the time to define what you really expect from any intern you bring in—the same as you would a full-time employee. Decide on the job functions, how he or she will benefit from the internship, and who will supervise the intern.

Crissy Koehler, vice president of sales and marketing for Parties That Cook, a San Francisco-based firm that stages hands-on cooking parties and corporate team-building events, says that her company hires interns for its marketing department and for its kitchen management functions. “The students we bring in for our marketing department need to be proficient in social media and communications,” she says. The students in the kitchen management program need food- and cooking-related skills. “We make it very clear in our job descriptions what the candidate will need for a specific internship,” Koehler adds. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

Get your staff involved

Tara Goodwin Frier, founder of the Goodwin Group, a public relations firm based in Walpole, Mass., has two to three unpaid interns working for her at any given time. She typically finds them by attending college fairs or through the connections she’s developed as a guest lecturer at Boston University. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

While she always makes sure to interview each candidate herself, she also has her younger employees interview the college student as well. These “peer interviews” as she calls them, often reveal more than what Frier will be able to glean. “It’s amazing what a college student will say—or reveal—to someone closer to their age,” she says, noting that some candidates have admitted during the interview process that they’re not even sure what they want to do with their lives. “As much as we value transparency in my company, I do tell these students that that’s something they probably don’t want to repeat in other job interviews,” Frier says. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

Decide paid or unpaid

Given that most small businesses are not flush with money, many opt to offer unpaid internships. In most cases, the student will receive college credits for the hours worked in lieu of a paycheck. While hiring an unpaid intern is perfectly legal, there are some guidelines established by the Department of Labor that must be followed. Among them: The intern’s training should be centered on the skill they’re pursuing in college—writing, accounting, culinary trade—and not something unrelated to their studies. In other words, having an unpaid intern around as a source of cheap labor to pick up office supplies or fetch your dry cleaning would likely be frowned upon by the Labor Department. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

Frier doesn’t pay her interns, but she does cover expenses related to any events she has them attend on behalf of the company and its clients, and does offer a stipend of several hundred dollars at their end of their internship. “They are getting college credit for the time they’re spending with the company, but I also think the stipend shows that we value their contribution,” she says. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

Be ready to offer feedback—and patience

Though some interns will shine brighter than others, it’s important to keep in mind that they’re still college students and will likely need some gentle course correcting—or sometimes more—while they work at your company. Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

As a public relations firm with several high-profile clients, including the NFL’s New England Patriots, Frier often needs her interns to interact with reporters. “One of the things I noticed was that college students lack telephone etiquette,” she says. “They’re so used to simply texting or emailing.” To break them of that habit, Frier says she’s written out scripts for what they need to say on the phone when they reach a reporter to figure out if they’re interested in covering a particular event or client. “We work in a multi-generational world,” she says, “so it’s important that we stay aware of the skills that each generation brings with them—or doesn’t.” Interns Can Grow Your Small Business

eleanordrury310 June 3, 2013 Today's Businessemployee_development, employees, entrepreneur, human_resources, Interns Can Grow Your Small Business, managing_employees, mentorship, small_business 0 Read more >

Small Business Guide to Using Freelancers

Small Business Guide to Using Freelancers

by Robert Lerose.

Small Business Guide to Using Freelancers. Freelancers in the workplace are nothing new. Businesses have consistently relied on them under a variety of circumstances: to handle the overflow in a company’s workload, to step in when key members of an organization take time off for vacation or maternity leave, or to provide a fresh perspective on a project. The game changer in this working relationship is technology. Today, thanks to the digital revolution, freelancers can specialize in many more services than a generation ago, and businesses can literally search the world for the best resources for their needs.

Still, even though the Internet has broadened the field for both sides, a measure of due diligence and open communication is recommended to forge a stable working relationship. We called on three experts from different realms of the freelance world to share their perspectives on working with outside service providers. Small Business Guide to Using Freelancers.

Get more done with a virtual assistant

A virtual assistant (VA) is generally someone who provides creative, technical, or administrative services from a remote, or offsite, location. Besides handling traditional chores such as transcribing and coordinating meeting schedules, today’s VAs can give more hands-on support. For example, a VA can go through and prioritize your email before you wake up in the morning. They can write your blog posts, look after your Twitter and Facebook accounts, even update your website regularly.

“They can do everything but bring your coffee,” says Tawnya Sutherland, founder of VAnetworking, a social network for virtual assistants that she launched in 2003. “Once you work with them, you can outsource different things to clear up your schedule, so you can do things you love to do—whether it’s marketing your product or producing more product, or whatever it is.”

Evaluating a VA is no different than hiring a permanent, onsite employee, Sutherland says. Small businesses should check out the potential candidates’ websites, ask for references, and, of course, interview them—either over the phone or through webcam technology, such as Skype. Small business owners can also go through a network like Sutherland’s that lets them post requests on a job board. Small Business Guide to Using Freelancers

A common mistake among small business owners is not maintaining clear, regular communications with their VAs. “If you’re hiring them for five hours a month, you don’t need a once a week meeting,” Sutherland says. “But if you’ve got a fulltime VA, you need to be in contact with them, whether it’s through texting, Skype, or a project management system.”

The amount of contact is “a personal preference” that is hammered out between the VA and the client, according to Sutherland, depending on factors such as personality types, the number of work hours reserved, and the scope of the projects themselves. For example, hiring a VA to design a new website will likely require more contact than transcribing a recording.

Fees for virtual assistants are across the board, depending on their experience, type of services offered, and length of term. For example, you might be able to negotiate a discount rate for a VA who is on a monthly retainer. Other VAs offer package deals, such as writing a certain number of blog posts, editing and posting them, finding pictures for them, and handling comments—all for a fixed price.

“You’re getting a full hour’s work,” Sutherland says. “If they get up to go to the washroom, they’re not charging you for that time. What takes a secretary two to three hours to do with all the interruptions, a VA can do in an hour.”

Distinguish your company with a graphic designer

Freelancers who provide creative services—such as copywriting or design—have always been prominent in business, advertising, and marketing circles. Small businesses can find hidden benefits in working with them, such as getting an objective perspective on an inhouse project. Small Business Guide to Using Freelancers

“It’s good to have a fresh outlook,” says Carrie Scherpelz, freelance graphic designer and sole proprietor of Design that gets results, based in Madison, Wisconsin. “[Creative freelancers] can help your business stand out and communicate well.”

With a strong background in direct response, it’s no surprise that Scherpelz is big on results when it comes to small businesses evaluating the work of freelance designers. For example, asking the designer how an ad performed or the number of responses that a brochure generated can help determine if they’re right for your company.

Scherpelz collaborates closely with clients, especially new ones, to get a sense of what they want in a design. She’ll give them samples to see what they like and what works for them, and then use those as a starting point before tackling an assignment.

“I don’t believe in a big, glitzy presentation of three ideas that the client chooses from. Instead, I believe in rough sketches back and forth [to find] what they like. Then, I’ll combine them in our second round into something. That way, it goes faster and you get a result that everyone’s happy with.”

For example, she recently submitted a wide range of logo roughs to a client, who told her by email that he didn’t like any of them. Instead of replying by email, Scherpelz called the client and talked through the designs over the phone. During the call, the client realized that there was a logo that was close to what he wanted. Scherpelz added one word to the design and the client was satisfied. “It was kind of a mutual problem-solving exercise,” she says. “It turned out there was even one in the first round of roughs that was very acceptable. But you have to get on the phone and say, ‘What are you looking for? What are the specific things?’ It can’t just be through email.”

Build your business with a bookkeeper

Like other outside service providers, freelance bookkeepers bring a fresh set of eyes that can help a business prosper beyond merely recordkeeping.

“As a business owner, you have so much going on in your head that it’s really hard to see certain things in your financial setup that a freelancer can,” says Susan Osborne, founder of SheBuildsABusiness, an online resource for solopreneurs.

She found that one of her small business clients was paying $50 a month for website hosting. Osborne created a new website for her and moved her to an $8-a-month hosting service. For another client who manufactures a diaper bag product, Osborne identified ways to increase her revenues and trim unnecessary costs. For example, she was able to cut her client’s monthly cell phone bill from $200 to $160 by finding a plan with fewer bells and whistles.

“Like most small business owners, [my client was] so busy that she didn’t have the time to look closely and think about these things,” Osborne says. “But as the freelance bookkeeper, I do have the time. That’s my job.”

Whether your freelancer takes such an active role in your financial operations or not, it’s imperative that you stay involved and refrain from turning over too much control. For example, business owners should still sign all checks and have the sole authority of moving money around from one account to another.

Osborne says that the accounting software can be handled in different ways. In most cases, the small business will supply the software—QuickBooks, she says, seems to be the preferred bookkeeping/accounting program—to the freelancer. In other cases, such as when the freelancer wants files stored in a cloud-based environment—which usually costs about $35 to $50 a month—some bookkeepers will work that into their fee and then handle paying for it themselves.

Many bookkeepers charge hourly rates ranging from $25 to $70. Freelancers who regularly handle a company’s books can charge between $250 and $500 a month, according to Osborne. Business owners who want guidance beyond standard bookkeeping typically seek out a financial adviser or CPA, she says.

“Look at this relationship as a partnership or collaboration with another professional,” Osborne says. “I approach it as how I can help them run their business better.”

Where to find freelance help

In addition to the resources cited above, small business owners can also check out these sources of freelance help:

Elance: Businesses can post job requests for free, but they’re charged a commission of between 6.75 percent and 8.75 percent of the project fee, payable upon approval of the work. Mostly for creative services and IT-related jobs.

Guru: Markets itself as providing technical, creative, and business specialists. Freelancers are charged both membership and transaction fees to be matched to the right business project.

Freelancer: Bills itself as the largest outsourcing marketplace in the world with over 6 million service providers where freelancers bid on assignments.

oDesk: Lets you post jobs, in either a public or private forum, and interview freelancers for free, but charges a 10 percent commission on the fee for assigned projects.

eleanordrury310 January 2, 2013 Today's Businessemployee, managing_employees, Small Business Guide to Using Freelancers, small_business 0 Read more >

Welcome Home! Tips for helping deployed military personnel back into your business

Posted by SBOC Team in Employee Benefitson Nov 8, 2012 8:04:36 AM

by Jen Hickey.

Since 9/11, the U.S. has deployed the largest number of active duty and reservists since the Vietnam War. Of the more than 2.3 million deployed (with over 760,000 National Guard and Reserve), about half have left the military (with about 640,000 Guard and Reservists deactivated). And over the next few years, it’s expected that even more soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen will be returning to or seeking civilian jobs. For small businesses, filling the boots of those citizen soldiers during sometimes multiple deployments of a year or more has had its costs. But keeping the lines of communication open before, during, and after deployment can help ease their transition back into the workplace. There are also legal and logistical factors a small business must consider if temporary help has been brought in during those deployments.

When Frank Strong, a career reservist, got orders to deploy to Iraq in October 2005, he was one-third of the marketing team at Tysons Corner, Virginia based Managed Objects, a $30-million software company of 100 people at the time. “As soon as you get notification of deployment, you’re obligated to let your employer know,” explains Strong. “so they can make the necessary adjustments.” Before he left, Strong’s co-workers had a party for him and bought him an iPod. While his employer brought in help during his deployment, his position was open when he returned, as is required by law.

According to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (– — USERRA), employers are obligated to reinstate uniformed services employees who have been deployed to the same position or one that is commensurate in responsibility and pay, as well as continue health benefits for up to 24 months. And depending on the length of deployment, returning uniformed services employees may be entitled to leave time before having to return to their civilian jobs. Returning service members are also entitled to any promotions and/or salary increases that may have occurred during their absence, as well as reinstatement of health benefits if they chose to use military health plan during deployment.

Including training leading up to his deployment, Strong was gone for about a year and a half, returning in the spring of 2007. But he kept in touch with his employer, exchanging emails with his boss at least monthly. “He’d keep me updated on what’s going on with the company,” recalls Strong. When he returned, Strong met with his boss and visited the office to let everyone know he’d be returning. “It’s important to show your face and let your employer know you’ll bet back,” notes Strong. “But employers should also encourage their employees to take the full time they’re allotted after their service, because you need that time to visit family and friends, arrange housing and get your life in order.” Upon his return from Iraq, Strong took the full 90 days he was entitled to before returning to work.

Louie Keen has employed several active-duty military, Reservists, National Guard, and veterans, as well as their spouses, at his three small businesses in St. Robert, Missouri, home to Fort Leonard Wood, the U.S. Army’s Maneuver Support Center, which trains up to 90,000 military and civilians each year. “When I hire someone, their family becomes part of the organization,” explains Keen. “Our soldiers are protecting our country, we try to do that for their families while they’re gone.” Keen keeps in contact with spouses and invites the families to company events and holiday parties. “It gives soldiers peace of mind knowing their families are being treated the same way while they’re away.”

For employees in key jobs gone for long and multiple deployments, Keen offers them comparable positions at the same pay until they get themselves acclimated. “For positions that require a lot of training like bartending, they’ll work the back of the bar for a while and then I’ll give them some bartending shifts once they’re back up to speed,” says Keen.

Social media and the Internet have also made it easier for Keen’s deployed employees and customers to stay connected. “Many friendships develop at our businesses,” notes Keen. “Connecting through our Facebook page gives them a sense of home while they’re away.” Keen also stays in contact with his deployed employees’ unit commanders or senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs), who can assist with sending care packages to deployed soldiers and help with transition after deployment.

By the time he was deployed again in April 2011 as part of a multinational peacekeeping force sent to Egypt, Strong had moved onto Beltsville, Maryland-based Vocus, a cloud marketing software provider. It was much easier to stay in touch with his employer this time around, as Internet access was more readily available. “The technology was far better than in Iraq,” recalls Strong. “I was able to stay up to date real time through Twitter and the company’s web site and spoke to my boss about once a month.” Like at his previous employer, Strong was placed on an unpaid leave of absence during his deployment, However, Vocus also offered to make up the pay differential between his higher civilian salary and lower military pay and continued to match Strong’s 401(k) contributions, though the company was not legally obligated to do so. Strong recommended his employer for an award through Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency created in 1972 to improve cooperation and understanding between National Guard and Reservists and their civilian employers.

For those small businesses that can’t afford to extend benefits or pay, they can still sign a statement of support for their Guard and Reserve member employees through ESGR, which also offers — — USERRA training in conjunction with the Department of Labor (DOL) and compliance assistance for employers.

“The military has gotten a lot better at taking care of soldiers once they come home since the early days or Iraq,” says Strong. Still, adjusting back to civilian life can be difficult, particularly for service members who have been deployed to combat zones. “If I see someone flipping that switch a little too quickly, I make sure they get some counseling,” notes Keen. “But the military has trained them to be that way in combat, so it takes some time to undo that.” In the 11 years since the start of the War on Terror, Keen has only had to let go two employees in 2004/2005 after their deployment for behavioral issues. “The transition usually takes a few months,” says Keen. “But the difference between 2006 versus 2012 is enormous with regard to how the military is helping to re-integrate the soldiers after their tours.”

To help with the transition, Strong recommends entrepreneurs open up the communication lines as the pace of adaptation at small businesses is often quick. “Have a conversation about expectations, metrics and goals, if the job description has changed or new responsibilities have been added,” Strong advises. Also, it might help to become familiar with resources like Military One Source, and the Center for Deployment Psychology’s free online training course in “military cultural competence,” which will also help increase employer sensitivity to some of the issues that their part-time military employees face during and after deployment.

Life after the military for new veterans

The Costa Mesa, California nonprofit Working Wardrobes, recently received a federal grant to launch its VetNet program, which offers veterans a much broader array of career development services and industry training and offers education to employers on how to recruit, train, and retain qualified veterans. “Having served veterans among our general population for the past seven years, we discovered that much more needed to be done to address issues unique to their situation,” explains Jerri Rosen, founder and CEO of Working Wardrobes. “Particularly in that transitional period after leaving the military.”

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