This blog post was written by Patra Frame of Strategies for Human Resources. Patra has offered workshops and individual counseling on human resources and employer issues for Alexandria’s small businesses through the SBDC for many years. Whether you call it on-boarding or orientation, you need a process to help a new hire become a valuable… Read more »

On March 23rd, the Alexandria SBDC will celebrate the fact that our colleague Patra Frame of Strategies for Human Resources has won the award as the State of Virginia SBDC Small Business Veteran of the Year. (click here to attend the celebration – all are welcome!)  We nominated Patra for this statewide recognition several months ago… Read more »

Many small businesses will find themselves hiring their first, or additional, employees this year. There are several documents on our website that can help in this process, including the Employer Checklist. There are also PowerPoints from past workshops and worksheets on interviewing techniques and other aspects of hiring. These can be found on the virtual… Read more »

This post was written by Patricia Frame of Strategies for Human Resources, and originally appeared here. Since the new salary level test for overtime pay was first announced, we have offered extensive training and counseling on the Fair Labor Standard Act and who is required to be paid overtime. Many of the questions we got… Read more »

Businesses and nonprofit organizations have been readying themselves to comply with the new regulations on Overtime; i.e. which employees must be paid at time-and-a half for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. Alexandria SBDC HR Consultant Patricia Frame of Strategies for Human Resources presented a webinar on the subject, which can be seen… Read more »

Retail Hiring: Interview Questions Recently, HR expert Patricia Frame of Strategies for Human Resources presented a comprehensive workshop on hiring, geared particularly to small retail businesses. The workshop covered all aspects of hiring, from defining the need and type of employee you wish to hire, through the sourcing of candidates, writing the ad, interview techniques,… Read more »

Most employers are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which includes the requirements for which employees must be paid overtime pay. This law has often been difficult for small employers. Many do not understand the rules covering which employees can be considered exempt from the law. This has resulted in both legal and regulatory… Read more »

The Alexandria SBDC is experiencing something this week that many small businesses see throughout their lifespan – the departure of a valuable member of the team. While technically an employee of our host organization, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Amy Shields has worked with the SBDC for several years to initiate new programs, spearhead our… Read more »

The demands on any small business owner are constant. Many, therefore, do not focus on the business risks they create if they do not think about their own future. What happens to your business if you get sick or are injured in a serious accident? Or, while it’s not very fun to consider, die? What… Read more »

This post was written by Patricia Frame of Strategies for Human Resources, our guest author for our solopreneur blog series. When you run a small business, you are constantly dealing with both issues you know well and those outside your knowledge base. Hiring an expert to help when you need added expertise can be quite… Read more »