Top 10 lies of Entrepreneurs

Guy Kawasaki outlines the Top 10 Lies from Entrpreneurs...Sound Familiar?

GRAND OPENING! ThinkingHR and Arizona Small Business are now Live!

Today it's official, Arizona Small Business and ThinkingHR business blogs are now Live! Both blogs were created to share news, knowledge and opinions on small business (where we make our home) and topics related to human resources. I started posting on both sites a couple of weeks ago and have received some good feedback and have noticed the sites have been added to some well established blogrolls. Being an entrepreneur and in the HR space for now, 20 years, I've learned that transferring the knowledge between us makes it better for all. Thanks for visiting...more to come! Dave June 14 Announcement

Virgo Capital Acquires Accord Human Resources

Transaction Provides Accord with an Equity Partner Focused on Growth

AUSTIN, Texas & OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accord Human Resources, a leading provider of outsourced HR management solutions, and Virgo Capital, a private equity firm dedicated to the technology-enabled services market, jointly announced today that Virgo Capital has acquired Accord Human Resources.

via Business Wire

A Father's Day Question: Do Workplaces Need to Be More Father-Friendly?

This was a question that was posed in yesterday's BLR Newsletter (The link is below for you to get access to the full article).

So guys, what's the answer to the question above? Do our workplaces need to be more "Father-Friendly". Whether they are or not the article says we don't really take advantage of the time off programs our companies already have for us.

I am a Father of two teen-age boys (15, and 13). Over the years, I have tried to spend as much time as possible with them; coaching getting involved with school work etc. The BLR article states that the more time we spend with them the better off they'll be. This idea almost seems to be a "no-brainer". In fact, the article goes on to claim that, when asked, 7 out of 10 Fathers say they would take a cut in pay to spend more time with our kids. So why don't we do it?

Learn more about the programs your company offers you and take some time off with the kids-it will be great for all.

Happy Father's Day
Full BLR Article

Exempt or Non-Exempt?

Proper employee classification now, may mean avoiding expense in the future.

There are three main categories of employees that are generally not entitled to overtime: administrative, professional and executive. These categories are typically known as exempt, but there may be some blurring of the lines.

Administrative classification require that those employees have decision-making authority and may be involved with contract negotiations. The professional classification are for those employees with advanced degrees or specific training, but only if they are using those skills while on the job. A lawyer driving a forklift should not be classified as exempt. The executive exemption usually is used for management running the company or a particular business unit. These are all fine lines and mis-classifying employees may cost you.

Department of Labor audits usually come on the heals of an employee complaint. If you have misclassified the employee, you may owe back pay for the entire term of that person's employment. In 2006, the Department of Labor collected over $170 million in back wages. In addition to back pay you most likely will have to pay attorney and consulting fees.

Be careful of docking an employee's pay for coming in late, missing a workday or lost company property. When you dock pay you are linking it to the quality of their work. Exempt employees are "guaranteed" regular pay.

If you have questions about proper employee classification, speak with an attorney or business consultant that deals specifically with employment matters; it may help avoid trouble in the future.

Tempe's Limelight shares soar 62% after IPO

Bloomberg News
Jun. 8, 2007 08:34 AM

Shares of Limelight Networks Inc. jumped as much as 62 percent after its initial public offering, as investors bet the company will build a business delivering video for Web sites including ABC.com and Netflix.

Limelight stock rose $7.98 to $22.98 at 11:24 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading, under the symbol LLNW, after rising as high as $24.33. About 16 million shares were sold yesterday at $15 each, netting the Tempe, Arizona-based company $187.5 million before expenses. Read More at AZCentral

PV lawyer-turned-author to release legal thriller

SCOTTSDALE - An anonymous man limping across Moscow's Red Square changed Brent Ghelfi's life.

The image Ghelfi glimpsed from his hotel window gave the Paradise Valley attorney confidence to follow in the footsteps of other lawyers-turned-author.

The result was Volk's Game, set for release June 12, the same day the writer is scheduled to read and sign his first novel at Poisoned Pen bookstore. Read More at AZCentral