How can you as a small business fund the growth of your team? Zero hours contracts were heralded as a tool that would help businesses to keep their wage bills under control, by only paying employees for the time they spent actually working. No wonder they were enthusiastically taken up by many large employers and could have been ideal for small growing businesses with tight margins. Regretfully most small businesses do not employ advisers on how to structure such contracts so they are not that common among small businesses who more often use sub-contract or piece-work contracts. Zero hours contracts have also proven to be a problem because some employers abuse them by using clauses that prevent employees from taking other work even when there was none available with the contractor, leaving the worker with an uncertain income or in some instances no income and certainly no safety net. No wonder unemployment statistics have declined. Legislation is on the way to change this but it raises the question as to how small businesses can attract and keep the best staff and how they can find the money to pay them a reasonable wage while at the same time developing capacity for a growing business. It may be that revamped zero hours contracts will be useful to smaller businesses but legislating against the abuses will be difficult. For the moment the preferred option is likely to continue, that of outsourcing work to trusted sub-contractors. Sub-contractors are often small businesses or sole traders themselves who take pride in their work and have a vested interest in building long-term relationships with clients. Essentially they become part of your team without the cost or obligations of employment. Collaboration and partnering arrangements offer scope for growing both businesses. Let us know how you are funding the growth of your team without breaking the bank.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:27:26 +0000
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