http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/ en rachelm@core24inc.com Copyright 2010 2010-07-13T21:11:51+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/fluid-consulting-accelerates-applications-to-remote-sites-and-speeds-disast/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/fluid-consulting-accelerates-applications-to-remote-sites-and-speeds-disast/#When:20:11:51Z Certeon, the leading provider of software-based wide area network (WAN) optimization and application acceleration solutions, today announced that Fluid Consulting has selected its aCelera products to ensure peak performance for end users accessing data center applications over the WAN and to accelerate data file transfers for disaster recovery. Click here for more scoop. IT Managed Services 2010-07-13T20:11:51+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/the-texas-rangers-play-ball-in-the-bankruptcy-arenapart-1-the-early-innings/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/the-texas-rangers-play-ball-in-the-bankruptcy-arenapart-1-the-early-innings/#When:14:21:18Z In an unusual event, the seemingly divergent realms of Major League Baseball and complex chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization have intersected. A closer look at the Texas Rangers’ bankruptcy case, however, reveals that these two realms have more in common than one might observe at first glance. Read the whole story here. Business Law and Litigation 2010-06-18T14:21:18+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/dont-miss-out-on-payroll-hr-tax-credits/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/dont-miss-out-on-payroll-hr-tax-credits/#When:01:39:40Z Shawn Courtney, President of Eriks USA asks: With all the new legislation, what questions should I ask my payroll and HR provider to ensure that we’re in compliance? First, be sure you’re getting the appropriate tax credits. Under the HIRE Act, employers can exclude their portion of social security taxes for the eligible individuals hired who have not worked more than 40 hours in the past 60 days. This tax break runs through the end of 2010. With COBRA, if an employee was involuntarily terminated up through May 31, 2010, they may be eligible to pay their former employer 35% of the COBRA premium and the employer can receive a 65% tax credit for up to 15 months. Missing these tax credits can be very costly. Jeff York Partner and Executive VP of Sales Paycom DFW HRIS / PAYROLL PROCESSING HRIS / Payroll Processing 2010-06-17T01:39:40+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/how-to-reduce-staffing-costs/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/how-to-reduce-staffing-costs/#When:01:36:33Z Paul Spiegelman, Founder & CEO of The Beryl Companies asks: What are some creative ways to reduce the overall costs associated with temporary or contract employees? Try designing a thorough staffing plan that identifies your current business initiatives and outlines the exact type of talent needed to meet those objectives effectively. Then, perform a staffing audit of the current temporary employees and compare their qualifications and productivity to your core workforce. Using those tools can increase the quality of work, optimize output and reduce your overall cost of employees. When I meet with clients, one of the first conversations we have is about their current use of staffing firms. We review the time it takes to fill their requests, quality and cost. Too often I find that clients are unhappy with the quality of contract workers being sent to them, but married to a specific staffing firm because of a low bill rate. Most of these clients could actually cut costs by designing and developing a staffing plan that identifies their current business objectives and establishes the staff needed (both temporary and core employees) to meet those objectives on time. At Delta Dallas, we specialize in the development of streamlined staffing plans. We increase the return on our clients’ staffing dollar and reduce attrition through targeted analysis. A staffing audit will accurately compare the productivity of your core workforce to your temporary workforce. We measure key variables, analyze discrepancies and make recommendations based on our findings. Some of these areas could include: 1. Level of education 2. Salary comparison 3. Full-time job description vs. Temporary job description 4. Requisite skills required to reach peak production levels 5. Any other variables relevant to your production and company initiatives When temporary staff fails to perform at the level of an organization's core employees, production suffers. Most of the time, we have found that this is due to the bill rate negotiated with the staffing agency. The lower the bill rate, the less skill you will have in your temporary staff. There is a marked difference in a $10.00/hr employee and a $15.00/hr employee. This problem is two-fold. First, companies often believe that the best way to reduce their staffing costs associated with temporary help is to drive down the bill rate as low as possible. The other side of this issue is created by the staffing companies themselves. Most staffing companies work to increase volume with their new or existing clients. They lower cost, which in turn lowers quality. You then need more temporaries to produce less work and attrition becomes an issue. At Delta Dallas, your objectives are our highest priority. We merge your staffing initiatives with your company vision to bring quantifiable results. Debbie Trevino Partner and Chief Strategy Officer Delta Dallas STAFFING SERVICES Staffing Services 2010-06-17T01:36:33+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/healthcare-reforms-impact-on-business/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/healthcare-reforms-impact-on-business/#When:01:33:31Z Jeff Brockette, CEO of Texas Retina asks: As employer of more than 100 people, what impact is the healthcare reform legislation likely to have on my business in the near term? The law phases in over several years. Factors such as employee age, gender, and compensation, among others, will be important in answering this question. The impact on some employers could be minor while in most cases the impact will be significant for employers of 50+ employees. But widespread change is likely – and the best way to deal with that is to determine what it means to your business as quickly as possible, so you can clearly plan your strategy. This is a great question, and it’s one that every employer is scrambling to find the answer to. As it turns out, how your company is impacted by health reform, both short- and long-term, depends in large part on your group size, the average income of your employees, and whether or not you currently offer health coverage. Small businesses definitely have it easier than larger employers like yourself. Those with fewer than 25 employees and average wages below $50k per year, for example, may be eligible for a tax credit starting this year for a portion of the premium they pay, and groups with fewer than 50 employees will not be required to offer coverage at all. Large employers, on the other hand, won’t get much help paying the bills, and when the “play or pay” rules go into effect in 2014 companies that don’t provide health coverage will face stiff penalties. But there are some more immediate concerns. The number one issue right now for companies of all sizes is grandfathering. We all remember when President Obama said “if you like your health plan, you can keep it.” And that’s true – sort of. The legislation exempts employers who hang on to their current coverage from many, but not all, of the “essential benefits” in the bill – things like first-dollar preventive care, cost-sharing limitations, and coverage of clinical trials. There are other benefits, though, that the government feels are so important that all plans must include them, even if they’re grandfathered. The most significant of these is a limitation on waiting periods (no longer than 90 days), limitations on pre-existing condition exclusions, a prohibition on rescissions, the elimination of annual and lifetime limits, and coverage of adult children. Some of these changes go into effect on your next renewal after September 23rd, 2010. Whether or not you should absorb a big rate increase and hang on to your current plan so it can be “grandfathered” is a tough decision – especially since the government has provides only some limited examples of what changes, exactly, will jeopardize a plan’s grandfathered status. Further, the full benefits, if any, of being grandfathered are not yet fully known. There are also some compliance issues that kick in long before 2014, when many of the bill’s provisions go into effect. Beginning in 2012, for instance, all group plans must provide their employees with a “uniform explanation of coverage” or face a penalty of up to $1,000 per employee. That’s also the year that companies must start reporting the aggregate value of their employer-sponsored coverage on their employees’ W-2’s. In 2013, employers will have to notify their employees about the “Exchange” that will be up-and-running in 2014. And more immediately, companies with more than 200 employees will be required to auto-enroll all new employees in their employer-sponsored health insurance plan, and starting in 2011 they must determine whether they want to participate in the CLASS Act, a new national long-term care program funded through voluntary payroll deductions. Additionally, the legislation will alter the range of rating factors that the insurance companies can use to charge different premiums for different risks. Specifically, the current differentials for gender and age, which can be very broad, will likely be replaced with a more narrow spread. The end result could be a slight reduction in cost for employers with a primarily female and/or older average age work force. This of course will come at the expense of employers with a primarily male and/or younger than average age work force. For example, a healthcare provider such as yourself may end up benefitting somewhat but your gain would likely come from an increase in premiums being passed on business employing primarily young males – such as the technology industry. There’s a lot to think about, so the best advice I can give you or any employer is to team up with a good benefit advisor who can keep you informed of all the new rules & regulations and guide you through the numerous decisions you’ll have to make. Benefit advisors have always played an important role as your partner in selecting the right benefits package for your employees, but going forward your advisor will be more important than ever. Kevin Pailet, Stuart Prescott & Dan Prescott Founding Partners Prescott Pailet Benefits, LP EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Employee Benefits 2010-06-17T01:33:31+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/avoid-frivolous-lawsuits/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/avoid-frivolous-lawsuits/#When:01:29:17Z David Ricker, Former CEO of Broadlane, asks: What is the best way to minimize frivolous employment lawsuits? Every time a company fires an employee, the company faces a possible employment lawsuit. But a company can minimize its exposure to frivolous employment lawsuits—those that have little legal merit—by following these suggestions. First and foremost, an employer should always treat its employees fairly and with respect. This sounds simple, but employees who feel mistreated or humiliated are far more likely to sue. Second, an employer should communicate clearly and frequently with its employees. An employer should concisely explain its policies in an employee handbook and should train its employees on all policies and procedures. Managers should convey performance expectations, give constructive feedback year-round, and evaluate performance and discipline issues in honest, specific, and objective terms. Likewise, an employer should listen to its employees and immediately investigate (and remedy) complaints of discrimination or harassment. In the same way, an employer should handle terminations with care. A termination decision should be based upon legitimate business reasons (such as poor performance, discipline problems or a layoff), supported by sufficient documentation, and conducted in a way that enables the employee to leave with dignity. While frequent communication can prevent a termination from surprising an employee, an employer should also explain its reason for the termination at the termination meeting; if an employee is not told a reason, the employee may wrongly believe that no good reason exists, leading the employee to conclude that an illegal reason motivated the employer’s decision. An employer should pay the employee any wages, vacation pay or other owed amounts right away, and an employer should not stop the employee from receiving unemployment benefits. Finally, an employer’s best tactic for avoiding frivolous lawsuits may be to offer departing employees small severance packages. Often, an employee will accept an amount equal to a few weeks’ pay in exchange for an agreement not to sue. Unfortunately, no company is bulletproof. For more information on protecting your company from employment lawsuits, please contact Dallas employment law attorney Keith Clouse at Clouse Dunn Khoshbin LLP at info@cdklawyers.com. Keith Clouse Partner Clouse Dunn Khoshbin, LLP LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW Labor and Employment Law 2010-06-17T01:29:17+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/use-emerging-media-to-boost-business/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/use-emerging-media-to-boost-business/#When:01:22:12Z Derrell James, Group President, ITO of ACS, asks: How can a company’s brand stay top-of-mind in a technological environment that is aimed more and more towards the “individual” experience? Today’s rapidly changing technologies pose serious challenges. But they also open up exciting opportunities. Your best response is a truly integrated, multi-media approach that reaches people through the media they prefer. Your strategy should include leveraging the flexibility of new media to tailor your message by target segment, and tracking performance so you can adapt your program and message accordingly. If you’re not doing these things, you’re not getting the full benefit of emerging media. Holly Mason President MasonBaronet ADVERTISING & MARKETING Advertising 2010-06-17T01:22:12+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/social-media-turns-constituents-into-communities/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/social-media-turns-constituents-into-communities/#When:01:21:18Z Tom Stevenson, CEO of Rave Motion Pictures asks: How is social media impacting corporate communication strategies? Social media has eliminated the role of the traditional communications gatekeeper. Now companies can tell their story to anyone they want to reach, and in any way they want to say it. The strategic emphasis is no longer on how to disseminate information, but how to turn constituents into communities. Michael Burns CEO and President Michael A. Burns & Accociates, Inc. PUBLIC RELATIONS Public Relations 2010-06-17T01:21:18+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/no-time-like-the-present-for-commercial-real-estate-transactions/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/no-time-like-the-present-for-commercial-real-estate-transactions/#When:01:16:11Z Garrett Boone, Chairman Emeritus of The Container Store asks: Is today a good time to be in the market for real estate? “Absolutely. Rates are down and landlord concessions are up. Here in the metroplex, ownership in our market is much more stable than perceived, and occupancy is still at a comfortable level. This means you can get into a stable asset with stable ownership at historically low rates. The bottom line is, your real estate costs can be significantly lower than your competition, if you are in the market today.” Jeff Staubach Senior Vice President Jones Lang LaSalle COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Commercial Real Estate 2010-06-17T01:16:11+00:00 http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/focus-on-revenue-growth-and-profitability/ http://www.core24inc.com/index.php/blog/full-story/focus-on-revenue-growth-and-profitability/#When:23:30:30Z Hillary Bell, CEO of ProLab, Inc. asks: What’s the most common financial blind spot you encounter from people in key management roles in small to midsize companies? "One of the major errors we see small and midsize companies make is focusing on revenue growth – without regard to profitability. Many companies cannot articulate, nor are they truly managing to a set of 3 to 5 key performance drivers that protect profitability. It is imperative that companies identify and aggressively manage those metrics that maximize real bottom-line business success." Lance Spivey & Curtis Rippee Principals StratiFi Partners CFO & ANALYTICAL SERVICES CFO and Analytical Services 2010-06-16T23:30:30+00:00