Wow, what a year! As we wrap up 2024, I’ve been reflecting on both personal and business growth. It's been a year of change, learning, and opportunities. I've had the privilege of being a guest on some incredible podcasts, and I've participated in a variety of speaking engagements that sparked my interest even more in sharing HR insights and leadership tips. It's safe to say, I’m excited about taking on more of both in 2025!

But, just like me, many small business owners have experienced their own moments of growth this year. Whether it’s expanding their teams, getting a handle on compliance, or improving their leadership skills, 2024 has been a year of change for so many of us. And speaking of change, there have been some important shifts in the labor laws and employment trends this year that are definitely worth noting as we move into 2025.

Building a high-performing team is essential for any small business owner looking to scale and succeed. In this post, we dive into key strategies for hiring, developing, and retaining top talent, while emphasizing the importance of establishing a strong company culture. Learn how to shift from a ‘culture fit’ to a ‘culture add,’ and discover tactical advice on creating an environment that fosters growth and performance. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your team strategy, this post provides actionable insights to help you build a team that drives success.

Running a small business means making the most out of every hire. In the early days, you likely brought people on board who could wear multiple hats, jump in wherever needed, and help keep the business running. But as your company starts to scale, the generalist roles that were once vital may no longer fit into the business's more specialized structure. Additionally, you may start to wonder how those people fit into what your business is becoming. That is when the friction begins.

Building a strong community is crucial for business owners and leaders who may often feel isolated, especially those running small businesses or working as solopreneurs. Community offers a support system, providing trusted individuals to lean on, seek advice from, and share challenges with. In this blog post, we'll explore why having a network of like-minded people is essential for personal and professional growth. From networking and leadership panels to virtual meetings and support groups, discover how building connections outside your company can lead to a fulfilling, collaborative, and inspiring journey as a leader.

Tis the season for Open Enrollment! While the Open Enrollment period generally occurs this time of year with an effective date of January 1st of the following calendar year, some small businesses have effective dates anytime of year. It depends on when you put the plan in place! 

Open Enrollment is the one time of year employees can make changes or enroll in company provided health plans (outside of life events). 

I know for many small business owners, it’s easy to feel like offering competitive benefits is just not financially possible. I totally get it! So, how do you balance attracting and retaining top talent while keeping costs in check? Well, the good news is, there’s plenty of creative and cost-effective ways to offer benefits that your employees will love, without breaking the bank.

Becoming a leader for the first time, especially if you’re hiring your first employee or moving from individual contributor into a leadership role, can feel like an exciting yet daunting challenge. You may be asking yourself, "Me?”, “what’s my leadership style?”, or even “how can I lead my friends?!”. All of these thoughts are super common and guess what? You’re not alone! Most people feel this way when stepping into leadership. 

It’s important to recognize that your leadership style will be unique to you, but understanding and defining it will help you lead more effectively. Let’s take a look at some tools for your leadership toolkit. 

As a progressive HR consultant, pay transparency is one of the most critical issues I advocate for, especially in small businesses where every employee plays a vital role. Ensuring equitable and transparent pay isn't just about being fair—it's about actively addressing disparities that often exist due to gender, race, or identity.

Let’s be real. You’re juggling a million things—client projects, finances, marketing, and, oh yeah, HR. If you’ve got a handful of employees, managing everything manually can feel like absolute chaos. You’ve got random google docs, paper forms, and sticky notes all over the place, but you’re not sure if you’re compliant with laws, payroll is a headache, and there’s always this looming fear that something’s going to fall through the cracks.

Here’s the thing: HR tech could be the answer to many of your problems. And before you roll your eyes and think, "I can’t afford that," let me tell you—there are affordable, even free, tools that can streamline all this mess and save you time, stress, and even money. Plus, an HR consultant can help you set up these systems so that everything runs smoothly!

Let’s dive into how HR tech can transform your business, without draining your budget.

Most new managers have been there—you start out as an individual contributor, focusing on your own tasks, excelling in your role, and then one day, you get promoted to manager. It's a moment filled with excitement and pride; after all, being recognized for your hard work and potential is incredibly validating. But alongside that excitement, a little worry might start to creep in: "How do I successfully transition into telling my peers what to do?" Shifting from being a team member to leading the team can feel daunting, especially when the people you’ll be managing were once your equals. How do you balance authority with camaraderie? How do you set boundaries while maintaining a positive team dynamic?

HR might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of what it takes to run a small business, but let me tell you—HR is the secret sauce that can take your business from just surviving to truly thriving. Whether it's hiring your first full-time employee or navigating the maze of employment laws, we’ve got your back. HR makes sure you’re not just compliant, but that you’re building a workplace where people actually want to work. From onboarding and training to policies and employee relations, HR ensures that your operations run smoothly, so you can focus on what you do best—growing your business! A solid HR foundation is key to fostering a positive workplace culture, which ultimately drives success for your small business.

Let’s dive into the ways HR can support you!

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs starts with Psychological needs and then moves on to safety needs. In order for someone to get past that and be operating as their best self, they need to feel safe and this absolutely includes in their workplace. Creating a safe space in the workplace is crucial for fostering a culture of trust, respect, and productivity. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to ensure that every employee feels valued and secure

With Pride month in full swing, inclusivity is top of mind for many businesses. By creating well-rounded, diverse teams, you are bringing in knowledge and experiences that complement each other which leads to increased innovation, fresh perspectives, a larger candidate pool, and a better understanding of additional markets. This can directly increase your revenue by expanding to new markets, and save money on employee turnover by supporting the staff you have. I know this can sound overwhelming, but there are easy places to start that will put you on the path for creating a more inclusive environment.

Throughout my entire life I have always been drawn to people that are authentically themselves. When I started my business, I was given the advice to lean into who I am because there are other people out there doing similar things, but what makes my services unique is me. That’s true for every business owner and leader out there! Creating an environment that reflects, and stays true to who you are is one of the most important aspects of leadership as it fosters trust, consistency, and respect. If you can align your actions with your values you can create a transparent and supportive work environment that not only attracts, but retains talent.

It’s the official start of summer…I know, it’s technically not, but who can we petition to have the day after Memorial Day be the official start?

I digress- it’s basically summer and I don’t know about you but I’m gearing up for some fun trips which means time off. Time off is not just a perk; it’s a necessity. It helps employees recharge, prevents burnout, and boosts overall productivity. When employees return from a break, they often come back with renewed energy and a fresh perspective, which can lead to more creative solutions and better performance.An Ernst & Young study showed that for every additional 10 hours of vacation time that employees took, their year-end performance improved 8%. There are additional statistics out there that I have to admit are pretty depressing when it comes to PTO in the US, but let’s stick to the positives and what we can do to embrace time off.

Pay Transparency Laws started working their way into policies in 2020 and since then, have been spreading across the country rapidly. They aim to foster transparency and fairness in the workplace by encouraging open discussions about compensation. This can lead to greater employee trust, morale, and engagement. While there are a lot of opinions about these laws, I personally, am a big fan. They force businesses to take a look at their pay structure, promote pay equity, AND save time in the interview process for both candidates and the business.

At the Philly SHRM Symposium this year I met my new favorite HR Consultant, Edy Penn. We instantly hit it off and every time we have spoken we have had passionate conversations about HR practices. I want to share our most recent conversation around Employee Engagement Surveys. Done the right way, these could be a great tool in your leadership toolkit, but it’s easy to not administer correctly.

Read on for excerpts from our conversation including tactical advice on how to implement these surveys!

I’m a naturally curious person and love asking friends, family, and even strangers, about their careers, passions and what they love to do. I’m always so inspired by those that have had unique journey’s and taken winding paths to get to where they are. Through a lot of these conversations recently, something that has come up with my peers that are in the middle of their careers is the topic of people leadership. Let’s be real, it’s not for everyone, but in most circumstances how do you grow within your company or even field, without becoming a people leader? This is something I’ve been thinking about for months and while I don’t necessarily have the answers, here are some ideas on how to solve for this.

My conversation a few weeks ago with Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, EQ via Empathy Coach and Consultant, was so rich with information and insight, I decided to share it in 2 parts. If you missed Part 1, check it out here.

In this second part we dig into retention, exit interview patterns, culture and discuss some action items for leaders! Let’s start with retention!

The talk of empathy is in the ether. Last newsletter we dug into the first half of my conversation with Melissa Robinson-Winemiller with the topic being Empathy in Leadership. I joined the board of Philly SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) late last year, and yesterday, we had our annual Symposium where the theme was the Future of Work. Mental health, vulnerability, boundaries and, you guessed it, empathy, were front and center of these conversations. Now, I’ve been to many HR conferences in my day and I have to say, this was an inspiring glimmer of hope that the conversation is shifting to these categories.

I was recently connected with Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, EQ via Empathy Coach and Consultant who specializes in Empathetic Leadership. When I first heard her speaking about it I had chills- we connected immediately! Through a lengthy conversation about what leaders and employees can do to create an empathetic environment, she shared amazing education, statistics, and action items. Did you know that empathy in leadership can increase productivity by 87%*!!???