The Beginners Guide to Independent Contractors

Do you have a short-term project that requires a specific skill set, but you don’t have the budget to employ a full-time employee just for that task?

Or perhaps you run a small business and could occasionally use the assistance of an expert in certain areas of your business?

If either of these sounds like you, then hiring an independent contractor is the perfect solution.

Hiring an independent contractor or freelancer allows you to source the perfect person for the role while saving on overheads and time spent hiring a full-time employee for a short-term position.

This guide goes through all the important parts of hiring and working with an independent contractor, so you know exactly what you’re in for and how they can help your business thrive.

What is an Independent Contractor?

An independent contractor is someone with a specific skill set who works for themselves, not an employer. They are running their own business.

Independent contractors provide work services under a specific contract and are self-employed. They set their own rates for the work they do for your business. They work with your company, but you do not have to pay for additional benefits like insurance or 401(k) for them. They also pay their own taxes. Independent contractors are also known as freelancers and consultants.

If you choose to work with an independent contractor, they do not become an employee of your organization, and you aren’t liable… Read More

How to Sell Digital Products in 2021: A Marketer’s Guide

Digital products are one of the fastest ways for businesses to sell an intangible asset and make money. Today, the popularity of digital products can be attributed to the accessibility and ease of delivery of the products. No wonder, the digital products market is expected to cross $240 billion by the end of 2022.

New players are entering the digital battlefield to gain benefits from the booming market, leading to increased competition. Each digital product owner needs to put their product out in the market and promote it right to gain success.

This is where this marketer’s guide can come in handy.

This write-up talks about digital products and then goes on to cover the various steps required to sell a product from a marketing perspective. In the end, you will also find some simple yet effective marketing tips to sell digital products in 2021.

What is a digital product?

In general terms, a digital product is anything that does not have a physical presence and is an intangible asset. Such a product can be sold on digital platforms for people to download and stream online. These are intangible assets that give returns.

What makes digital products beneficial for … Read More

The Beginners Guide to Non-Compete Agreements

Employers often make their employees sign a non-compete agreement as part of their employment terms. In fact, using a non-compete agreement is a fairly common practice if the employee will have access to sensitive or confidential business information while working on the job.

You cannot force your employees to continue working for you, of course. But can use these agreements to prohibit a former employee from working for a rival company to safeguard your sensitive assets for a designated period of time.

In this guide, we’ll dig deeper into non-compete agreements to give you a better understanding of how they work.

What Is a Non-Compete Agreement?

Non-compete agreements are binding contracts that forbid an employee from working or becoming a part of their employer’s competitors for a defined period of time after they leave the current employer.

This can include working for a competitor in the same market or launching their own business in the same field. Employers may also bar the employee from recruiting the company’s workers to leave with them.

And they’re not just for employees–even independent contractors and consultants who terminate their relationship with companies can also be subject to non-compete clauses.

A non-compete agreement is an employer’s safety net. This allows them to avoid immediate competition after separating from an individual and protect themselves against the employee revealing company secre… Read More

The Beginners Guide to Employee Training

Employee training is instrumental for closing knowledge and talent gaps, improving performance in specific business areas and functions, and boosting job satisfaction and morale. But hectic employee schedules, a dispersed workforce, and different learning habits are just some of the roadblocks to rolling out a successful program. Understanding the foundations of employee training and implementing best practices can help you create, implement, and evaluate a successful training program.

What Is Employee Training?

Employee training is a program or process that provides and augments employee knowledge, technical skills, value creation, and efficiency required to fulfill a specific role within an organization. Typically, employee training begins after orientation and generally continues throughout the employee’s lifecycle. Practical employee training is periodic and offered at regular intervals.

You’ll typically see the term employee training and development used together. Although both concepts share common goals, there is a slight distinction between the two ideas.

Employee training focuses on learning the basic skills and knowledge required to occupy a specific role or position. On the other hand, development is more holistic, covering multiple aspects of the employee’s professional career.

Employee training is focused on the short term, usually lasting a day, a week, or a few months at most. This training seeks to address immed… Read More