HRGuru

Finding the right balance between basic pay and commission is crucial to rewarding salespeople, says Tom Washington. If you have ever had dealings with a persuasive, perhaps forceful, salesperson, the chances are they were thinking more about the money they stood to earn from the sale than finding the right deal for you. But for many employers, having an engaged and ...

A reader writes: I'm 35 years old and have been self-employed for the past five years as a sole proprietor. My business entails providing career and educational counseling to students and immigrants. I have a true "brick and mortar," not a virtual office. Though I have enjoyed the challenges that come with running a business, I'm ready to close up shop ...

The other day we celebrated my wife’s birthday and we had a great time. You see, we’ve been married almost four years and I know the kinds of things she likes. I made her dinner (instead of going out) because she enjoys when I put together dinner. I got her clothes instead of jewelry because she seems to have a glut ...

Continuing concern over the state of the economy is reflected in the fluctuating fortunes of freelances. Suzanne Hinchliffe crunches the figures in our latest survey of this sector, while industry insiders give their lowdown on what's happening out there. There has been a dramatic change in freelance rates of pay, with the market being more depressed this year than last. Some ...

Mom might have told you that you need to go to college to get a good job, but moms are biased. College is not for everyone. There are plenty of good jobs that don’t require you to go into $200,000 of debt for a four-year college degree. When looking at these jobs, just remember that salaries can vary, depending on the ...

All too often, work and what we really love doing are two very different things. If that's your situation, a layoff can be a blessing in disguise. The blessing might be disguised as a severance package or a chance to reorient towards a more fulfilling career path. It might be a time to reconnect with family and friends or just ...

Working from home has some pretty nice perks for those who choose to do it — flexible hours, no dress code and the ability to design your own workspace. It offers even more important benefits for people who must work from home because of children or a disability. But finding a satisfying at-home job that pays well can be tough. Most ...

Wanna hear from us? Every week, HRGuru sends out a recap of the best and most popular content from our site. It also showcases new and under-the-radar features you might have never know were there! Want in on the action? Follow these steps to be sure you know what's up from the top HR community on the web... To receive the ...

One of the most difficult tasks for all you super achievers is delegating. Why? Because you know no one else can do the job the way you want it done, when you want it done and how you want it done. OK, time for a reality check. Yes, the world will spin without you doing all the work. Athough it may ...

Whether starting your own business is something you've always dreamed of or it's one option after an unexpected layoff, there are several points to consider before striking out on your own: A New Business Is Like a New Baby If you're a parent, you know how your baby changed your life in ways you never anticipated. You may have envisioned parenthood ...

It's been about a year since I last had a boss. The boss I had at the time that I made the whole steady career to full-time entrepreneur change wasn't a nice one. He was passive aggressive, liked to embarrass people, always blamed me or someone else if anything went wrong, and gave very little credit if things went right. I ...

I would love to own my own business, but I wonder what self-employed people do about health insurance. Do they not have any? I think medical coverage must be a major reason that most people stay at their jobs. Are there ways to get health insurance other than through an employer? —M.B., San Francisco Unfortunately, there are an estimated 40 million ...

When I decided several years ago to work from home, I was excited. I was excited about the prospect of creating something that was all mine. I was excited about setting my own hours. No one could tell me what to do or how to do it. My schedule would be mine. If I did not want to answer the telephone, ...

You all know of the famous expression that goes, “Rome wasn’t built in one day.” And you are tired of hearing it—you just want things to happen already. You want to make the big bucks and be successful. What’s the hold up for? That’s how I used to feel until I started carefully observing and analyzing people whose business ideas made ...