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Spring-Green Blog

8 Tips for Conducting an Effective and Successful Phone Interview

Conducting a phone interview is the go-to method for narrowing down a large pool of applicants prior to face-to-face interviews. However, a bad phone interview could leave hiring managers unsure about who should have in person interviews and good candidates may fall through the cracks. Since the interviewer will not have the benefit of non-verbal cues, it is even more important to focus on what the applicant has to say. With the right preparation, interview questions and attitude, a hiring manager will be confident of their hiring decisions. Here are […]

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What You Need to Know about the New I-9 Form

All U.S. employers must complete and retain Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, for every person (citizen and non-citizen) hired for employment. While this form has been around for several decades, a new version was issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in 2017. What Green Industry Business Owners Need to Know About Revised I-9 Form Make sure your file is dated 7/17/17 Employers must use the newest file, which will have a revision date of “7/17/17 N” at the bottom of the form. If your file still shows a […]

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4 Techniques to Know When You Should Hire Another Employee

As a green industry business owner, it is important to manage your overhead costs in relation to the revenue you receive from customers. Managing your workforce, and the expenses that come with it, is a big piece of your overhead costs. Your workforce, whether staffed correctly, too high or too low, can impact employee and customer satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue and profits. Knowing when to add a new employee is key to keeping your business running smoothly as you add or lose customers, or if your business spikes at certain […]

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Should Your Company Hire Part-Time Workers? The Pros and Cons

Many people put a stigma on the term ‘part-time’ when referring to employment. They think people who want part-time jobs are students, retirees or those who simply cannot find full-time employment. However, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by Bloomberg, there are 6 million Americans who choose to work part-time as their first option. Some of these workers feel that a single, full-time job is limiting; working one or more part-time jobs gives them flexibility in their schedule and more opportunities with different companies. This is very […]

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Hiring and Recruiting Trends Impacting 2018

Your green industry company is only as good as the people who work there, which is why hiring top talent is so important. With a new year comes new hiring trends. Here’s what experts predict will be big in 2018, and how it may impact the way you hire talent this year. Apprenticeships Are Making a Comeback In 2017, President Trump praised Germany’s apprenticeship programs, stating that “the German apprenticeship model is one of the proven programs to developing a highly-skilled workforce.” Trump believes American organizations should start adopting apprenticeships […]

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4 Reasons Why a Company Should Run a Background Check on Potential Employees

You put together the perfect job description, placed it on all the right job sites, sifted through a dozens of resumes, and conducted several interviews. Now all you have to do is extend a job offer and you will have a new employee, right? Not so fast. A person might seem like the right applicant on paper and even in person, but what do you really know about him or her? Are you sure the applicant did what was indicated on a resume or in an interview? Is there something […]

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7 Tips On How To Conduct An Employee Performance Review

As one year ends and another begins, green industry owners have plenty to organize, plan, and start executing upon. One of the most important pieces of your 2018 plan should be your employee performance reviews. Performance reviews are a crucial element of your employee’s ability, and high-performing employees are crucial for the entire company’s success. Whether you want to improve your process or you’re completing an employee review for the first time, here’s seven tips. Perfecting and Conducting the Employee Performance Review 1. SET GOALS The first step to an […]

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4 Key Strategies for Diversifying Your Green-Industry Business

There are plenty of reasons for green industry business owners to diversify their businesses: from the need for new revenue streams to gaining recurring revenue or preparation for an eventual successful plan or other exit strategy. Whatever the reason, it makes good business sense to actively pursue growth and adaptation over the life of your business. Whatever your motivation for diversification, there are plenty of ways to tackle this important task. Here are four strategies for diversifying your green-industry business. 1. Expand your services to a new location Diversifying doesn’t […]

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6 Questions to Ask Your Accountant For A Profitable 2018

One thing you can always count on is taxes. However, you want to be able to keep more of your money than giving it away. So you should take advantage of tax credits and deductions to keep more of your hard earned money in your company. And you may be able to keep more of your money when you ask your accountant key questions. Questions To Ask Accountant For a Profitable 2018 1. What new tax deductions and credits are available this year? You need to ask your accountant this […]

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When Is the Best Time to Diversify Your Green-Industry Business?

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” This well-worn aphorism has been attributed to seemingly hundreds of figures: poets, actors, business leaders, motivational speakers. While we may never know who first uttered the words, they ring true nonetheless. And they can be applied to personal as well as business growth. Many businesses have learned the hard way that placing faith in one revenue stream can be fatal: Blockbuster Video, for instance, ignored the signs that streaming was the way of the future — signs Netflix capitalized on — and their brick-and-mortar […]

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