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Small businesses, be aware: you’re not exempt from the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). \nNote:\n This article is meant to be informational only. It’s not a legal document and doesn’t provide legal advice. Solo assumes no legal liability that may arise from the use of this article. If you have questions about your legal obligations, you should consult your legal counsel.\nSigned into law in 2018, the CCPA went into effect as of January 1, 2020, when all California businesses have to be in compliance. Broadly speaking, that means that your business has to be prepared to comply with a new set of rules for acquiring, storing, accessing, erasing, and passing along consumer data. Failure to comply comes with big financial penalties.\nCCPA compliance might seem like it’s only for big businesses or technology companies swimming in data. But in fact, small, local businesses like restaurants, retailers, auto shops, salons, and professional service providers may be liable under CCPA, as well. \nEvery business that accepts card payments already has to be \nPCI compliant\n. Now, you may have to be CCPA compliant, too. (See below to see if CCPA applies to your business.)\nWe know it’s difficult to make sense of complex new laws, and nobody wants the hassle and financial burden of a misstep. So, we prepared a list of 8 things every small business should know about CCPA compliance. \nWhat is the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in a nutshell?\nThe California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives California consumers new privacy rights and creates new obligations for businesses that are covered by the law. These rights include:\nThe right to know what personal information a business is collecting and how that information is being used and shared; \nThe right to a copy of the personal information a business holds about a consumer;\nThe right to delete personal information a business holds about a consumer; \nThe right to stop the sale of personal information by a business; and\nThe right to have equal service and price, even if a consumer exercises their privacy rights.\nNote that many of these terms such as “sale,” “personal information,” and “business” have unique definitions under the CCPA.\nWhat is considered “personal information?”\nPersonal information is anything that identifies or could be reasonably linked (directly or indirectly) with a particular individual or household. \nThis includes things like names, physical addresses, unique identifiers (such as cookies), email addresses, IP addresses, commercial information (such as transaction data), financial information, biometric information, internet or device activity (such as browsing history), geolocation data, and any other information that can be connected to a particular individual.\nDoes it count as “personal information” if I only have my customer’s email address?\nYes. Email addresses are explicitly included in the law’s definition of personal information.\nDoes credit card data count as “personal data”?\nYes. Credit card numbers are also explicitly included in the law’s definition of personal information.\nHow do I know if my business has to comply with the CCPA?\nGenerally, the CCPA applies to you if:\nYou “do business” in the state of California; \nYou collect personal information from California residents or have data collected on your behalf; \nYou make decisions regarding how that data is collected, used, or shared; \nand\nYou satisfy at least one of three conditions: \nyou make over $25M in annual gross revenue;\nyou collect, buy, or share data from over 50,000 California residents annually; \nor\nyou make 50% or more of your annual revenue selling personal information. \nIf I have information saved about 49,000 customers, then the CCPA doesn’t apply to me. Is that right?\nAssuming that you don’t meet either of the other two thresholds related to revenue and data selling, the CCPA will likely not apply to you. But keep in mind that under the CCPA, personal information is anything that could be linked to a particular person, including IP addresses and unique identifiers, so exceeding the 50,000 threshold is easier than you might think.  \nAlso, if you collect personal information from 49,000 California customers, there is a good chance that you will exceed the threshold in the near future, so you should be prepared to comply.\nMy business doesn’t operate in California, but what if I’m collecting information from a California resident — must I be in compliance then?\nYou don’t have to have a physical presence in California; you just need to be “doing business in California” (and meet the other requirements described above). “Doing business in California” isn’t defined in the CCPA and the AG hasn’t provided any guidance on this issue yet.  \nHowever, you’re likely “doing business” in California if you regularly offer goods or services to people in California, make a substantial number of sales in California, or otherwise purposefully derive a benefit from your activities in California. If you have questions about whether you’re “doing business” in California, please consult your legal counsel.\nWhat if I use a POS system that automatically collects information, but I don’t own or manage that information — am I on the hook, or is the processor and/or data company?\nIf your POS (point of sale system) provider collects personal information directly from your customers, you don’t make any decisions about how that information is used or shared (either alone or jointly with your provider), and your provider doesn’t share that information with you, you may not have CCPA obligations as to that information.\nIf I don’t meet any of the above requirements, do I still need to worry about the CCPA?\nYou may have obligations even if you don’t meet the requirements described above. For example, if you provide services to a CCPA-covered business and the business gives you personal information, the business may require you to agree to limit your ability to use data for other purposes and to assist with deletion requests.  \nIn addition, if you purchase personal information about consumers from a CCPA-covered entity, the CCPA may limit your ability to resell the information without providing notice and the opportunity to opt-out to those consumers. If you have questions, you should reach out to legal counsel for assistance. \nIn addition, if you purchase personal information about consumers from a CCPA-covered entity, the CCPA may limit your ability to resell the information without providing notice and the opportunity to opt-out to those consumers. If you have questions, you should reach out to legal counsel for assistance. \nWhat does “selling consumers’ personal information” entail? And how do I know if I’m doing that or not?\nThe CCPA defines “selling” as sharing personal information with another entity in return for “monetary or other valuable consideration.”  \nThis means that you don’t have to receive money in return for the information; receiving a non-monetary benefit can be sufficient to make the data transfer a “sale.” So if you’re giving someone personal information in exchange for money or another set of personal information, or getting some other benefit in return, you may be “selling.”\nThe CCPA has a number of exceptions to “sales,” such as:\nWhere the customer directs you to share personal information with the other entity, or uses your business to intentionally interact with that entity, so long as that entity doesn’t sell the information.\nWhere you share personal information with a service provider with which you have a written contract. That contract must prohibit the service provider from using the information for any other purpose other than providing services to you.\nI definitely don’t sell my consumers’ information, but I’m concerned the product or POS I use may make money from that info — would the CCPA’s requirements regarding “selling” information still pertain to me? Or does my business need to the one actually receiving money in exchange for customer information?\nAgain, you don’t necessarily have to receive money for personal information in order for the transfer to be a “sale” — receiving some benefit for the information may be enough. But if your provider is the one that is deciding whether to share the information and receiving the money or other benefit in return, it is unlikely that you would be considered to be “selling” personal information.\nWhat are some types of businesses that are most likely to be impacted by the CCPA?\nThe CCPA covers any type of business that collects personal information, including offline businesses, but it will be more likely to affect consumer-facing companies that do business online. \nIf my business is required to comply, what steps should I take?\nThe main steps you should take are:\nUpdate your privacy policy to disclose the categories of personal information you collect and how you use and share them, and to describe consumers’ privacy rights under the CCPA.\nCreate a process for honoring a consumer’s rights to obtain a summary of personal information you collect, to obtain a copy of the consumer’s personal information that you hold, and to delete that information.\nCreate a process for honoring a consumer’s right to opt out of the sale of their personal information, if necessary.\nReview your contracts with vendors that receive personal information and update them with service provider provisions, if necessary.\nEnsure you’ve implemented reasonable security measures to protect consumers’ personal information.\nTrain your employees on CCPA compliance.\nThe California Attorney General has created a webpage with more information about the CCPA. You can learn more about the rulemaking process and read the regulations on the California Attorney General’s Website here: \nhttps://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa\n.\nWhat might happen to me if I’m out of compliance?\nGenerally, the California Attorney General’s Office is responsible for enforcing the CCPA. After the Attorney General’s Office notifies you of the violation, you should have 30 days to attempt to fix the issue. If you’re still out of compliance after 30 days or the AG determines that you cannot adequately fix an issue, then you could receive a fine from $2,500 to $7,500 \nfor each violation\n.\nThe one exception to this relates to data breaches. If you fail to implement reasonable security measures and experience a breach of personal information, you can be sued by private plaintiffs. If the suit is successful, you can be required to pay $100 to $750 per consumer per incident, or the plaintiffs’ actual damages, whichever is greater.\nWhere can I go to find someone who can help me make sure I’m doing all of the above requirements?\nThe CCPA is a complex law that has a number of ambiguities. Because of this, you should consult your lawyer about how you can comply. If you don’t have an attorney already, you can get referrals from your local bar association or any trade association to which you belong.\nNote:\n This article is meant to be informational only. It’s not a legal document and doesn’t provide legal advice. Solo assumes no legal liability that may arise from the use of this article. If you have questions about your legal obligations, you should consult your legal counsel.\n


CCPA compliance: 8 things every small business should know

In this article:\nWhat space do you need?\nWhat do you want?\nBudget, size, and other necessities\nA large part of starting a new business, or expanding your current business, is finding the perfect location. You may start out working from home, and eventually need to find office space. As you are looking for a new business space, several factors come into play and will affect what may or may not work for your company. \nTake some time to do your research and learn more about what you need for your business and what kind of commercial rental will work best. This article will go over several things that you should consider when renting your first business space. \nDo you really \nneed\n a rental space?\nFirst, determine if a rental space is even a necessity. You may think that you need to have a separate space for your business, but if you only meet customers off-site and don’t have any additional employees, do you actually need to pay for a commercial lease?\nAsk yourself these questions to help determine if a rental space is necessary for your business:\nIs running your business from a home office an option?\nDo customers need to visit you at your place of business?\nDo you have employees who need an office to work from or can they work remotely?\nHow much of your business is handled off-site versus on-location?\nIf you’ve determined that you do need a rental space, then continue down this list to learn what you should be thinking about as you engage in this endeavor. \nWhat features and space does your business need? What do you want?\nMake a list of the things that you need for your business and a list of things that you want. The necessities might include things like:\nParking for employees (if you have any)\nRestrooms\nGood security\nSize specifications\nEasy access for customers\nBreak room\nKitchen\nThese are the features that you are not willing to compromise on, so you should make sure each space you look at has these if you are considering them. \nThings that you want for your rental space might include:\nOpen floor plan\nGround-level entrance\nSkylight\nLots of windows\nIndividual offices for employees\nOther unique features\nThese are the things that you may need to compromise on when looking for the perfect space to rent. Make a list of both and keep these in mind as you begin your search. \nLocation\nLocation is critical, especially for retail, restaurant, or other business types that rely on foot traffic. A good business location can help you acquire new customers and make it easier for your current customers to find you. \nLet’s say for example you have a retail business. You’d want that to be in a central location that gets a lot of foot traffic and will catch drivers’ attention as they are passing by. This will help you get more walk-in traffic and will help with marketing. \nBut if you choose a location that is out of the way where people rarely visit, you may have a hard time drumming up new business without a really solid marketing plan and a truly unique set of products and services that will motivate people to go out of their way.\nThink about your ideal customers, where they spend their time, and what their needs might be for finding your business. Use that information as you look for the right location. \nbusy street with traffic for commercial space for rent\nAccessibility\nYour business space should be accessible in every sense of the word. If you have customers that come to your space, it needs to be easily accessible from the street, including a place to park and an entrance that is easy to locate. \nOn the other side of that, if you have a lot of walk-in traffic or employees with disabilities, your space should be accessible in that sense too. Is it easy for wheelchairs to access? Can people who are less mobile access your location? \nCheck your local ordinances to ensure you are compliant with any accessibility requirements, and if not, be sure to work with your landlord to bring things up to code before you sign your lease.\nSize\nSpace is a definite necessity. You should already be thinking about the size of the space that you need for your business. How many employees do you have? What is the customer capacity that you want? Do you have large equipment or inventory that needs to be stored on-site?\nAlong with these things, you also need to think about the growth of your business. How quickly do you plan to grow? Are you going to be in this space for a while and will you need to bring in more employees? The answers to these questions will largely impact the size of the space that you should consider. \nAmenities\nConsider the amenities that the building itself has and that the general location offers. What features of the rental space are going to benefit your business, your customers, and your employee?\nWhat amenities are located near your business? Is there a mall, a movie theater, a park, medical offices, playgrounds, or other customer-friendly venues? \nThink about your target customers and how they spend their day and whether or not these nearby amenities make your location more appealing and convenient to access. \nBudget\nObviously, you need to determine what your budget is for a rental space. You can’t rent a space that isn’t going to make sense for your business financially. \nGo over the numbers carefully before you begin your search and then strictly stick to your budget allowance for a rental space. Don’t rent anything that is outside of your budget, no matter how appealing it may seem. \nBut, that doesn’t mean not to \nlook\n outside of your budget (within reason). Landlords may be willing to negotiate on prices, especially if they have a lot of vacancies in their building. So don’t be afraid to reach out and see if you can negotiation a lease that fits your business plan and finances. \nAdditional expenses\nThink about any additional expenses that may arise related to your office space. These should be included in your total rental budget as well. \nCommon regular expenses include:\nInternet and phones\nParking permits\nSecurity deposit\nSecurity features (cameras, new locks, etc.)\nFurniture to fill the space\nNOTE: many landlords will also charge you for common area maintenance (CAM), your portion of the insurance on your space, and possibly a percentage of your profits, depending on location and your revenue. Be sure to get it all in black and white and discuss it with your broker or realtor.\nRead more: \nHow much does it cost to rent space for a small business?\nThink about the duration of your lease\nYou don’t want to get locked into something for a longer period of time than you plan on being there. \nThink about your five-year plan and how to plan to grow and expand your business. How long can you realistically remain in this first rental space?\nConsider how long you want to be in the space and find a lease agreement based upon that. Find a landlord that will work with you on this arrangement. Don’t settle yourself into something long-term if you don’t have a pretty good idea what the future looks like. \nConsider your market\nIt is important to educate yourself about your market. If you’re looking for a rental space for your business, you’ve likely done your market research and are familiar with what the market looks like for your industry in your particular location. \nYour market can widely influence what will make a location good for your business. Consider your target customer, where competitors are located, use what you know about your market to find a suitable location for your business space. \nInvestigate your landlord\nDon’t get yourself into an agreement with a company or individual that you know nothing about. Do your research on them to make sure that this is going to be a worthwhile arrangement for your business and that there aren’t going to be any surprises along the way. \nSome things to ask about your landlord:\nWhat do current renters think of them? (Ask for references)\nWhat’s their BBB rating?\nWhat is their credit like?\nSet up a time to meet with your landlord and ask them your questions to get to know them better and determine if they are someone you could easily work with. \nIf you plan on being in your rental space long-term, this will be a beneficial relationship to maintain. \nUnderstand your commercial lease\nBefore ever signing any kind of lease agreement, you need to fully understand what it says. You need to know what your responsibilities as the renter will be and what the landlord will be responsible for. \ncouple carefully studying commercial rent agreement\nPay attention to the lease terms and make sure you know what is required of you. The last thing you need is to get evicted from the building because you neglected something of import in the agreement. \nHere are some questions you should ask and understand within your lease agreement:\nHow long is the lease? \nHow much is rent? Will there be any changes in rent for the duration of the lease?\nHow much will rent increase when the lease is up?\nCan you sublease?\nIs there a penalty for vacating the space?\nCan I pay up front and get a discount?\nIs renewing your lease an option?\nWho is responsible for what? (i.e. repairs, insurance, utilities, etc.)\nWhat building services do you get? (janitorial, utilities, wifi, HVAC, etc.)\nWhat changes are you allowed to make to the space? \nAll of these items should be made explicitly clear within the lease agreement so you know exactly what your responsibilities are as a lessee. \nSecurity of your commercial space\nWhat is the building’s security like? Are there security cameras on site? Have the locks to your doors been changed since the last tenant? How often do police patrol the area? Is there any after-hours security? Is there an alarm system?\nFind out what kind of security is available so you can cover your bases by ensuring the best security for your assets and employees. \nLayout of the office\nAs you are looking at commercial spaces to rent, consider how you will fill the space. How will you lay out your office?\nSome questions to ask as you consider the layout:\nWhere will your employees work?\nWill you have your own office?\nWhere will customers be allowed?\nWill any space be off-limits to customers?\nWhere can employees take their breaks?\nWill you need a conference or meeting room for customers or business partners? Where will that be?\nThe condition of the building\nYou should have an agreement about the condition of the building when you move in. If there is a current tenant in that space prior to your arrival, how will the space be left for you? Will it need any renovations or repairs? Will you be responsible for that?\nIf you want a move-in ready space, be sure that it is detailed within your lease agreement. \nParking\nDo not neglect the need for parking. Whether you will only have employees working from your rental space or you want customers to come into your space on a regular basis, you need to know what the parking situation will be like. \nIs parking included as part of the arrangement for the rental? Does your space have its own parking lot? Do you get an allocated number of parking spots or an entire lot? Is there public parking? Will there be enough space for your employees and customers? Are you responsible for maintenance costs, snow plowing if applicable, etc?\nKnow what your needs will be for parking and be sure that the rental you get can fill those needs. \nOutside perception and appearance of your rental space\nThis is your place of business, and if you plan on inviting customers in for meetings or are providing a service or product in this space, it needs to be presentable. How will your customers perceive this rental space?\nIs the building well-kept and comfortable? Are there potentially strong/weird smells from nearby restaurants?\nYour space will send a message about your business to all who come into contact with it. Whether they are just looking at it from the outside or have the opportunity to visit with you inside, people will form opinions about your business based on your location. \nThe right rental space can enhance your small business marketing\nThink about how your rental space will enhance your marketing capabilities. Is it in a location where it gets a lot of walk-in traffic and can market for you in that way?\nWhat features of your location can you use to help market it to customers? Are there nearby amenities that compliment your services or products? How close are you to other regular shopping venues?\nMarketing is a huge part of growing your business so be sure to consider this as you are looking for your rental. 

Top things to consider when renting your first business space

In this article:\nWhy use a business email address\nHow to create a business email account\nTips for using your business email address\nIf you’re still using a generic Gmail, Yahoo, or other email account for your business, we’re here to tell you that it’s time to stop. Your business deserves a branded email account, and you deserve the benefits that come from it. \nWhat is a business email account and why is it important?\nA business email account is more than just an email that you use for business. It’s an email account that is branded by your domain (in other words, \nyour business’s website\n). So, instead of using joesmith@gmail.com you would use joe@[yourdomain].com. \nAnyone can create a free Gmail or other email account using your business’s name and pretend to be your business. But only your business can use an email that is on a domain that you own. Using an email address that is on your domain helps establish trust, not only with your customers but with their email service providers, too. Some email accounts will block generic email addresses that they’ve never seen before, or automatically filter them into junk mail. \nA business email address looks more professional and is generally easier to remember. Plus, it allows you to promote your brand with every message that you send. \nHow to create a professional business email account\nNow, let’s talk about how you can actually accomplish getting a business email account. \nStep 1: Get a domain for your business\nFirst, you need to have a domain. The good news is, if you have a website, you likely already have your domain! If your website is hosted on a free platform that doesn’t provide you with a domain, then you’ll need to purchase one (and we highly recommend putting your website on your own, purchased domain). \nThere are tons of domain registrars out there to purchase from; GoDaddy.com, BlueHost.com, Domains.Google, and Zoho.com are a good place to start. Just find a domain that fits well with your business (but keep it short and memorable) and make the purchase. \nIf you already have a domain, make sure you know where it is hosted and can get logged into the account. If you don’t know that information, talk to your website developer or ask the customer service department of your domain hosting service provider. \nStep 2: Choose an email service provider and create your email address\nOnce you have your domain, you’ll need to choose a place to host your email. Your domain registrar likely has an email hosting plan that you can sign up for. These are usually a couple dollars a month per email box that you need. \nCommon email service providers that businesses use include G-Suite (now called Google Workplace) and Microsoft Outlook. These are both more advanced business plans that cost a little more, but do have additional features like calendars, chat, file sharing, and more. \nIf you’re looking for the easiest and cheapest way to set up a business email account, go with your domain registrar. \nWhen you have chosen your email service provider, you can create the email address that you want to use. Keep it simple and easy to remember, and keep a consistency across your company’s email addresses. For example, if you have an email for every employee, choose a consistent format like [firstname]@[yourdomain].com or [firstinitial.lastname]@[yourdomain].com\nStep 3: Set up your email\nNow that you have a domain and your preferred email service provider, it’s time to set up your email so that you can actually send and receive mail. We can’t go through the setup of every email service provider out there, but the main steps are generally the same. \nIf you are using your domain registrar to host your email, just log in to your account to set up your email. There will generally be a section under your account that says “manage email.” With some of them you may need to purchase your email hosting first, so choose the email plan that you want, make the purchase, and then follow the prompts from your registrar to finish the setup. \nIf you are using a service that is separate from your domain registrar, you’ll need to set up the MX records to direct your mail to your email service provider’s servers. Mail Exchange (MX) records are codes or identification records that your domain registrar uses to specify the mail server that hosts your email. \nMost domain hosts will have step-by-step MX setup instructions that you can use. \nHere are some generic steps for finding those records and making the change:\nSign in to your account on your domain host’s site\nFind the section where you can update your MX records—it might say “Mail Settings,” “DNS Management,” or “Advanced Settings”\nDelete any existing MX records (you’ll be adding new ones)\nAdd new MX records for your email service provider (find these in your account for your email service provider)\nTest your email to see if it works\nNote: Sometimes it can take 24-48 hours for your DNS (Domain Name System) to reflect this new change. \nIf you are having trouble finding the settings that you need to set up your email account, talk to your IT team or your web developer. \nBest practices for setting up your business email account\nOnce your business email account is created, there are a few other things that you need to be aware of in order to have the best experience and ensure that your customers receive your emails. \nDon’t spam your customers\nIf your customers have signed up to receive emails from you or you have their email address from your numerous communications with them, respect that. Don’t spam your customers with constant messages that they are unlikely to read. That might just ensure that they miss the more important emails that you send their way. \nAvoid getting your email blacklisted\nAs you start creating email campaigns and engaging in email marketing with your new professional email address, there are some important steps you need to take to avoid getting your email blacklisted (meaning blocked or going straight to spam). \nDon’t buy email lists. It’s important that you get permission from people you send emails to (like through a sign up form), and people on email lists generally didn’t give their consent\nCraft engaging emails. Low engagement rates can cause emails to bounce or go to spam if the receivers aren’t opening the messages\nDon’t use click-bait subject lines (at least not if they aren’t accurate to the message of the email)\nInclude an unsubscribe link so customers have the option to opt out of your email campaigns\nHave customers/subscribers whitelist your email\nSome email services automatically block new emails that aren’t included in a list of safe senders or that they’ve never seen before. If your customers or subscribers whitelist your email, that will help ensure that they receive communications from you. \nUse a spam testing tool\nThere are a few email spam testing tools out there that you can use to score your email campaigns. These will tell you how spammy your emails are and how you can fix that. A couple of good ones to start with are Litmus and Mail-Tester. \nAdditional resources for email marketing\nIf you plan to do any email marketing, you should always do so from a business email address. Once you have that set up, you might find this article helpful in your marketing efforts:\n\nTop 10 best practices for small business email marketing\n\n

How to create a business email account (and important tips)

There’s a serious “entrepreneurial adjustment” when you go from employee to business owner, especially when it comes to hours. According to a \nGallup poll\n, 62% of U.S. small business owners work over 50 hours a week. As any founder or owner will tell you, the hours can be long, chaotic, and irregular.\nSo where do you draw the line? What hours should you work? How do you draw boundaries for yourself? You need time with family, time to unwind, get away, and focus on other good things outside of your “baby.”\nLet’s break it down to this: when should your business be open? In other words, is 9 am to 5 pm enough? Or is it too much?\nWhat about your customers who work 9 to 5? They might not have time to squeeze in a shopping stop on their lunch break or after work. If your store is only open during business hours, are you forcing people to take precious vacation hours to shop at your store?\nThere’s gotta be a better way.\nNo, it’s not just increasing your open hours. And, for Pete’s sake, we’re not saying to be open 24/7. Don’t take away from your freedom like that. (But, if you can make it work, and it makes financial sense to be open 24/7, go for it!)\nWe’re saying you can be strategic about when to retract the deadbolt and when to arm the alarm. To help you decide, here are six ways to know when your small business’s open sign should be glowing red.\nHere are 6 ways to determine when your small business should be open.\n1. Check your sales data to understand your best days and times of the week for sales\nLook at all your sales in the last quarter or year. Look at the days of the week. Any noticeable increases on say, Monday over Wednesday? Is Sunday afternoon dead? Take a look at what time your customers are buying. Notice any patterns? Is there a rush at the end of the day? Or the beginning of the day?\nIf you see a concentration of traffic butting up against a closing time or opening time, you might want to think about expanding the hour. On the other hand, if you see a repeatedly dead zone with no sales over the year(s), maybe you can afford to shave a few hours off the workweek for you and your staff.\n2. Survey your most loyal customers and collect feedback\nIf you didn’t see anything useful in your sales data, it’s time to get more direct. Go right to your customers and ask them. Use these as sample questions:\nWhat hours would you like us to be open that we’re currently not?\nWhat day(s) of the week are you most likely to stop by our store?\nWhat time of day are you most likely to come in and shop at our store?\nWhat other stops do you make on the day when you visit our shop?\nGathering the answers could provide actionable data for your decision-making framework. You might discover a significant opportunity to help more customers and generate more sales.\n3. Look at Google to see when your competitors are open… and when they’re busiest\nThis is more than just looking at the open hours of your competitors. Google is useful for much more than that. Here’s how.\nOpen a web browser (recommend Chrome) and google your competitor\nOn the righthand side, there’s a box with photos and information like phone number, address, website, etc.\nScroll down and find “Popular times”\nThis chart will show you a bar graph of your competitor’s busiest hours.\nIt will also tell you how much time people typically spend there.\nNow, compare this to your business. Are you open during these hours? Why or why not? Should you be?\n4. Look at seasonalities like events and weather to stay ahead of consumer behavior\nIf local events occur every year and cause an influx of traffic, or an outflux of residents, take advantage of these annual trends. Research the results of the years before and see which streets and areas experienced a surge of event-goers. Are they close to your shop? It might be worth it to stay open and attract the late-night concert crowd or open early to catch the hungry 5k runners in the morning.\nAlso, ask the other small business owners around you what their plan is for the event. The last thing you want is to be the only store closed on a popular street while every other shop is brimming with new tourists and passers-by.\nLastly, do you know if weather has an impact on foot traffic to your business? What’s the effect of snow, rain, and sunshine? You can help figure this out with tools like Weather.org’s \nweather history tool\n.\n5. Holidays: there’s no right answer, just make sure you clearly communicate your hours\nBased on our research, holiday hours are tricky. There are pros and cons any way you look at it. You could choose to be open during the holidays, and potentially keep your employees away from their families. Or you could decide to be closed and miss out on the increased foot traffic. How do you decide?\nThe factors that should inform your decision to stay open on say, Christmas Day, are too many to list for this single blog post. The best thing to do is make sure your customers aren’t upset by being overtly clear and communicative about when you are open and closed.\nShare your holiday hours on Facebook. Pin a tweet on Twitter.\nAdd a banner to the homepage of your website saying when you’ll be open and closed.\nChange the voice message on your answering machine.\nIf you have email subscribers, dispatch a holiday reminder email with your store hours.\nPost a legible notice on your store’s doors a week in advance of your holiday hours.\nBy clearly communicating your hours, you could be saving a desperate family member a dangerous drive through inclement weather only to find a locked door and dark storefront. Share the holiday cheer… and your holiday hours.\n6. Experiment. It might surprise you and pay off\nPerhaps the most effective way to determine when your small business should be open is trying different hours and measuring the return on investment.\nYou could try setting up two types of experiments like this:\nWhen are the slowest times of the week? Or of the season?\n Close the store and put a note with instructions for the turned-away customer to let you know they tried to shop but couldn’t.\nWhen are you busiest? \nTry staying open later, or opening sooner, and see what happens. Does new business come in and make it worth it?\nYou might learn valuable lessons that help you attract more customers and optimize staff hours. In the end, how many hours you work is up to you. By using these 6 methodologies to help determine when your local small business should be open or closed, you’ll find what works best for you and spend your time in the most economical and enjoyable way.

How to decide when you should be open for business

In this article:\nWhat is an independent contractor agreement?\nWhat is the purpose of an independent contractor agreement?\nDo you need an independent contractor agreement, and w\nhat should be included?\nCan you negotiate the terms of an agreement?\nHow often should an independent contractor agreement be renewed?\nWhere can I find a sample independent contractor agreement?\nFree independent contractor agreement template\nBecoming an independent contractor can be a liberating thing. It allows you the chance to work for yourself, set your own schedules, and spend more time doing the kind of work that you really enjoy. As the gig economy thrives and more people try their hand at \nfreelance or independent contractor\n work, businesses across the country are hiring independent contractors to help supplement areas where they don’t have full-time employees. \nAs an independent contractor, you may be asked to sign an independent contractor agreement by a company that hires you. You may even want to request that each of your clients signs an agreement with you. Throughout this article we’ll discuss the importance of independent contractor agreements, whether or not you need one, and how to get started.  \nWhat is an independent contractor agreement?\nAn independent contractor agreement, also known as a 1099 agreement, is a written agreement between an independent contractor and a client. It generally outlines the terms of the tasks that you’ll perform, including rates, duration of time, and basically the scope of the work that you’ll be doing throughout your time working for your client.\nWhat is the purpose of an independent contractor agreement?\nThe purpose of the agreement is often to have a legal backing for any terms of work that you and your client have agreed upon. This written agreement can help clear confusion over worker classification, your payment terms, taxes, how to resolve disputes, and more. It sets the ground rules for your work with your client. \nIndependent contractor agreements are generally requested by a company that you may work for. This is often to help them cover their responsibilities for taxes and benefits, to protect their intellectual property, and to set other guidelines they feel are necessary for the security of their company. \nAs an independent contractor, you may want to have an agreement ready for your clients that don’t require one—for your own protection. Setting terms in a written agreement holds your clients accountable to those terms and gives you some legal protection if they don’t hold up their end of the deal. \nWho can use a freelancer, gig-worker or contractor agreement?\nAn independent contractor agreement can be used by any contractor, freelancer, consultant, or other type of independent contractor who wants to have a written agreement with their clients. On the other side of that, any company wishing to hire an independent contractor may outline an agreement that must be signed before starting their services. \nDo you need an independent contractor agreement?\nIt is not a legal requirement in most places for independent contractors to have an independent contractor agreement. That being said, it is smart to have some form of written proof of the terms of your work with any of your clients. \nEven if you don’t require your clients to fill out an agreement with you, you may have clients who require you to fill out an agreement to work for them. \nNot having a written agreement can open up grounds for misunderstanding (whether innocent or intentional), and it can save you a lot of time, money, and stress just to have your work outlined in an agreement from the beginning. \nWhat should be included in an independent contractor agreement?\nYour independent contractor agreement may vary from client to client (in fact it probably should if the scope of work varies between each client or project). Whether you are signing an agreement prepared by a client or creating your own agreement, these are some terms that you should include and/or be prepared to sign off on:\nA description of the independent contractor and the client, including legal names, addresses, contact information, and the relationship between the client and contractor (it’s important to state the fact that this will be independent contractor work so that your employment status is properly classified)\nA description of the work that you will be performing—this could be a list of services that you will provide\nThe terms of payment, including your rates (whether hourly, by project, or other terms that apply to your field) and when and how you will be paid\nAn explanation of who will be responsible for expenses (independent contractors generally cover their own expenses, but depending on the project, you may get resources from your client as well)\nA statement that indicates you have all necessary permits, certifications, or licenses to perform the work for which you are being hired\nA statement that you will be responsible for your own state and federal income taxes\nAcknowledgement that as an independent contractor you are not entitled to benefits that your client offers their full-time employees\nA statement that you have liability insurance (if applicable)\nA description of the duration of the agreement (if applicable)\nA description of the circumstances under which the agreement can be terminated\nAn explanation of how disputes will be resolved (mediation, etc.)\nSome agreements may be much more in-depth than this and others may be much simpler depending on the work you are doing and the client it is for. \nHow do you start or request a contractor agreement?\nWhen you are in the interviewing process, applying for a project, or about to start work for a client, you should discuss an independent contractor agreement. This is something that should be completed before you begin the job. \nIf your client hasn’t brought up any kind of agreement of your work for them, then you should ask them about it. Make sure that when you discuss the terms of your work, you get everything approved in a written format. Even having an email agreement is better than just having verbal communication, and can be helpful in the case of a misunderstanding or dispute. \nIf you have a written agreement prepared, send that over to your client to review before agreeing to begin work for them. Likewise, if they send you an agreement, review it and make sure you are comfortable with the terms before signing anything. \nCan you negotiate the terms?\nYou can absolutely negotiate your independent contractor agreement with your client. It’s important to note that some clients, especially larger companies with corporate rules, may not be willing to negotiate or change their terms, though. \nBut you are your own advocate in the job game when you start working for yourself as a contracted hire. Set the terms that you are willing to work for and negotiate your agreements until they are in a place that you are comfortable with. In some cases, it might even mean that you give up some work because you aren’t satisfied with the terms of the agreement. Just know what you are willing to work for and be ready to set those terms with your clients.  \nHow often should an agreement be renewed?\nAn independent contractor agreement can last for a long time, if the terms are set for a longer duration. But even when you are in an agreement for a longer period of time, it can be good to review and renew it periodically. Cases when you might want to renew or change the agreement include:\nWhen your or your client’s information has changed (business name or address)\nWhen you’ve made a change to the scope of work, like adding new services or deliverables that weren’t previously discussed in your agreement\nWhen your terms of payment have changed, like if you’ve updated your rates to stay competitive or changed the method of payment you are receiving\nFree independent contractor agreement template\nAre you ready to get your own independent contractor agreement in place for your next client? There are tons of free templates and sample agreements out there that you can use so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.\nCheck out these sample independent contractor agreements from eForms:\nSimple Independent Contractor Agreement\nComprehensive Independent Contractor Agreement\n \nFor more in-depth agreement templates by state, profession, or type, visit \neforms.com\n. 

Do you need an independent contractor agreement? (includes free sample template)

\nUpwork’s Freelance Forward Report\n found that 59 million Americans freelanced in 2020. That’s a lot of people who can potentially help your business grow in areas that are beyond your expertise. For example, you may have decided that hiring a web developer is a lot cheaper than spending the extra time and money to \ndo it yourself\n.\nFinding the right person is its own job. There are also many types of workers to choose from, like freelancers and contractors. You’re probably wondering—what’s the difference between freelance vs. contract work?\nFor starters, both work temporarily for your company and can help you complete a variety of projects. For tax and employment purposes, they’re also considered one and the same. However, there’s a handful of differences between these two workers that you’ll need to understand before hiring them.\nWe’ll go over the differences of freelance vs. contract work, along with other types of workers, so you can understand key distinctions that impact your business.\nWhat is a freelance worker?\nA freelance worker is a self-employed person who works on many projects from a variety of companies. This worker has complete control over their rates, their work space, how they work, and the clients they work with.\nFreelancers typically take on short-term projects and work alone. You’ll pay these workers with a \n1099\n and they’re responsible for reporting taxes on that payment. Freelance workers are great if you have small one-off tasks and projects you need covered.\nWhat is an independent contractor?\nAn independent contractor is a worker who typically works with one company at a time and is traditionally placed with a company by another agency. Contractors normally take on long-term projects and can work on site with your other staff. An agency can also assign multiple contractors to a project.\nHowever, independent contractors can work for themselves and take on multiple projects at one time. This is why the terms “freelancer,” “independent contractor,” and “contractor” are often used interchangeably.  \nAn independent contractor’s employment status makes a big difference when it comes to pay, taxes, and benefits. We break down major differences below.\nEmployed through a third-party agency: \nIf the contractor works with you through an agency, ask the agency if the contractor is their W-2 employee. If so, then you don’t need to provide any benefits or report on their taxes.\nEmployed directly as a contractor: \nIf you work directly with the contractor and agree that they are independent from your company, then this person is paid with a 1099. You are not obligated to provide benefits and you do not need to report their taxes.\nEmployed as a temporary employee\n: If you agree on taking an agency’s worker or direct contractor as a temporary employee, then you will probably pay them with a \nW-2\n. This area gets a little gray since laws differ by state. To stay on the safe side, look up your local laws and solidify employment terms in writing with the contractor or agency. \nYou can also set up a \ncontract to hire position\n. This is a position that starts employees out as contractors with the opportunity for them to come on as full-fledged employees. This is a great route if you want to test the waters for a role before hiring someone full time.\nWorking with a contractor may be your best option if you’re looking for someone long-term who can give your project more time and attention. \nfreelance worker vs contract worker comparison image\n\nWhat are the main differences between freelancers and contractors?\nThe main differences between freelancers and contractors are found in how they are hired, paid, how long they work with your business, and how they work with your staff. We’ll go over each of those factors below. \nHiring\nContractors are traditionally hired through an external agency. This can save you some time if you aren’t interested in individually vetting freelancers. You’ll work with the agency when negotiating rates, timelines, and deliverables.\nContractors working with agencies don’t have as much freedom picking clients as freelancers. However, some contractors work independently and work similarly to freelancers.\nYou’ll work directly with a freelancer to negotiate rates, timelines, and deliverables. Freelancers can work with multiple clients at once and have complete control over the clients they accept. \nPay\nYou can expect to pay independent contractors and freelancers hourly or by the project. Unless you’re taking on either of these workers as a temporary employee, you don’t need to worry about paying benefits. However, they may negotiate coverage for necessary expenses like travel or specific tools.\nContractor pay varies based on the terms of your contract and how you define employment. Most of the time, you will pay a contractor through their contracting agency. You’ll pay that bill periodically and the agency takes care of the contractor’s pay, taxes, and benefits.\nYou’ll pay freelancers directly on the amount agreed upon. They will send you their invoice when the project is complete. Like we’ve mentioned, they handle their own taxes and you are not required to provide any benefits.\nWork period\nFreelancers and contractors work for companies temporarily. Contractors typically work on longer-term projects with defined timelines. On the other hand, freelancers work on short-term projects, but also have defined timelines. \nDay-to-day schedule\nSince contractors work on long-term projects, they’ll typically work specific times of the day. This makes them more available for your team. Some contractors work on their own time like freelancers.\nAll freelancers set their own day-to-day schedule and work on their own time. An unpredictable schedule makes it difficult to get updates, but shouldn’t be a big issue if they’re working on small deliverables. You can get around this by agreeing on periodic project updates in your contract.\nYou can negotiate work schedules with both workers if needed. For example, you may hire a contractor to deep clean your store. You’ll probably need them to work after hours when the store is empty.\nquestions to ask when considering freelancers or contractors\n\nWhat about gig workers and those who are self-employed?\nGig workers\n are independent contractors who typically work on short-term tasks. App-based gig workers like Uber drivers and Postmates delivery are commonly associated with the gig economy. However, gig workers can include any freelancer or independent contractor. \nWhen employing a gig worker through an app or a marketplace, you’ll work with them similarly to how you’d work with a contractor. Instead of going through an agency, you’ll probably use sites like Upwork or TaskRabbit to search for workers to help with your project.\nFreelancers and contractors fall under the self-employed umbrella. Self-employed workers also include small business owners and others who work with a team. When working with self-employed workers with teams, the process will be similar to how you’d work with a contractor.\nYou’ll negotiate the terms of your contract with someone who may or may not be the person working on the project. Then, you can expect to pay an invoice upon completion of work. \ngig worker vs self-employed worker image\n\nWhat are the main differences between employees, freelancers, contractors, and gig workers?\nFull-time, part-time, and temporary workers receive benefits, get paid regularly, and have their work and schedule dedicated by their employer.\nFreelancers, contractors, gig workers, and others who are self-employed don’t normally receive benefits from the companies they work for since they are their own company. Pay is irregular and dependent on how many clients and projects they take on.\nDifferentiating employees from these various self-employment titles is important for tax and legal purposes. \nWrongly classifying workers\n gets you into legal trouble. You may be denying benefits that employees are entitled to get. \nThe \nIRS defines independent contractors\n as follows: “…if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done.” To avoid confusion, agree on their classification before work begins and get it in writing. That way, everyone is treated and paid fairly.\nyou must accurately classify workers so they get the pay and benefits they're entitled to by the law\n\nWhat employees should know\nEmployees must also understand the differences between all these terms. You should go with the title that best fits the way you want to structure your day and the way you best work. Ask yourself these questions to see what role you may like the best.\nDo you want to manage many clients or work with one at a time?\nDo you want to work directly with clients or through an agency?\nDo you want to have your own employees?\nDo you want to eventually work for a company?\nDo you want to find work mainly through gig apps and marketplaces?\nDo you want to work with an agency to get clients?\nDo you want to have benefits provided by your client or an agency?\nDo you want to work directly with clients or through an agency?\nYou’re not stuck with whatever title you choose. You can start as a freelancer and work your way over to more long-term contract work. These titles also start to get a little loose when you start looking for clients and job postings. \nCompanies may not understand the differences between these terms. Many companies use “freelancer,” and “contractor” interchangeably. Read the fine print to see what category the job most likely falls under.\nIf this is a long-term project that requires you to work certain hours, it’s probably a contract job. If it’s a short-term assignment that only has a few milestones or deadlines to follow, it’s likely a freelance job. You can also ask the employer for more information if the job description isn’t clear.\nIt’s most important to understand how your client or employer is classifying you. This impacts things like taxes and benefits. Get on the same page with them before you begin work to avoid legal headaches later.\nFinal thoughts on working with freelancers and contractors\nAlthough they’re similar, there are several important differentiators when considering freelance vs. contract work as a small business owner. Pick a worker that fits the projects and the budgets you have lined up. If you have a mix of freelance and regular work, it can get tough to keep track of everyone’s pay on top of other needs for your business.

33 articles found in “Business 101”

CCPA compliance: 8 things every small business should know

Top things to consider when renting your first business space

How to create a business email account (and important tips)

How to decide when you should be open for business

Do you need an independent contractor agreement? (includes free sample template)

Freelance vs. contract: what all business owners should know

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