Reader Denise Kerns asked,
Do you have any resources for developing an employee handbook for small businesses? I’ve never had one, but think I should and don’t know where to start.
I love your publication. I find encouraging and insightful info very regularly. So nice to find something specifically addressing small town businesses!
So I’m asking you. Do you have any resources for developing an employee handbook, especially for small towns?
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
One of my colleagues has vast experience with company handbooks. I’d be glad to pass on her information. She’s based out of California but might be able to provide consulting services remotely.
Another source is to check you local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and see if they have an HR consultant on hand.
Good luck!
I’ve written employee manuals, training guides and product knowledge guides for former employers and clients. The biggest barrier is never the content, but fighting the fear of overwhelm. Once you take the big jump and spend a couple of hours with a big brainstorm session and completing an outline, the bulk of the work is done. Remember, these things should be in plain language that is easy to understand and laid out so information is easy to look up, find and point out when it’s referenced. Hope this helps!
Jesse and Patrysha, thanks for sharing those resources.
Jeff Harbert added on Twitter:
There’s this: Nordstrom | The One (and only) Rule in its Employee Handbook http://t.co/Kz2KvNd
SBA.gov does indeed have an employee handbook section: http://www.sba.gov/content/employee-handbooks –which starts with “What Should an Employee Handbook Include?”
Yay, Maesz! Excellent resource!
If you find some good resources out there will you be able to work with the provider at making the available to all of us? You certainly aren’t the only one with this need!
Ray, check out the SBA resource Maesz linked to. It’s available for free.
http://www.sba.gov/content/employee-handbooks
Thompson Publishing Group offers the Employee Handbook Builder.
I think its great because this system enables you to build, access, and update your handbook from any computer with a browser and an internet connection.
– It’s accessible from anywhere
– It’s written by top employment attorneys
– It covers all state policies and is updated throughout the year
– It’s hosted on secure servers, providing the highest level of security
– It’s fully customizable and it updates in real time
In full disclosure, I work for Thompson. And this question was directed to me by Becky McCray on our thompsonhr Twitter account. But you know, I really do encourage you try the demo, you may find is the right solution for you.
http://builder.thompson.com/bild-demo.html
Nicole, thanks for coming over from Twitter. You did the explanation and the disclosure absolutely right.