Why not hire?

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster There's the thing right there. It can be quite expensive to have a legitimate employee as opposed to paying someone under the table. I hear it from my clients all the time - "You should hire a kid to help you out." Well, yeah, that would be grand, but I do everything legally, and I can't afford to hire an employee. I don't know all the requirements/costs involved, but I'm aware of enough to know that it's not as simple as handing someone some cash at the end of the day. And yes, working alone does force me to limit what I do. THAT is the Golden answer.....most people don't realize if I hire you for $10 an hour, I'm really paying about $15-$18 an hour for you to work for me. Now our great and glorious leader says if you own a business you didn't do it without government help. ( and people, i wouldn't doubt some of you will still vote for him. ) You can't win at a game if people keep changing the rules.

[CHEESE2009]

Lawn care business tips

So, for those who would like to hire their first employee, you should ask a lawyer for guidance, correct? All of my government paperwork is mailed directly to my lawyer, and he just sends me the stuff I need to sign and fill out, and then I send it back to him. I like how simple that is is. It's not like I can read and understand government forms anyway. So that briefly describes what a lawyer does, he/she makes sure your government paperwork is taken care of. - All of my receipts and bill copies are organized by month, and filed until my accountant needs to 'do whatever accountants do'. Would he, my accountant, also be someone to assist with hiring an employee? I suppose the accounts job is to find the right answers to put on government forms that ask you about your finances. - For those without either a lawyer or an accountant, what can they do? Recap Get a payroll company. Is it their job to simplify the entire process of having an employee? The payroll company gives you all the proper paperwork. I suppose this means I can spend less time on government websites trying to find the right forms to print out. However, can I give these forms (once received) to someone else, lawyer or accountant to make sure I don't mess anything up? ** I honestly hope this helps people.

[CHEESE2009]

I found this;


Employee Benefits Policy
As you add employees to your business, you will need to decide

How many hours people will work.
What holidays they are entitled to.
What your vacation policy might be.
If you elect to cover employee medical expenses or provide medical insurance, you will need to give some thought to what type of policies you will provide. This might be an HMO, PPO, or pick your own doctor policy.
What sick leave policy to offer. Will you pay employees when they are sick or will this time be considered unpaid time off? Be sure to refer to the Fair Labor Standards Act when making this determination. There are different requirements for hourly vs. salaried employees.
There are a number of sources to give you some help in deciding these issues:

Start with your accountant and lawyer.
Your own experience in your particular industry will help determine your policy. What has worked for similar companies in the past is very likely a good way to consider going with your own company so you are competitive with other firms in your industry.
Organizations such as SCORE can be helpful in determining policies and procedures.


and


Making entries into a software program does not require a trained bookkeeper but it is important that you, the business owner, have a full understanding of double entry accounting.
There is one aspect of bookkeeping that you could consider delegating: payroll and payroll reporting, which can be handled by Payroll Service Providers at a low cost.