Register for an Upcoming Management Certification Course
AOCA's Management Certification Course provides the knowledge and tools to help you and your managers develop skills in  planning, organization, staffing, leading and controlling .
Upcoming Fall 2017 Courses
September 26-27, Dallas, TX:  Register now!
October 3-4, Chicago, IL: Register now!

Thank You to Our Sponsors!




AOCA Partner, PISTN: Marketing Accelerated


As a small business owner, you can't afford to make the mistakes that might drive away potential customers. Even if you maintain your web presence and  social media challenges  yourself, you have to make the look as slick and professional as if you had farmed them out to an expensive firm. The best way to do that is to avoid these classic blunders:

Typos. We know, everyone is human and typos happen. Consistent typos and poor grammar will turn off even the most interested of customers, however. Albert Einstein once said: "Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important affairs." An independent newspaper publisher put it this way: "If they don't trust you with the little things, they won't trust you with the big things." We'll put it like this: if they don't trust you with to spell things right, they won't trust you with their money.

As an AOCA partner, PISTN: Marketing Accelerated offers AOCA members discounted services. Visit their member page to learn more.
Q&A with Affinity HR's 
Claudia St. John: Trump and 
Overtime Rule
Q:  What ever happened with the proposed increase in the minimum salary threshold to be exempt from overtime?  

A: The increase that was put in place by the Obama Administration #8212 from $23,660 to $47,476 — in order to be exempt from overtime has been held up in court since December 2016. The Trump Administration just filed a brief with the court saying it does not intend to defend the new, higher level. This means it may go back to the former level or a new level could be established. Our recommendation is to continue and wait and see what the Administration and courts decide.  

Learn more about AOCA's partnership with Affinity HR Group and how you can access custom support to your most challenging people management issues.
Access the Latest Recorded Webinar: Workplace Regulations - What to Expect from the Trump Administration
From mandatory E-verify to paid child-care and beyond, what will Congress and the Trump Administration do to workplace laws and regulations in the near future? While it's difficult to get a read on it, there are some signals with regard to coming changes in workplace laws. Meanwhile, state and local governments continue to enact and update regulations of their own. Listen to this webinar recording for a look at regulatory trends and how you can be preparing for them, as well as an update to the Obama administration's new overtime provisions that went into effect at the end of last year.
 
Access the recorded webinar
Limited Time Promotions from 
AOCA's Savings4Members
Savings4Members is offering our members a summer of savings with limited time promotions. Take advantage of these exclusive offers:
  • NEWGet a $300 Visa gift card when you enroll with Synchrony Financial and register on the Business Center by August 31

  • NEW - Save $25 off your order of $250 or more with Office Depot starting August 5 through September 5.
  • ENDING SOON -  Save with Sprint on Apple and Samsung Devices with a $400 gift card & Unlimited Freedom. Ends August 31.
Don't miss out on all current Savings4Members' vendor promotions. You can view all promos here.

Learn more or contact a Savings Consultant at info@savings4members.com or 844.346.3746
Family Succession Planning with Trusts
The goal of most parents is to see that their children and grandchildren succeed. As long as the parents are alive, they can help their children as needed. But, what if the parents die? Family succession planning involves helping the next generation succeed by properly protecting their assets and incenting the type of behavior parents find appropriate. This can effectively be done using one or more forms of trusts.

Read more.
Risk Management Corner
Cybersecurity and Small Business
It's nearly impossible these days for businesses to operate without the help of Internet-connected devices, which exposes them to cybercrime. It's the small- to medium-sized businesses, however, that are especially vulnerable: half are victims of cybercrime and nearly two-thirds of those victims go out of business. Hackers increasingly target small businesses because there is a low risk they will be caught and a high probability they will be successful.

HR Question of the Month: Pay new hires for onboarding prior to start date?
Question: We will soon be implementing pre-employment online onboarding. As such, individuals who have accepted an offer for employment but are not yet employed will complete pre-employment paperwork including I-9, W-4, etc. on a one-time basis. They will also familiarize themselves with a few select policies. The paperwork is not burdensome. They can complete the paperwork on their own time at home and at any time prior to their first day. The paperwork is not part of the worker's assigned job duties. Do the soon-to-be employees need to be compensated for the time it takes for them to complete the paperwork?