5 Ideas to Attract Staff During the Great Resignation

If you’re having trouble attracting and retaining staff, you’re not alone. A convergence of issues has created one of the greatest talent shortages in our lifetimes. Boomers are retiring in large numbers, deaths from the pandemic and opioid crisis are rising, and people are no longer wanting to work for low wages. Child care is also becoming harder to find, immigration policies are getting stricter, and many are rethinking their career paths. It’s no wonder small businesses are having trouble finding workers. 


The good news is small business owners still have many things they can control when finding the ideal candidates. Here are some ideas to help you do just that. 

1. Be open to various options.

If you require a 40-hour workweek and on-site workers dressed in business professional, you may need to rethink your approach. Many talented people are choosing to work part time, and it might be easier to find two part-time workers instead of one full-time employee. 


How much of the job can they do virtually? This opens your hiring pool nationally and perhaps even internationally. You should also consider temporary versus permanent employees, and outsource certain functions when you can. 


The key is to be open to finding creative ways to get the job done. 

2. Make fun a vital part of your workplace.

Even if there are numerous deadlines and serious work to be done, your workplace can still be fun. A good start is bringing snacks to the office; camaraderie always blossoms around food. 


Add in extra out-of-work activities like movie or game nights, take weekly team lunches, start an amateur sports team, or encourage co-worker get-togethers after work. Decorate the office for each holiday, and celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and employee successes. Create fun projects like a volunteer day for a local charity, or support a team entry in a local fun run. 


In short, create a culture in which employees can not only have fun, but be themselves. 

3. Add perks (and not just the usual suspects).

Employees are demanding more of their employers, and the best businesses are listening and delivering. Beyond increasing pay and ramping up benefits—401k, health insurance, vacation, and PTO—consider these perks: 


  • Flex Hours: Give employees more flexibility in when they work.
  • Work-from-Home Days: More people are working from home at least part of the time.
  • Pet Insurance: A New England CPA firm now offers this pet-lover perk to its workers. 
  • Extra PTO: Various companies are now offering unlimited PTO, no questions asked.
  • Child Care: Any way you can make the work day easier on parents is a plus.


Other perks to think about are holiday gifts, bonuses, free dry cleaning, free car washes, and employee discounts. 

4. Embrace technology.

Employees want the best tools you can give them to do their jobs better. Make sure your employees are equipped with the latest hardware and software so there’s less stress around the inevitable tech glitches that occur. There’s nothing worse than having a deadline and coming across a software glitch that wastes precious time. 

5. Apply marketing techniques to hiring.

Instead of posting a boring job ad, create a campaign to find employees. Make sure your social media is up to date and mirrors your organization’s culture. Be sure to look in places you may not have traditionally looked for candidates. Create a job interview process that’s interesting and enthusiastic. You’re competing for talent, so doing these things will help you win. 


We may all be dealing with staff shortages, but there are still millions of people looking to make a career move or get back into the workforce. Do more for your employees and candidates than your competitor down the street, and they will want to keep working for you.   


We’d love to talk more about the changes we’ve implemented in our own employee culture to attract and retain top talent! Reach out and let’s have a conversation. If managing your business financials is also high on your list of stressors, we’re here to help! 

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Leading vs Lagging Indicators: Financial Metrics Small Business Owners Need to Know

By Alisa McCabe • March 9, 2026
What Are Lagging Indicators? Lagging indicators measure results that already occurred. They confirm outcomes after decisions have played out, making them useful for evaluation and reporting. Common examples include: Net profit or loss Historical revenue growth Accounts receivable aging Customer acquisition cost calculated after campaigns conclude These figures are concrete and easy to pull from records, which makes them popular during reviews or planning sessions. Their strength lies in clarity. They show whether goals were met and whether strategies delivered results. Their weakness is timing. Once the numbers appear, the opportunity to influence them has passed. Adjustments based on these readings affect future periods, not the one already closed. What Are Leading Indicators? Leading indicators focus on signals that suggest what may happen next. They do not guarantee outcomes, yet they provide early insight into momentum and risk. Examples include: Sales pipeline value Website traffic paired with conversion behavior Engagement trends Cash flow projections Quote-to-close ratios These measures require consistency and discipline, since they depend on timely updates and thoughtful interpretation. Their advantage is foresight. They give leaders room to respond before challenges escalate. Their limitation is complexity. Tracking them takes effort, and interpretation can feel less certain than reviewing completed results. Why Small Businesses Need Both Lagging measurements validate whether a plan was successful or not. They answer questions about effectiveness and efficiency after the fact. Leading signals provide the chance to adapt sooner. They highlight potential shortfalls or opportunities while there is still time to act. Using both creates balance. One confirms reality, while the other shapes preparation. Together, they support steadier decisions and reduce surprises. How to Get Started Begin by identifying two or three lagging results that reflect success in your industry. Choose figures that clearly connect to sustainability and cash health. Next, select two or three leading signals that influence those outcomes. For example, if collection timing affects cash availability, monitor invoice trends and projected inflows. Use tools like QuickBooks Online or customized dashboards to keep information visible. Schedule regular reviews weekly or monthly and commit to acting on what you see. Consistency matters more than volume. Turn Leading vs Lagging Indicators Into Action Understanding which signals matter is one step, but interpreting them accurately and applying them consistently is another. At First Steps Financial, we help organizations connect financial metrics with daily decisions through fractional bookkeeping and consultation. Our role is to guide you toward clarity, not overwhelm you with data. If you want support setting up meaningful indicators and using them with confidence, let’s chat.

Protecting Your Investment: What to Consider Before You Sign a Small Business Partnership Agreement

By Alisa McCabe • February 24, 2026
Defining Roles, Authority, and Accountability Partnerships struggle most when responsibilities overlap or remain vague. Each participant should understand their scope of authority, operational duties, and decision-making rights . Consider how daily choices will be handled. Determine who oversees operations, who manages finances, and who represents the organization externally. Clarity supports efficiency and reduces friction. Written definitions also help when circumstances change. Growth, staff additions, or market shifts can test informal arrangements, while documented expectations provide stability. Capital Contributions and Ongoing Commitments Money is often the most sensitive topic in any business partnership agreement. Initial contributions should be clearly documented, including cash, assets, or services provided at the start. Equally important is understanding future commitments. Decide how additional funding needs will be handled. Will partners contribute proportionally, seek outside financing, or pause expansion plans? Addressing these questions upfront avoids resentment and protects working relationships. Transparency around financial considerations builds confidence and aligns priorities. Profit Sharing, Draws, and Cash Flow Planning Sharing profits seems simple until timing and distribution enter the conversation. Agreements should outline how earnings are allocated, when distributions occur, and what happens during lean periods. It is also wise to distinguish between compensation for active involvement and returns on ownership. Mixing the two can cloud performance discussions and strain cash availability. Clear policies help ensure stability, especially when one partner depends more heavily on income from the organization than another. Exit Paths and Conflict Resolution Even strong partnerships can change over time. Planning for exits does not signal mistrust. It reflects foresight. Outline how ownership transfers occur, how valuations are determined, and what triggers a buyout. Include processes for resolving disputes without disrupting operations. Having a roadmap for difficult scenarios protects both the investment and the people involved. Turning Planning Into Financial Clarity A strong business partnership agreement is more than a legal formality; it's an investment in your business's future and the relationship at its core. The effort you invest in planning now pays dividends through smoother operations, fewer misunderstandings, and stronger trust between partners. However, partnership agreements don't exist in a vacuum. They need to align with your actual financial realities: cash flow patterns, equity structures, and long-term sustainability goals. At First Steps Financial , we help businesses gain financial clarity through fractional bookkeeping and financial consultation services. We’ll navigate the numbers so you can focus on running your business and building a solid partnership. Let's connect.

Accounting for Small Business Owners: 5 Red Flags That Your Books are Broken (And How to Fix Them)

By Alisa McCabe • February 9, 2026
1. Your Financial Reports Never Match Reality If statements show healthy margins, but the bank balance feels tight, something is off. This disconnect often points to missing entries, timing issues, or misclassified transactions. Start by reconciling accounts monthly. Compare statements against source documents such as invoices, receipts, and bank activity. Consistency creates trust in the numbers and reduces surprises when reviewing performance. 2. You Are Always Behind on Updates When records lag weeks or months behind, visibility disappears. Decisions become guesses rather than informed choices. Create a recurring schedule for updates. Weekly or biweekly check-ins keep information current and manageable. Smaller intervals also make it easier to catch errors early, before they compound into larger issues. 3. Expense Categories Keep Changing Frequent shifts in how costs are labeled make trends impossible to track. Without consistency, comparing periods lose meaning. Establish a clear chart of categories and stick to it. Adjust only when operations evolve in a meaningful way. Stable classifications help reveal spending patterns and support better planning. 4. You Rely on Your Bank Balance Alone Checking available cash may feel sufficient, but it only tells part of the story. Outstanding invoices, upcoming obligations, and recurring commitments are invisible without proper reporting. Use cash flow summaries to understand timing. Seeing inflows and outflows together provides clarity and reduces stress during slower periods. Awareness supports proactive choices instead of reactive ones. 5. Corrections Happen Only During Year-End Waiting until the end of the year to clean up records can feel efficient, yet it often creates confusion and rushed fixes. Important insights are lost along the way. Build in periodic reviews. Quarterly assessments allow adjustments while details are still fresh. This habit improves accuracy and reduces the burden of large-scale corrections later. Turning Clarity Into Confidence Addressing these red flags takes time and discipline, but the payoff is control. Reliable records support smarter pricing, steadier cash management, and calmer leadership. First Steps Financial partners with organizations that want clarity without adding internal strain. Through fractional bookkeeping and financial consultation, our team helps bring structure, consistency, and insight to financial systems so leaders can focus on running their operations with confidence. If you are ready to replace uncertainty with clarity, let’s connect .

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