70 contract workers inspired, he lets them create their own hours, dress as they like, and bring their kids to work. Not many major corporations can match that ambiance. We want them to feel invested in the company. It's also smart to keep your valued workers on track by offering training programs to advance and update their skills. John and Veronica Redmon, owners of the Redmon Group, a multimedia Web design outfit in Alexandria, Va., emphasize employee education.
Workers can request to take a course or attend a conference from the pool of funds.
Once they've been trained, employees are then required to share their knowledge with their colleagues. Last year, the SBA released a study showing that federal regulations disproportionately affect businesses with 50 or fewer workers. For instance, a company with three workers may have to write the same lengthy OSHA-mandated training manual as a company with 300 workers. Dennis, of the NFIB's education foundation, says the group's members are growing increasingly irritated by what they consider unreasonable regulations. Perhaps in response, regulators have made educational materials more accessible via videos and the Web and are less rigid in how they enforce the rules.