The InFocus Blog

New (and old) faces at InFocus Partners

infocus — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:41:10 +0000

InFocus Partners Ribbon Cutting on May 30, Congrats to Matt Nuetzman on 2012 Forty Under 40, and meet some faces of InFocus Partners.

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New (and old) faces at InFocus Partners

InFocus Partners is proud to introduce Laura Green as a new member of our team! We would also like you to get to know a few faces who you may have not met, but who have been integral to our success for some time. Please read their bios at the bottom of this email.

Ribbon Cutting May 30

InFocus Partners recently relocated!. Please join us as the Urbandale Chamber and West Des Moines Chamber celebrate our new location with a Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, May 30. Stop by between 4:00-6:00pm for food and drinks and to say hello! We are now located at:
5950 Grand Avenue, Suite 100
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Workplace Dress Code

As the weather warms up, you want to make sure your employees don't cross the line with what's appropriate to wear at work. In this situation, and when dealing with anything HR-related, it's important to have a written policy that is communicated to employees BEFORE issues arise. If you need help updating or creating an employee handbook, that's just one more thing that InFocus Partners assists our clients with.

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Forty Under 40

InFocus Partners' Matt Nuetzman was recently honored by the Des Moines Business Record as one of Des Moines' Top Forty Under 40 for 2012. This award recognizes business leaders for their career achievements and community involvement. Click the link to read Matt's story: http://businessrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=45&SubSectionID=136&ArticleID=16801

Mark Spurgeon

Business Analyst

Mark is a graduate of Iowa State University and has worked with InFocus Partners since 2010. Mark primarily works with the finance and accounting department to prepare budgets, track monthly performance, and prepare presentations. Mark enjoys the chance to work with all facets of InFocus Partners and all functions within the organization. Outside of work, Mark enjoys following his alma mater's sports teams and spending time with family and friends.

April Rabik

Dir. of Operations

April has been a central part of the InFocus Partners organization in various roles since 2003, and is currently the Director of Operations. In addition to overseeing Payroll Operations, April is an extremely detail-oriented, process-driven manager, with an amazing ability to multi-task. InFocus Partners would not run nearly as smoothly without her! April enjoys boating, running, playing tennis, and spending time with family and friends.

Laura Green

Client Service Admin

Laura recently joined the InFocus Partners team as a Client Service Administrator. She acts as a one-point-of-contact for her clients, specializing in Payroll, Work Comp, and Employee Benefits Administration. Laura is from the Des Moines area as she attended Roosevelt High School and DMACC. She is married with a 2 year old son and enjoys traveling, swimming, camping & spending time with her friends, family & black lab.

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Live Well Work Well April 2012

infocus — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:18:59 +0000

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InFocus Partners March Madness

infocus — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:02:18 +0000

Enter InFocus Partners' free March Madness contest and win a gift certificate to Target!

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InFocus Partners
2012 March Madness Contest

As a friend or colleague of InFocus Partners, we invite you to join our FREE 2012 March Madness NCAA Basketball Pool! The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to Target. If you would like to enter our pool, you must fill out a bracket at our online bracket manager, hosted by cbssports.com. You will have to create a free account at CBS Sports if you don't already have one. There is a link below that you can click to enter the site.

The InFocus Partners 2012 March Madness Contest is open by invitation only, and is password-protected. Please click the following link and enter the password listed below. Or copy the link in your browser: http://infocus.mayhem.cbssports.com/e

Click here to enter our pool!
Password: service

InFocus Partners would welcome the opportunity to be of service to your company or to somone you know. We help our clients "focus" on their business by handling the administrative work relating to having employees: Payroll Processing, Workers Comp Administration, Access to Large-group employee benefits, and HR Support!

Employee Reviews

It’s a good practice, but often overlooked, to have Performance Reviews with employees at least annually. Regular reviews can provide a lot of benefits. The job itself can be examined: the process can help an owner clarify their thoughts on what is expected of the position and needed of the employee. The employee can be given valuable feedback on their strengths, weaknesses and performance. New goals can be explored. The employee can give feedback of their own. The review can provide documentation of successes and concerns. Ultimately, the goal is improved productivity all the way around.

1.)    Schedule reviews, and prepare ahead of time. The employee needs to know this is important, and that their role and input is valued.
2.)    Use a form. The organized approach will keep the dialogue on track and will become useful documentation (good and bad) later.
3.)    Ask questions and have a conversation; don’t give a monologue. Listen. The manager/owner can benefit as much as the employee that is being reviewed.

InFocus Partners is prepared to assist our clients with tools that will help make Employee Reviews easier and more productive.

Social Media

It seems like everyone is friending on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, or linking up on LinkedIn. This social connectivity may be good for your business, creating awareness for your company’s products and services. Your employee’s community standing and involvement can only help your business, right?

Well… maybe not. What if an employee says disparaging things about their employment? Or another employee? Or posts unflattering images of themselves? Can employers prohibit this sort of thing?

The National Labor Relations Board has recently issued guidance on employer’s Social Media Policies. Employers can prohibit an employee from sharing confidential information or making intimidating or harassing statements about other employees. However, an employer cannot prohibit an employee from sharing their terms and conditions of employment.

This situation is fluid, and InFocus Partners is working to keep our clients updated on the changes.

Simplified Bookkeeping and Taxes

Did you know using a P.E.O. (Professional Employer Organization) simplifies a small business’ bookkeeping and accounting? It’s true. In a co-employment arrangement the small business chooses and hires its employees but the P.E.O. is called the Employer of Record, and is responsible for all filings and reporting for the employees. Thus, the small business using the P.E.O., technically speaking, has no employees but rather contracts with the P.E.O. for their labor. Instead of complicated bookkeeping and accounting related to having employees, the small business has a single line-item expense for “Labor”. This simplification can save a small business owner time, effort, and money.

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Live Well Work Well March 2012

infocus — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:35:41 +0000

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InFocus Partners is Hiring!

infocus — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:17:58 +0000

InFocus Partners is hiring!

Our growth means that we need to hire new Client Service Administrators for our Human Resource Services company.

These positions are the point-of-contact for our clients, and the work includes payroll processing, benefits coordination, and fielding HR questions.

Ideal candidates are detail oriented, with good “people” skills. These skills are more important than Payroll Processing experience – training will be provided.

Contact April at 515.223.2685 or submit resumes to arabik@vratsinas.com.

Live Well Work Well February 2012

infocus — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:07:12 +0000

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Lunch & Learn: How to Hire & Keep the Best People

infocus — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:40:06 +0000

Small and Medium Sized Business Owners & Leaders in Central Iowa – Lend Me Thine Ears (and Stomach)

Topic: How to Hire & Keep the Best – Top Strategies for Winning the Talent Wars

Time-Date: January 31 – 1130AM-1PM

Location: DeWaay Capital Management Board Room – 13001 University Avenue, Clive, IA 50325

Capacity: 16 attendees – Lunch is provided so you’ll be focused and energized

Who Should Attend: Business owners and CEO’s of companies from 1-50 employees who “just can’t find qualified people today,” or who’ve conducted searches for months with zero success.

In this session, Doug Mitchell, CEO of PC Central will unpack 5 key hiring and retention strategies that will give you an edge in recruiting and retaining the best people for your business. Many companies complain of a talent shortage. At the same time amazing talent sits idle on the market lamenting a lack of jobs. Eliminating this disconnect is the focus of this session. We’ll spend 30 focused minutes in lively exploration leaving plenty of time for open QA and lunch is on us.

Doug has successfully hired, developed and mentored team members ranging from Millennials to Boomers and is CEO of PC Central in Urbandale.

About PC Central – PC Central delivers pain relief to business owners and CEO’s of companies with 1-50 employees. We deliver relief by promising to make you smarter, free you to succeed, and provide cloud computing services that just work like eletricity and plumbing.

About InFocus Partners – InFocus Partners is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). We offer full-service Human Resource support. We specialize in Payroll, Employee Benefits, Human Resource Administration and Risk Management. We operate on the principles of flexibility, simplicity & savings.

Online Ticketing for How to Hire & Keep the Best! – Top Strategies for Winning the Talent Wars powered by Eventbrite

Live Well Work Well

infocus — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:18:58 +0000

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PTO

infocus — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:30:00 +0000

There is a fair bit of uncertainty and misunderstanding about Paid Time Off, from both management and employees alike. Employers ask questions like “can we require the use of PTO during slow periods?” and employees wonder “can my company limit when I want to use PTO?”

Generally, the rules (or lack thereof) relating to PTO favor the employer. There is nothing in the FLSA that requires employers to give any PTO, and employers can usually set their policies how they choose.

Management is free to determine periods of peak activity, during which employees may not use PTO. Likewise, management can mandate the use of PTO during slow periods or to reduce staff temporarily with furloughs.

There are some restrictions, however. Whatever the businesses policy, it must be applied consistently and non-discriminatorily. Employees must have a reasonable opportunity to use the time they’re given. (Unpaid ) leave protected by law, like FMLA, cannot be restricted by the company.

Whatever the employer decides, the best policy is one that is clearly communicated and evenly applied.

InFocus Partners is here to help our clients with Human resource policy creation and application.

InFocus Partners honored on the 5th Annual Inc 500|5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies!

infocus — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:07:14 +0000

NEW YORK, NY August 23, 2011 — Inc. magazine today ranked InFocus Partners #1357 on its fifth annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s 5000 fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs. InFocus Partners, a West Des Moines-based Human Resource service provider for small and medium sized businesses, joins Spirit Airlines, Vizio, Honest Tea, Dunkin Donuts, and other prominent brands on this year’s list.

In a stagnant economic environment, median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 94 percent. The companies on this year’s list report having created 350,000 jobs in the past three years, and aggregate revenue among the honorees reached $366 billion, up 14 percent from last year.

About InFocus Partners

InFocus Partners provides outsourced Human Resource solutions for small to medium-sized employers. Payroll Processing, Workers Comp, Employee Benefits, and HR Policy all come together to save business owners time and money, and reduce their liabilities.

About Inc. Magazine

Founded in 1979, Inc. is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies. With a total paid circulation of 710,106, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology.

Contact InFocus Partners:

Office: 515.223.2685

Charles Ganske, Director: cganske@infocus-partners.com

Matt Nuetzman, Director of Marketing and Sales: mnuetzman@infocus-partners.com

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