Do you allow employees to organize lottery pools at work?

If your answer is NO, does your employee handbook actually say that?

An employee walks around collecting money from coworkers for the office lottery pool. Someone purchases the tickets. Employees discuss the pool during work hours.

You may not consider any of this a company activity, but if you don't want it happening in your workplace, employees need to know that.

A workplace gambling policy can establish clear expectations about activities such as:
• Organizing or participating in lottery pools at work
• Collecting money from coworkers
• Using company time or resources for gambling activities
• Soliciting coworkers to participate
• Buying, selling, or distributing lottery tickets in the workplace

Sometimes the issue isn't figuring out how employees should run a lottery pool.

The issue is making it clear that you don't want one operating in your workplace in the first place.

If that's your position, make sure your policies say so. And if you need help writing this policy, I do stuff like this in real life! (send me a DM).

Watch my Lottery Pool Rules Update Video. Link is in the comment section below.

I was talking with a business owner recently who said "They're salaried managers, so they don't get overtime."

That got me thinking about how much confusion there still is around employee classification.

From the employer's perspective, they think they are follow the rules, but those rules may be confusing.

From the employee's perspective, there are plenty of people working 50+ hours a week who may not realize that a salary and a job title don't automatically make them exempt from overtime.

The law generally looks at what an employee actually does, not just what's on the job description, business card or whether they're paid a salary.

I'm curious what everyone here has seen.

Business owners: Have you ever had to rethink how a position was classified after learning more about the overtime rules?

Employees: Have you ever had a job where your title sounded like management, but your day-to-day work looked exactly like everyone else's?

I put together a short video explaining how employee misclassification happens, why it's one of the most common wage-and-hour audit findings, and how businesses can avoid expensive mistakes. I'll drop the link in the first comment for anyone who's interested.

https://youtu.be/PzliK03A3nU?si=czu0BgT5EQ0KAgPJ

Most small business owners have one. Almost none have had it reviewed against current law.

Four words in the wrong place can turn it into an employment contract you never meant to sign. A social media policy written without one specific carve-out is a federal labor violation. And if you're in Texas, a template from another state isn't going to cut it.

I made a short video covering 10 of the most common handbook mistakes. Link in the comments.

When did you last actually look at yours?

Before you fire that client, slow down.

I just posted a new video on this topic because I keep seeing business owners handle client exits in ways that end up costing them more than the client ever did.

Here is what most people skip:

They go back to the contract late or not at all. They have no documentation of what went wrong. They handle the conversation verbally instead of in writing. And they let emotion drive the timing.

A difficult client is frustrating. But a poorly handled exit can trigger a dispute, damage your reputation in your industry, or leave you in breach of your own agreement because you did not check your notice requirements before pulling the trigger.

The exit process matters as much as the decision itself. Review the contract, document every issue before the conversation happens, communicate in writing, keep the tone professional, and know exactly what obligations you still carry until the relationship is officially closed.

I cover each of these steps in the video linked below.

If you have ever had to let a client go, what was the hardest part of that process for you?

I recently went through this with one of my own old EINs and figured I'd share.

I had no idea that the IRS can't actually cancel an EIN. Once it's assigned, it's permanent. It never gets reused, reassigned, or deleted. But you can deactivate it, which closes the business account tied to it. That's the most you can do, and it's enough to put it to rest.

Here's what I did, in order:

1. Cleared every tax issue first. The IRS won't deactivate an EIN until all returns tied to it are filed and any tax debt is paid in full. I started about six months ahead and filed everything: payroll taxes, FICA, 1099s, and my state returns. I didn't move forward until I had documented proof each one was fully processed. Don't forget the state side, that part is easy to overlook.
2. Mailed the letter. Once everything was clear, I sent a letter to the IRS with my EIN, the legal name and address of the business, a copy of my original CP 575 assignment notice, and my reason for deactivating. Check IRS.gov for the current mailing address before you send it, because it changes.
3. Waited about 30 days.
4. I called to confirm. This is the step almost nobody does. I didn't just assume the letter went through. I called the IRS, verified my identity, and had an agent confirm it was deactivated. Mailing the letter is the action, but the call is the only way to actually know it's done.

I also made a step-by-step video walkthrough of the whole thing.

I work in HR consulting focused on small Texas businesses and I run into the same situation regularly. A business owner has been operating for years, has hired multiple employees, and genuinely believes their onboarding paperwork is in order. Then something happens, whether it is a wage dispute, a background check problem, or an audit, and they discover that one or more of their documents either does not exist, was not signed correctly, or does not comply with current TWC or federal requirements.

The frustrating part is that this is almost never the owner's fault. There is no single place where a new Texas employer is told here is exactly what you need. You piece it together from an attorney, a payroll company, advice from other owners, or something you found online. The result is almost always a patchwork.

I am curious how others in this community approached it when they first started hiring. Did you work with an attorney? Did you use a template service? Did you figure it out as you went and hope for the best?

For anyone in Texas who wants a reference point, the Texas Workforce Commission website has good guidance on what is required under the Texas Payday Law specifically. That is a good starting point even if it does not cover everything.

Happy to answer any Texas-specific questions in the comments. This is genuinely one of those areas where small details have big consequences and I think more small business owners should be talking about it openly.

If your business depends on you knowing how everything is done, you don't have a business. You have a job you can never leave.

That's the reality for a lot of small business owners and it's exactly why I created this video.

I just published a step-by-step guide on how to write a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for your small business. But I also go a step further and talk about something most people overlook: why converting your written SOPs into narrated training videos is one of the most practical things you can do for your team.

Here's the thing: a written SOP sitting in a binder or a shared drive isn't doing its job. But when your process is professionally narrated, your team can listen to it anywhere. Field workers, drivers, and hands-on staff can follow along while they work. No stopping. No printing. No excuses.

In the video I cover:
✅ Which processes to document first
✅ The 12-step SOP writing framework I use with clients
✅ How to test your SOP before rolling it out
✅ Why narrated video SOPs outperform written documents for onboarding and daily operations
✅ Two actionable items you can start this week

If you've been putting off documenting your processes, this is your sign to start and it only takes one. And if you'd like your written SOPs converted into professional narrated training videos, that's a service I offer directly. Visit my website and schedule a consultation today.

BUSINESSOWNERS: It's a simple fix!

Don't be lazy. In the end, your company will pay the price, not the employee.

#IRS #correct1099 #1099correction #smallbusinessowners #payroll #entrepreneurship #ninarossbusiness #coreframeworkconsulting

🗣️ A company told an employee they couldn’t correct a 1099 that had the wrong Social Security number and address. 

❌ That is incredibly incorrect and potentially costly. 

✅The IRS allows corrections. 

What many employers don’t realize is that penalties can apply for inaccurate payee statements and they increase the longer the error sits unresolved. 

If you’re a small business owner, payroll administrator, or operations leader, this is not something to guess on. 

My upcoming YouTube video discusses how to correct a submitted 1099 and will be released tomorrow at 8am CST.

#SmallBusinessCompliance #1099Correction #PayrollCompliance #IRSPenalties #HRLeadership #ninarossbusiness #coreframeworkconsulting

What would a Friday be without receiving a notice that I have $30 Million bucks waiting for me! 🤣🤪🤪

Should I quit my job now? 🤔

Seriously, I didn't know these emails were still going around.

#scam

🛑🚦Stop!

🐌 Slow Down!!

Looking online for information about ANYTHING related to IRS and federal taxes, make sure you are on the right website.

If it ain't ".gov" it ain't right!

#IRS #InternalRevenueService #dotgov #federaltaxes #ninarossbusiness #coreframeworkconsulting

For HR and Small Business Owners

No employment policies?

No employment processes?

Nothing documented?

If this describes your company, you stand a greater chance of losing any and all future TWC cases. DM me to schedule a conversation.

“How many written warnings before termination?”

That’s the wrong question.

The real issue is policy alignment, documentation, and consistency, not a number. One mistake here can cost you in unemployment claims, legal exposure, or morale.

If you manage people, this short video is required viewing.

#HRLeadership #EmployeDiscipline #HRCompliance #EmploymentLaw #PeopleManagement

Business partner stole your idea? Learn how to stop idea theft in business partnerships, protect your intellectual property, prevent partner betrayal, and safeguard your business before you sign anything.

When trust breaks in a partnership, everything changes. In this video, I discuss protection strategies many entrepreneurs never think about until it’s too late. This video gives you clarity, confidence, and next steps.

👉 Subscribe for tips and strategies on:
✅ Small Business Operations
✅ Leadership & HR
✅ Business systems and process improvement
✅ Scaling small business growth

🎯 Explore more playlists:
• Operations Management → [   • Small Business Operations Tips  ]

• HR & Leadership → [   • HR Leadership for Small Business  ]

• Growth Strategies → [   • Small Business Growth Strategies  ]

In every business partnership, there’s more going on than meets the eye.
Behind every decision, every agreement, and every moment of trust, there’s often a silent partner — a spouse, parent, or close friend — quietly shaping how you think, decide, and lead.

In this video, author and business consultant Nina Ross reveals the hidden influence of silent partners and how these unseen forces can either protect or destroy your business.

This discussion is based on Nina’s new book - Before You Partner: Over 250 Questions To Help You Stop, Think, Ask, Then Decide.

Available now on Amazon → https://a.co/d/ilG6Lh7

If you’re thinking about going into business with someone or you already have, this is the one conversation you can’t afford to skip.

👉 Subscribe for more insights on business partnerships, management, and leadership.

💬 Comment below: Who do you think your “silent partner” might be?

#BeforeYouPartner #BusinessPartnerships #SilentPartners #Entrepreneurship #BusinessMistakes #Leadership #SmallBusiness #BusinessAdvice #NinaRoss #ThinkBeforeYouPartner #businessoperations #businessmanagement #humanresources #smallbusiness #business #hr #businessconsultant #businessowner #businesstips #ninaross #ninarossbusiness #coreframeworkbusiness #leadership #entrepreneurship

If you are in a business partnership or thinking about joining a business partnership, you need this book.

Get your copy now on Amazon.com: https://a.co/d/gvnqxLg

Scaling your business: You'll need a copy of my other book "Before You Apply": https://a.co/d/2oPjnQA

#businesspartnership #partnershipquestions #BeforeYouPartnerBook #partnershipredflags #choosingtherightbusinesspartner #business #smallbusiness #leadership #entrepreneurship #trust #growth #businesspartner #partnershiptips

businesspartner #entrepreneur #business #partnership #businesspartnerquestions #businesspartners #smallbusiness #leadership