Resources

For Small Businesses

Small businesses account for 99.6 percent of all businesses in North Carolina and employ nearly half of all North Carolinians. And overall, 60 percent of small businesses nationwide say the labor shortage is affecting them.

Attract Workers and Keep Them

Family-friendly workplaces attract more workers and keep them longer. Yet, by and large, small businesses tend to offer fewer family-friendly policies to employees:

For many small businesses, determining how to incorporate family-friendly workplace practices can be a challenge. Many times, business owners feel they don’t have the cash flow or resources to offer support like paid family leave or child care stipends. On top of that, most small businesses do not have a dedicated HR professional (or even someone experienced with workforce issues) handling their HR needs. 

But the cost of not having a family-friendly workplace is steep. In a 2021 Pew Research Center survey of workers who quit their jobs in 2021, nearly half cited child care issues as one of the reasons, and 43 percent said the benefits weren’t good.

Small businesses need additional support to build awareness about how they can incorporate family-friendly practices in a cost effective way.

We are here to help.

Guide Resources for Small Businesses

Below is a compilation of resources from across our Guide to Family Forward Workplaces that can be used by small businesses to determine what benefits are needed, what the cost/benefit analysis is, and what the data shows for business benefit and benefit to families and children.

Consult online and organizational resources for help.

Need examples of small businesses who’ve incorporated family-friendly policies? Check out these case studies: