Get new hire paperwork done right
I-9, W-4, and the state new-hire report.
Read the guide →Define the job and wage before hiring
Real duties, hours, and market pay in writing.
Read the guide →Employee or contractor: classify right
Get the classification right; misclassifying is expensive.
Read the guide →Workers' comp insurance from day one
Required in most states from employee number one.
Read the guide →Hang required labor law posters right
Federal and state labor notices where staff can see them.
Read the guide →Hire your first staff the right way
Recruit and train the first people on your team.
Read the guide →Interview candidates, check references
Structured questions; call two references.
Read the guide →Make a written job offer that sticks
Pay, schedule, start date, and terms on paper.
Read the guide →Plan a new hire's first week right
Training, checklists, and a 30-day check-in.
Read the guide →Register as an employer before day one
EIN, state withholding, and unemployment accounts.
Read the guide →Payroll setup that files taxes for you
Software or a service; taxes filed automatically.
Read the guide →Write a job post that actually works
Pay listed, real duties, easy apply.
Read the guide →Every guide here is a checkbox in the app.
Join the waitlist and work through them with an AI coach on your side.
Start for free →Free plan available · No credit card required
Across the site
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Case studyMadam C.J. WalkerMadam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Co.Case studyNina VacaPinnacle GroupNewsAEWV minimum pay rises to NZD $23.95/hr from 1 April 2026Any founder hiring a migrant through the AEWV scheme must ensure offer letters and job ads meet the $23.95/hr floor from 1 April 2026 or risk visa refusal. Budget wage costs against the new rate before advertising, and note the reduced 2-year work-experience requirement makes overseas hires easier than in prior years.NewsAntler pre-team founder program applications close September 30, 2026This one is aimed at people who want to start a company but don't yet have a co-founder or a locked-in idea, an unusual on-ramp most accelerators don't offer. If you're a strong operator or technical builder still solo, Antler is a structured way to meet vetted potential co-founders and get initial capital. Treat the deadline as a forcing function to decide whether you're ready to commit full-time.NewsCalifornia statewide minimum wage rises to $16.90/hour on Jan 1, 2026If you employ hourly or lower-salary staff in California, update payroll to $16.90 (or the higher local/industry rate) and confirm any salaried-exempt employees still clear $70,304, or reclassify and pay overtime. Post the updated wage notice.NewsCourt strikes down $100,000 H-1B fee; First Circuit lets ruling stand (July 2026)If you were holding off on sponsoring an H-1B hire because of the $100K sticker shock, that barrier is lifted for now — petitions previously stalled by the fee can move forward. But this is mid-appeal and could reverse, so if you have a strong overseas candidate, moving sooner reduces your exposure to a fee that may snap back if the government wins.NewsDOL proposes narrower joint-employer liability ruleIf you use a staffing agency, run a franchise, or rely heavily on subcontractors, joint-employer status determines whether you can be held liable for another company's wage-and-hour violations. A narrower test generally reduces your exposure, but the rule is only proposed — watch for the final version before assuming it applies. Review your staffing and franchise contracts now so you know where liability sits today.NewsEB-2 NIW green card: founder self-petition path tightens as approvals fallImmigrant founders in STEM or national-priority fields can pursue permanent residency without an employer sponsor, but should assemble a rigorous evidence package (traction metrics, funding, expert letters) given the higher bar, and budget for premium processing to compress timelines.NewsEmployer childcare tax credit jumps to $500K for 2026If you already provide or subsidize childcare for employees, your potential credit more than tripled — a real lever for retention if your team has working parents. Even small employers can now claim up to $600,000, so it may be worth modeling a childcare benefit as a tax-advantaged perk rather than a straight cost. Loop in your accountant before year-end to structure qualifying expenses correctly.NewsFTC pivots to case-by-case noncompete enforcement; states pass their own bansIf you're drafting employment or contractor agreements, don't rely on a blanket noncompete — enforceability now hinges on your state's law, and overbroad clauses can invite FTC scrutiny even without a federal rule. When you hire, check the specific state rules (Virginia, California, Minnesota, etc.) before including restrictive covenants, and lean on NDAs and non-solicitation clauses that hold up more reliably.NewsNew York minimum wage hits $17 downstate / $16 upstate on Jan 1, 2026NY founders hiring hourly or newly-exempt staff must raise pay to the new floors and re-check that salaried managers still clear the higher exempt threshold — anyone below it must be reclassified as overtime-eligible. Rebudget 2026 payroll now and note that from 2027 these numbers climb automatically with inflation, so build in headroom.NewsO-1A stays the top founder visa; Entrepreneur Parole thresholds and fees riseAs a founder you may be able to self-sponsor via O-1A through your own startup — a cap-free, lottery-free route worth exploring before betting on H-1B. The same O-1 logic helps when you recruit exceptional international talent (researchers, senior engineers) without the lottery. Entrepreneur Parole remains a fallback but stays rarely granted and gives no green-card path, so treat it as a bridge, not a destination.NewsSingapore raises Employment Pass minimum salary to S$5,600 from Jan 2026Founders hiring foreign talent in Singapore must budget higher fixed salaries and factor the rising thresholds into offers, since older EP holders can fail renewal if pay lags the new floor. Plan hires and renewals around the January 2026 and July 2026 dates, and run candidates through the COMPASS points calculator early rather than assuming salary alone qualifies them.NewsStarting tax year 2026, employers must separately report tips and overtime on W-2If you employ tipped or overtime-eligible workers, update payroll to track and separately report qualified tips and overtime on 2026 W-2s now, since the grace period ends with tax year 2025.NewsUK employer NIC stays 15% on a £5,000 threshold for 2026/27; Employment Allowance £10,500This is the biggest cost lever for any UK founder deciding to make a first hire: NI now kicks in at just £5,000 of pay, so employing anyone at meaningful wages carries real employer cost from the outset. Eligible small companies should make sure they are actually claiming the £10,500 Employment Allowance, which can wipe out employer NIC entirely for a small team, and budget the 15% rate into every salary offer.ToolCalendlyCalendly is a scheduling tool that lets people book meetings with you by picking an open slot, syncing to your calendar and avoiding back-and-forth emails.ToolDocuSignDocuSign lets you send documents for legally binding electronic signature and track their status. It handles contracts, NDAs, offer letters, and other agreements with an audit trail.ToolGustoGusto runs full-service payroll for US businesses, handling paychecks, tax filing, and direct deposit, plus benefits, onboarding, and contractor payments. It automates federal, state, and local payroll tax compliance.ToolSlackA team messaging platform organized into channels, with direct messages, huddles (audio/video), file sharing, and thousands of app integrations.TermDilutionThe reduction in your ownership percentage that happens when a company issues new shares, typically to raise money or grant options.TermEIN (Employer Identification Number)A unique nine-digit number the US IRS assigns to your business for tax and identification purposes, like a Social Security number for your company.TermESOP (Employee Stock Option Pool)A reserved block of company shares set aside to grant as stock options to employees, aligning their upside with the company's success.TermSOP (Standard Operating Procedure)A documented, step-by-step process for how a recurring task should be done, so it's consistent no matter who does it.TermVestingThe process of earning equity over time, so shares or options only fully belong to a person after they stay for a set period.