Yes, Early Bird Registration for the 2016 Top Echelon Fall Conference is now live, but there’s an important networking event between now and then . . .

“Top Echelon Networking on the FARM”!

This is an annual event hosted by Network members Maria Hemminger and Joanna Spaun of MJ Recruiters, LLC in Tiffin, Ohio. Maria and Jo have been members for 11 years now, and they’re one of the biggest success stories in Network history. MJ Recruiters has made a total of 136 placements.

Recruiters from multiple states typically attend “Networking on the FARM,” including Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. As a result, if you’re within driving distance of this event, we strongly encourage you to attend and take advantage of the many opportunities for networking (and fun) that exist.

“Networking on the FARM” Facts

Below is important information regarding this event. We know that summer schedules are busy, but if you’re looking to increase your participation and production in Top Echelon Network, this event would be an excellent place to start.

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EVENT: “Top Echelon Networking on the FARM”

HOSTS: Maria Hemminger and Joanna Spaun of MJ Recruiters, LLC

DATE: Wednesday, August 17

ADDRESS: The Hemminger Farm, 3144 W. U.S. 224, Tiffin, OH  44883

DESCRIPTION: Join MJ Recruiters for the Top Echelon networking event of the summer at The Hemminger Farm in Tiffin. Top Echelon Network members are invited to network, meet new recruiters, and communicate with Top Echelon officials. This will be the fifth such event at The Hemminger Farm.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• Share HOT jobs and HOT candidates.
• MJ Recruiters will provide grilled hamburgers and bratwurst patties for everyone to enjoy. Drinks will also be supplied (water, pop, and beer).
• Please bring a side dish to share, as well as a camp chair.
• This is a casual, relaxing, informal day. Kayaking, swimming, fishing, sand volleyball, and corn hole will be available!
• Top Echelon Contracting President Debbie Fledderjohann will be on hand to answer any and all questions regarding how to make contract placements.
• Design and Support Manager Todd Bossler will also be on hand to answer “geek questions” about the Network and Big Biller software.

WHEN TO ARRIVE: According to Maria, if you’d like to arrive the night before (Tuesday, August 16), she recommends two hotels. They are the Holiday Inn Express (419.443.5100) and the Hampton Inn (419.443.5300). However, these hotels fill up quickly, so book your rooms soon! And do NOT book anywhere else in Tiffin without talking to Maria first. If you’re planning to arrive the night before, let Maria know. She’s planning a dinner event for those who arrive early.

RSVP/QUESTIONS: Email maria@mjrecruiters.com or call 419.443.1840.

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Click here to view photos from previous “Networking on the FARM” events.

We hope to see you on “the FARM” this year!

Early Bird Registration for the 2016 Top Echelon Fall Conference is now live!

That’s right, you can register for the conference. And if you sign up now, you can register for the low price of just $235 per person.

We’ve been holding events like the Fall Conference for well over 20 years, and we’ve barely raised the price for attending during that time. The cost of everything else keeps going up, but we keep the cost of these events consistent.

That’s because these events are not about us, they’re about YOU. We only make money when you make placements, and we know that recruiters who attend events like the Fall Conference make more splits than those who do not.

Early Bird catches the rate

Early Bird Registration for the Fall Conference will be available today until August 12. Regular Registration for the Fall Conference will run from August 13 until September 30. The price of Regular Registration will be $275 per person.

This year’s Fall Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18, and Wednesday, October 19. The site of the conference is the Sheraton O’Hare Suites (formerly the Sheraton Gateway Suites).

The main speaker for this year’s Fall Conference is Scott Love of The Attorney Search Group. Scott, who is a respected trainer and speaker within the industry, has presented for us before at the Fall Conference.

Our room rate with the Sheraton O’Hare Suites is $189 per night. That rate is good for Top Echelon Network members attending the conference for the dates of Monday, October 17, through Wednesday, October 19.

To make hotel reservations at the Sheraton O’Hare Suites, call 1.847.699.6300. Be sure to reference the “Top Echelon conference” and its dates when you make the reservation. Please note there are a limited number of rooms available at that rate for our group, and they will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Sheraton O’Hare Suites is located near the Chicago O’Hare Airport. A courtesy shuttle will be available for your transportation. Also keep in mind that you do not have to stay at the Sheraton O’Hare Suites. You also have the option of staying at any hotel of your choice and traveling to the Sheraton.

To register for the Fall Conference, login to the Members’ Area of the Top Echelon website. The registration links are located on the left-hand side of the main page under the placement forms.

Sign up now, save some money, and make some placements!

The federal government continues to crack down on companies that misclassify W-2 employees as 1099 independent contractors (also known as independent contractor misclassification). If you make contract placements, then your clients may expect you to advise them on how to correctly classify their workers.

Forget a moment about the fact that these might be workers you did NOT place with them. If a client asks you to advise them, it’s a perfect opportunity to position yourself as a trusted advisor. The more a client trusts you, the more likely they will be to give you job orders to fill. (Those job orders could be either contract or direct hire . . . or both.)

Fortunately, the Internal Revenue Service provides a test that can be applied to determine proper classification. That test is broken into three main categories:

1. Behavioral control
2. Financial control
   
3. Type of relationship

You can read more about this test by clicking here. (“Topic 762 – Independent Contractor vs. Employee” was last reviewed or updated on June 30, 2016.) The more control a business has over a worker, the more likely that worker is an employee and NOT an independent contractor.

Waving the misclassification flag

Below are some other red flags indicating that an independent contractor should really be a W-2 employee:

• The independent contractor will convert to a direct hire after the contract assignment ends. A better way for companies to try a worker out before committing to a direct hire is to bring on a contractor placed by you and employed through a contract staffing back office, such as Top Echelon Contracting.
• The independent contractor is doing the same work as in-house employees.
• The independent contractor is taking direction (instructions) from the company.
• The independent contractor is only working for one company.

Don’t let independent contractor misclassification threaten to derail your clients or the contract placements you make with those clients. Position yourself as a trusted advisor and offer solutions. When you make contract placements through Top Echelon Contracting, we become the legal W-2 employer of record. That means no misclassification. No potential IRS audits. No headaches.

Make contract placements and enjoy the consistent cash flow. Outsource the back-office to Top Echelon Contracting. Do what you do best and let us take care of the rest.