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Hiring a contractor can be as much as 30 percent cheaper than taking on another employee. But the practice has its pitfalls. The IRS recently fined FedEx $319 million for failing to pay taxes and benefits for drivers whom they called "contractors" but treated like employees. In this set of articles, learn everything from how to classify workers correctly to how exactly to calculate ROI - a useful skill when considering whether or not to keep a project inhouse.

Hiring Outside Help

How to Manage Independent Contractors
The legal difference between a contractor and an employee can be tough to determine, and getting it right has just become more important: The IRS will up its vigilance on the issue for the 2007 tax year. In this comprehensive Crash Course, we'll show you how to steer clear of conflicts with Uncle Sam.

Don't Outsource -- Strategic Source
Almost nothing a company does can't be outsourced anymore--even functions as critical as engineering, marketing, and manufacturing. Yet only 6 percent of the companies that outsource are satisfied with the practice. Why? Too many managers make outsourcing decisions piecemeal. (From HBR)

How to Calculate ROI
ROI, or Return On Investment, is an analysis tool used to calculate a project's expected benefit in light of its costs. But it's more complicated than you may think. Learn what it is, when to use it, and how to calculate it in this Whiteboard video.

Business Hacks

Get Your Projects in Order with an Online Database
They're not very glamorous but online databases are the perfect solution for workers looking to share information that's centrally located. Here's the scoop on four different free databases from IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and Zoho.

PowerPoint Presentations, Google-Style
Google's free presentation software launched back in September but it wasn't until recently that the company unveiled smart features like drag-and-drop image insertion. Take a look at this slideshow for a rundown of what's new.

Fetch Info on Your Phone with InfoSpace Find It
Here's yet another free software app that makes a whole lot of sense - a mobile concierge that not only retrieves driving directions, but also says them aloud so you can keep your eyes on the road.

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