In 1995, I became President of Strategic Outsourcing, Inc. (SOI), one of the early pioneers in the Professional Employer Organization—or PEO—industry.
Back then we called it employee leasing, which sounded a little like we rented employees by the weekend. Thankfully, the industry came up with a better name.
We also didn’t have Google, smartphones, or DocuSign. I’m still not sure how we got anything done.
What we did have was a pretty good idea: help small business owners lower costs, offer better employee benefits, manage workers’ compensation, and get some of the HR headaches off their desks.
It worked.
SOI eventually grew to nearly 50,000 W-2 employees and more than $1 billion in annual revenue under the accounting methods used at the time. Along the way, I traveled all over the country talking with business owners about PEOs and learning what worked—and occasionally what didn’t.
Fast-Forward 30 Years
The technology is better. I’ve still got good hair, but I’m not as pretty as I used to be.
Fortunately, experience counts for something.
And the questions business owners ask really haven’t changed:
Can I lower my costs? Can I offer better benefits? Can somebody else deal with the HR headaches? Can I get competitive workers’ compensation? And can I spend more time running my business instead of dealing with all this stuff?
That’s where we come in.
Today, through SIA and Syndicated Insurance Resources, we have access to numerous PEOs, insurance markets, staffing programs, payroll solutions, workers’ compensation programs, and other strategies for small businesses.
And here’s something you don’t hear from every salesperson:
A PEO may not be your best option.
We’re not trying to squeeze your business into a particular program. We’ll look at what you’re doing now, what it’s costing you, and whether there’s a better way.
If we can save you money, reduce your administrative headaches, improve your benefits—or preferably all three—we should talk.
I’ve been doing this since 1995. At this point, I ought to know something about it. My team and I are ready to help.