It is January, time for weight loss, gym memberships, and people overall living their best lives through some well-crafted New Year’s Resolutions. People are usually either in one of two camps, pro resolution or anti resolution. Personally, I love a good resolution, and over the years have devised techniques to ensure resolution success. This may be cheating, but I think that is okay, since most people don’t stick to those money saving, weight loss loosing resolutions. My two go to strategies are:
1) Set the bar low, ensuring success
2) Communicate to someone who cares about my success
As a PEO, our entire existence is about helping our clients realize their successes? Focus on Your Core Business is literally the tag line of most PEOs. So, I ask, have you asked your clients what their Resolutions are? Are you prepared to tackle 2019 in support of these goals? The beginning of the year is a great time for PEOs to partner with their clients in a strategic way, versus communicate and recommunicate your service offerings. Creating a strategic partnership with your client base through your service offering, places the PEO as an indispensable part of your client’s business model.
Small Business Trends reported that for resolutions 2019 some small businesses are focusing on:
- Inclusive Leadership
- Professional Development
- Healthier Work Environment
- Customer Experience
- Resource Planning
PEO Service offerings have evolved and continue to evolve in a way to be able to assist their small and medium size companies realize these goals. Training and Development in various areas and robust health care offerings that go beyond major medical plans.
Forbes reports that while 2018 realized high profits due to taxes cuts and low interest rates that 2019 will be a time to concentrate on lean operations for many small to medium size businesses. This is an area PEOs should be inserting themselves to recommunicate cost and operational efficiencies by partnering with a PEO.
Client’s that have cost savings as a focus unfortunately are going to be more vulnerable to competitors coming in offering a similar service offering for a lower price point. If you knew that cost savings or leaner operations was a goal of your client, a review of pricing to ensure they are priced competitively would put you in a proactive position versus a reactive position once a competitor comes knocking. I can tell you from experience that clients leave with a bad taste in their mouth when their PEO cuts their pricing in response to a competitive bid, whether they stay or leave.
The idea with resolutions is to get ahead of them. Once your clients communicate their resolutions with you, whether they prescribe to setting the bar low or high, it is up to you to help them ensure their success. Hold them accountable, and provide them the tools and resources to support this.
Last year, I resolved to run my first half marathon. This year, I have the same resolution- instead run my second. Setting the bar low and made sure to remind of his Sunday morning responsibilities with the kids while I train. See, I set the bar low. My husband supports my resolution in allowing me to do those long slow runs on the weekend by entertaining the kids, and being as excited for me as I am, when I actually finish. Yup, that is my only goal- to finish.
