INVESTING IN YOUR FUTURE

I was practicing law in Boca Raton, Florida in 1994, when someone approached me about the idea of starting a PEO, or, as it was known at that time, an employee leasing company. In trying to explain the concept to me, he started using terms such as FICA, FUTA, SUTA, workers’ compensation, and a plethora of other acronyms with which I was unfamiliar. It was as if he was speaking another language that I did not understand. Notwithstanding my language barrier, I decided to move forward and to start a company in a new industry about which I knew almost nothing.

My first mission was to learn as much as I could about the industry that I had jumped into. I wanted to understand the business as well as I could and to learn it from the experience of others. It was also important to me that I knew what the issues for the industry were and how the people that came before me had worked through them.

At the suggestion of a friend and mentor, Mike Miller, I started volunteering to participate in the Florida Association of PEOs. I started slowly by attending meetings and watching the discussion of the various committees and the board of directors. I repeated that same pattern with NAPEO and started to participate in committees and attend board meetings. Over time, my participation increased and I was put on committees. After a period of time serving on committees, I was elected to the board where I eventually found my way into leadership. Before I knew it, over twenty-five years had passed, and I spent almost all of it within the PEO industry association’s leadership either at the state or national level.

Looking back, I can say with certainty that my participation in FAPEO and NAPEO have been highlights of my experience in the industry. First and foremost, I achieved my goal of learning the PEO industry from the best people in the business. I had the opportunity to spend time with the people that owned or operated businesses of all sizes, but all of whom were at the cutting edge of the industry. They all had their unique circumstances and ways of approaching the PEO delivery model, but each of them had something to teach me.

I was also in a position to stay well informed about all the legal, regulatory and even operational issues that the industry experienced. I was able to engage in discussions regarding those issues with the best and brightest in the industry and to share my experience about the ways to manage those issues.

I mingled with a group of entrepreneurs and professionals who were all passionate about the business and each of whom had their own approach to problem solving. I learned an incredible amount about business, management and leadership by spending as much time with those people as possible and watching how they behaved. Many of those people became my mentors and friends.

But there were several other advantages that I gained by volunteering to participate in industry associations. My involvement in the committees and boards was fun! I enjoyed going to conferences and meetings. I had the opportunity to participate in once-in-lifetime events at some of the most beautiful, interesting, historic and fun locations in the country. Moreover, I was participating with a group of people that became my colleagues, my support team and even some of my closest friends.

Over the years, I watched the industry go through several transformations, each of which propelled the business further and brought it to a new level of acceptance. We went from being a workers’ compensation driven model, to a benefits driven model to a full-service human resources, benefits, risk management and HRIS delivery system that small and midsize businesses depend upon for growth! Each of those growth periods came with their own regulatory and legal challenges, but in each of them, our associations were pivotal in keeping our business moving forward, and I was able to meaningfully participate in that effort.

Of course, each person has their own level of commitment and there are costs to contributing to the industry.

The opportunity cost is that participation takes time, and some believe that the time committed to the industry does not benefit their business enough to carve it out. I understand that and will confess that there were times that I believed that I worked for NAPEO and that my side gig was my PEO. But there is no question in my mind that the investment I made in my own knowledge and the growth of the industry paid off in the long run.

As with any volunteer position, there is also a financial cost to participate. Attending multiple meetings every year, strategically placed throughout the country, is not inexpensive. Many people would say that such is a cost that only large companies can bare, but I believe that the ability to participate at this level is a bargain for small and large operators alike! Where else can a small business get the access, support and participation that they get from the association?

Our industry covers so many different small business needs that we require participants with a wide variety of skills and expertise. No matter what your interest or experience is, there is a need for it! NAPEO has several working groups and committees and each of those needs the knowledge and experience of people in the field.

The great thing is that each person can determine what the appropriate level of commitment is for them. There are so many ways to contribute that there is something for each of us. Consider participating in virtual meetings or even writing an article for the PEO Insider!

If you want to participate more fully, get engaged and volunteer on a NAPEO committee.

Just as with any other meaningful endeavor, we get out what we put in, and the results tend to follow the level of effort.

Whether you are a PEO owner, operator, employee or a vendor to the PEO industry, there is a need for what you know. Whether you are an industry veteran or brand new to the industry, you have something to offer, and your engagement will be valuable. But what you get back will be a front row window view into the future of the industry, great experience and friendships that will last a lifetime, and that is priceless.