Small Business Benefits

If you've started shopping for benefits administration or a broker relationship, you've probably run into the term "PEPM" and moved on without really understanding it. Here's what it means and why it should factor into your decision. PEPM Means "Per Employee Per Month" It's the standard way benefits administration platforms and some broker fees are priced. Instead of a flat fee, you pay a set dollar amount for each enrolled employee, each month. A platform charging $4 PEPM fo

Open enrollment only comes once a year — but the preparation should start well before your renewal date. Miss a step and you're scrambling. Do it right and your employees walk away with coverage they actually understand. Here's the checklist we use with our clients at Service 1st Benefits. 60–90 Days Before Renewal ☐ Request renewal rates from your broker Your carrier should send renewal rates 60–90 days before your plan anniversary. If you haven't received them, ask. Waiting

When small business owners think about employee benefits, health insurance tends to dominate the conversation. And for good reason — group health coverage is the foundation of any competitive benefits package. But there's another category of benefits that many small businesses are leaving on the table entirely: voluntary benefits. Voluntary benefits can meaningfully strengthen your total compensation package, improve employee satisfaction, and even help with recruiting — ofte

Most small business owners approach their group health insurance renewal the same way: they wait until the paperwork arrives, review the new rate, wince at the increase, and ask their broker if anything can be done about it. By that point, the answer is usually "not much." The businesses that manage their benefits costs most effectively don't wait for the renewal to show up. They start preparing 90 days in advance — and that preparation is what gives them options. This guide

Many small business owners signed up with their benefits broker years ago — maybe through a referral, maybe because they needed coverage fast and took the first option available. And for a while, things were fine. But at some point, something shifted. Renewals started arriving with little explanation. Employees started complaining that no one would answer their questions. Open enrollment felt like a scramble every single year. If any of that sounds familiar, it may not be a b

If you're reading this, something about your current benefits broker relationship isn't working. Maybe renewals come and go without a real conversation. Maybe your employees call with questions and no one picks up. Maybe you feel like you haven't heard from your broker since last open enrollment — and even then, the experience felt rushed. Whatever brought you here, you should know this: switching benefits brokers is easier than most employers think. And in most cases, you ca

For many small business owners, health insurance is one of the largest operating expenses outside of payroll. As healthcare costs continue to rise, employers are looking for ways to provide quality benefits while maintaining control over their budgets. One option gaining popularity among small and medium-sized businesses is the level-funded health plan. But how does it compare to a traditional fully insured plan, and which option is likely to save your company more money? Und

Choosing the right health insurance funding strategy is one of the biggest decisions a small business can make. Many employers automatically renew the same fully insured plan every year without realizing there may be alternative options that could lower costs and improve flexibility. One of the fastest-growing alternatives is the level-funded health plan. But what’s the difference between fully insured and level-funded plans—and which one makes more sense for your business? W

Hiring great employees is hard. Keeping them is even harder. While salary still matters, employee benefits have become one of the biggest factors influencing whether employees stay with a company or start looking elsewhere. For small businesses, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity. The companies that build smart benefits strategies often outperform competitors when it comes to recruiting and retention. Why Employee Benefits Matter More Than Ever Today’s workforce