BBSI provides payroll administration, a great workers’ comp program, health benefits, staffing and recruiting, and a variety of HR and business consulting services, but who we are is so much more than that. We are an inquisitive group who wants to understand who you are. We want to uncover what reality is like for you today and what challenges you’re facing, but that’s just the beginning. What we really want to understand is why you started your business. What you hope to achieve. What makes you proud, and what keeps you up at night. Only then can we work together to create a blueprint for your success.
We’ve also seen firsthand how important community is. It’s easy to feel alone when you’ve got it all on the line, and you may not be comfortable sharing your business concerns with your employees. We regularly bring independent business owners together to create a community free from the pressures and distractions of the everyday grind—to connect and talk about their experiences and challenges. Then we help you take the knowledge and inspiration you gain from these sessions and apply it to your business.
As a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ for the past three decades, we have shown an enduring presence in the growth and success of local business owners nationwide, and will continue to do so into the future.
We started as a staffing company in 1972, and over the past 50 years, evolved into what today is known as a Professional Employer Organization or PEO. PEOs provide resources to small and medium-sized businesses that often only larger organizations can afford. A typical PEO provides services such as HR, payroll, workers’ comp, and benefits administration. However, BBSI is not your typical PEO. We provide all those services plus more through our local support model.
Our specialty is pairing you with a local team of professionals who get to know you and seek to understand your business challenges. Your local team will help you shape your vision for success and support it with consulting services in the areas of HR, risk and safety, and business strategy. You’ll know your team by name, you’ll have their phone numbers, and they’ll know you every time you call or drop by the office. We’re here to support your vision, nurture your teams, and ultimately drive you across the goal line. That’s what we do and it’s why we show up every day.
Not only are we publicly traded on the NASDAQ, but we're also a fully accredited PEO through the Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC) Client Assurance Program. This accreditation is the gold standard for PEOs. That means that we've gone through a rigorous process to ensure adherence to important financial, ethical, and operational standards. ESAC's program provides tangible assurance of specific employer responsibilities like the FDIC for the banking industry. These responsibilities include payment of wages, taxes, employee benefits, and insurance premiums for BBSI clients. BBSI has also obtained a SOC1 report from an independent CPA firm, which provides assurance over the key controls that BBSI has in place to protect our clients' financial information, including controls over the completeness, accuracy and validity of information processed by BBSI as well as controls ensuring appropriately restricted access to important data. This is all to say that when you partner with BBSI, you can feel confident that you're working with a fully accredited, well-supported organization.
BBSI works with businesses of various sizes, from small to mid-sized companies, providing them with tailored business management solutions. Whether a company is just starting out with a handful of employees or growing rapidly with a larger workforce, BBSI offers services designed to meet their unique needs. By partnering with businesses at different stages of growth, BBSI helps them navigate challenges, streamline operations, and ultimately achieve sustainable success.
YOUR ROLE: “Doer” The business started with your idea and it’s your passion and commitment driving it forward today. That can be invigorating, but it can also be exhausting. Everything relies on you and it’s not always practical for you to find time to get better/smarter/faster. We’ve seen a lot of people in your situation. Here’s what we’ve found:
COMMON HURDLE: You go into ‘survival mode’ people are counting on you. The pressure to bring in business can leave you scrambling and it’s easy to lose sight of what your company does well. Learning on the fly is tough. Your best intentions may lead to bad clients or deals that yield short-term financial gains but carry long-term consequences.
KEY TO SUCCESS: You set the pace. No one knows the business better than you. You’ll win by keeping a clear focus on the leverage points and strengths of your business. Be sure to communicate your vision well and make sure you understand where you make or lose money. Administrative duties are best handled in “personal” time.
SELF REFLECTION: Now, for the tough questions… What’s driving your business decisions? Are you staying disciplined and focused? Is fear impacting your decisions when it comes to finances? A little self-reflection goes a long way
COMPANY SIZE: 25-65 employees
BUSINESS OWNER ROLE: Manager and Leader. Your hard work is paying off and business is growing. But there’s a problem: there’s only one you. In order to avoid being pulled in every direction, you need to shift your mindset from ‘doer’ to ‘manager’ and ultimately to ‘leader.’ You can no longer control the culture, but you can set the tone—and with the right talent in place, your employees will follow your lead and embody a culture based on that tone. We’ve worked with a lot of people who have made this transition. Here’s what we’ve found:
COMMON HURDLE: Your team is working hard, but not on the right things. When everyone is going a mile-a-minute it can be easy for your original messages to be lost. Lack of process or clear direction can lead to talent going rogue and focusing on the wrong things. You may find yourself feeling disconnected from the needs of your customers. And if you can’t align the team on common goals, who will? Suddenly, the benefits of entrepreneurship start to feel lost. These struggles have a negative effect not just on your business, but on your company culture as well.
KEY TO SUCCESS: Change your role, not your vision. Managing or leading a team doesn’t mean losing touch with the customers or the core aspects of your business. As you scale, it’s important for you to bring people along with you and create an environment that builds a positive culture. That means hiring the right talent, building trust within the organization and keeping everyone focused on the mission of the company—in good times and difficult times.
SELF REFLECTION: Now, for the tough questions… As business grows, are you setting yourself up for success? Do you have the right talent onboard to keep your vision alive? Does your team need to be managed, or are they looking to you to lead? A little self-reflection goes a long way toward finding your path forward. We can help.
BBSI has decades of experience supporting companies both large and small across a variety of industries, from construction and landscaping businesses, to healthcare institutions and wealth management firms. While we may not have the same experience as you, we know what it takes to help business owners succeed and we have the experience, tools and knowledge to help you be more successful. If you’re wondering how we can help, call one our local branches today to find out.
Mr. Kramer joined BBSI as Chief Financial Officer in 2016 and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the company in March of 2020. Mr. Kramer has more than fifteen years of insurance industry expertise, joining the Company after serving twelve years with Chubb Limited - the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer. Mr. Kramer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a specialization in finance from Rowan University and an MBA with a specialization in accounting from Drexel University.
Mr. Harris joined BBSI in September 2016 as Controller and was promoted to Executive Director of Accounting and Finance in March 2018. In 2020 Mr. Harris was promoted again to the role of Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Harris served as Controller for Holland Partner Group from 2015 to 2016. Previously, Mr. Harris spent nine years with PricewaterhouseCoopers in various roles in the United States and Australia where he supported publicly traded and large privately held companies. Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant and received a BBA with a specialization in finance and accounting from Washington State University.
Mr. Potts joined BBSI from Cozen O’Connor, a nationally recognized full-service law firm, with more than 750 attorneys in 29 cities, where he co-chaired the Insurance Corporate and Regulatory Practice. He has more than 25 years of legal experience representing clients in a cross-section of industries.