Independent broker blog: A happy New Year

A new year brings with it a whole host of new challenges for both me and my business. The current economic crisis and its implications to both my clients and my business weigh heavy, the battle to distinguish and communicate the difference in our offerings from that of the aggregators shows no sign of easing and as more and more insurers merge or disappear I find it an ever increasing challenge to find new or innovative products.

However as I sit at my desk and watch the business world gradually drag itself into the first week of January, my main concern for 2009 is how do we go about encouraging good people to stay employed within our sector and encourage fresh blood!

I’m sure I speak for all when I say that staffing a small business is both our biggest challenge and our best reward. My business is built solely on the rapport & relationships generated by my staff, this is what our clients are buying and I like to think we are very good at it, this year we are 28 years young, long after many others have come and gone!

Circumstances change, people come and go and replacing or enhancing my staff is becoming an increasing challenge. There seems to be a massive void between the school or college leaver and the highly paid executive, where are all those in between, those who have dipped their toe into the business world and are looking for a fresh challenge that a small business can offer?

“I am sure I speak for all when I say that staffing a small business is both our biggest challenge and our best reward.

Peter Smits

In recent years it would appear that the vast majority of “young” job applicants want to dictate to us what they want to do and when they want to do it and in my opinion consider the employer and place of employment to be there for their benefit. We can’t afford to carry anyone and the nature of our business means that each and every member of staff will have to “multi-task” at some point during their working week.

Whilst this can appear somewhat daunting to the potential employee, the rewards are many and experience invaluable. Who amongst us wouldn’t want the chance to work in an environment that encourages you to take an individual approach, to understand the needs of the customer and then source and deliver the solution, this ability and understanding is sadly lacking in many a new applicant!

Perhaps this current financial crisis will provide me with new and improved applicants, maybe there’s been too many jobs available within too many organisations that provided the safety blanket of HR, marketing, finance and sales departments, perhaps my offering is too much outside the “comfort zone”.

Perhaps this is a geographical thing and a bad example of the “affluent” south or perhaps we are just not doing enough to make our industry “sexy”. Answers on a postcard please!

“Perhaps this current financial crises will provide me with new and improved applicants

Peter Smits

A friend of mine who is currently refurbishing his house found an old newspaper, from 1949, hidden behind a wall. The headline article was about the need to increase productivity during an economic downturn and that if we all worked an extra half-hour a day for the same money there would be no need for pay-cuts or jobs losses, so much for learning our lesson!

I have some exceptional staff and they remain my prized business possession, I’d like to expand my team and add new talents with a different perspective, perhaps I’m just not looking in the right place!

Peter Smits is group managing director of Ashbourne Insurance.