many small businesses struggle with finding and ... in aviation â it took four years for the company to ... company's
Insurance
Kimberley Stufflet “My company would not be where we are today if I had not reached out to The Alternative Board”
Preferred Aviation Underwriters Atlanta, GA
Member Since: 2010
Even with the high rate of unemployment today, many small businesses struggle with finding and keeping qualified employees. In fact, this is the most pressing issue for 38 percent of small business owners, according to a 2011 survey by The Alternative Board. Kimberley Stufflet, president and owner of Preferred Aviation Underwriters in Atlanta, felt this pain acutely. Founded in 2005 in a niche industry – providing tailored property and casualty insurance to clients in aviation – it took four years for the company to establish credibility. But as her business grew, Stufflet found herself facing a rampant employee turnover rate despite the recession and the well-paid jobs the company offered. Being in a specialized niche, finding qualified people was proving to be tedious, time consuming and costly. The company was suffering from the lack of skilled staff, and productivity was falling because of the time wasted in training new employees who didn’t work out in the long run. Stufflet tried to consult her staff to dissect the problem. “This company is my baby, and my employees only told me what I wanted to hear,” she recalls. To get the hard truth, she turned to The Alternative Board. Stufflet’s fellow TAB Board members opened her
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eyes to what was causing her hiring and retention problems, and it was not what she expected to hear. With their help, she realized she was only considering applicants if they had the correct college degree, almost completely discounting other personality traits that are essential to the job. Based on their insight and feedback, Stufflet modified her job descriptions, search, interview and hiring processes.
It was outside of my comfort zone, but it was the right thing to do as it has helped me grow my company tremendously.”
“There comes a time where you need to ask for outside help,” she admits. “TAB’s processes opened my eyes to see that I needed to look beyond the resume when I was considering an applicant.” She also took to the board and her facilitator her issues with marketing. “In this arena of business,” she explains, “you have to dedicate face-to-face time with your clients. It takes a lot of time and perseverance to do one-on-one marketing.” Stufflet’s TAB Board encouraged her to increase the company’s annual marketing budget to support a more hands-on, personalized approach to marketing. “It was outside of my comfort zone,” she says, “but it was the right thing to do as it has helped me grow my company tremendously.” Stufflet says that if she could go back in time, she would have reached out to TAB sooner. “As a business owner, you experience peaks and valleys daily, but it is the perseverance and knowing when to ask for help that is essential for your success. My company would not be where we are today if I had not reached out to The Alternative Board and utilized their processes, which have proved to build a thriving company.”
Learn More About TAB Membership
About The Alternative Board The Alternative Board® (TAB) helps forward-thinking business owners grow their businesses, increase profitability and improve their lives by leveraging local business advisory boards, private business coaching and proprietary strategic services. TAB works with successful business owners who feel that their current practices are not elevating their businesses to the next level. We bring together owners, CEOs and presidents of non-competing companies to meet in a relaxed, confidential setting to give and gain practical, real-world advice on their specific business issues and opportunities.
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