CA

Around the country, small business owners are struggling to find qualified employees. In fact, some 40% of American employers cite lack of skills as the No. 1 reason for entry-level job vacancies, especially among young job candidates. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate in our country remains considerably high after the aftermath of the Great Recession. Though some small businesses may want to help address this problem while identifying potential talent, they often don’t have the resources to sponsor an internship or mentoring program.

In this economy it’s a notable accomplishment to secure a well-paying, full time job with benefits in your early twenties. But it’s perhaps even more impressive to leave the security of such a position to pursue a dream of becoming a business owner. That’s exactly what Kateri Gutierrez did when she opened her mobile coffee shop, Collective Avenue Coffee, in the fall of 2015. However, when Kateri answered her call to entrepreneurship, it came at a price; it meant leaving behind her employer-sponsored health coverage.

At Resilient Beauty Bar in Fairfield, CA, you’ll experience a warm and inviting atmosphere where the wellbeing of the client takes priority. The proud owner, Dee Naylor, has been a beauty professional and stylist for more than fifteen years, and hopes to eventually open a second location. But her plans to expand her business are on hold, as they hinge on the future of the Affordable Care Act.

As more small businesses look to enhance employee compensation and satisfaction by adding health insurance to their benefit packages, an important partner is an insurance agent specializing in the small group market.

It’s an important relationship, says Michael Lujan Co-founder and chief strategy officer of Limelight Health Inc. in Sacramento, and it’s a relationship not to be entered into lightly.

When it comes to health insurance, small businesses are deciding that price matters, but so does brand. In fact, a growing number of companies are turning to Covered California for Small Business to provide name-brand health coverage for their employees.

With the open enrollment period for health insurance rapidly approaching, many small business owners are probably starting to think about their plans for next year – and with lots of recent rumblings about the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) success, some small business owners may be worried about their options. But for California’s small business owners, there’s actually plenty of good news about the ACA.

Scheduling open enrollment for health insurance at the end of the year is akin to driving on the Bay Bridge during rush hour. The journey could be long, slow and more than a little frustrating.

Unfortunately, November and December are exactly the times that many small businesses schedule open enrollment for their employees. Chris Patton, vice president of sales at Covered California for Small Business says open enrollment at the end of the year is a tradition that like many other end-of-year activities can be stressful.

Many small businesses can’t afford an HR department, which means that benefits – like health insurance, paid leave and retirement – can be difficult and costly to administer. But employee turnover is expensive as well, costing an employer approximately 75 to 150 percent of an employee’s salary. Benefits can be key to reducing employee turnover, increasing employee productivity and ultimately boosting businesses’ bottom lines.

Health Insurance Rules Changing In 2016 for Businesses Considered Large; Those With 100 or Fewer Employees Could Still See Big Advantages Through Covered California for Small Business

When it comes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many employers have to determine if their business is required to offer health insurance to their employees under the law. This requirement varies based on size, and it broadened its scope in 2016.

In California, clean energy is an important topic. Whether we’re looking to conserve water or protect our forests and beaches, clean energy and energy efficiency efforts are important to helping our state thrive. But one thing people don’t always realize is the economic importance of clean energy to small businesses.