“As your trusted advisor, it is our responsibility to ensure that you are compliant and doing business the right way. Sometimes what we have to say isn’t easy to hear, but that’s our job.”

Jim Thibodeau founded StaffScapes in 1996 with 20 years of business experience and brought a complete understanding of the needs facing small businesses. He oversees the daily operations, sales, marketing, Workers’ Compensation Administration and Risk Management for the company. Located in Westminster, CO, StaffScapes is a Human Resources Outsourcing firm that specializes in “the business of employment.” They assist small business owners with human resource tasks such as benefits, workers’ compensation, unemployment, payroll, risk management, legislation, taxes and more.

MO: What are the advantages of outsourcing?

Jim: Outsourcing allows business owners to focus on their core business and access specialists who provide key assistance in the areas of Human Resources and employment. We help business owners focus on what we like to call the “3 P’s”. People, Profit and Protection. Within the People category, we assist with tasks such as job placement ads, proper interview questions, job descriptions, training, employee engagement and morale. By outsourcing your tasks such as paying employment taxes, processing payroll, and dealing with benefits, our clients often find more hours in their work week to devote to revenue producing opportunities such as billing and sales calls. Once you have recruited, trained and employed a quality staff, have worked on streamlining your processes and have successfully deposited more money in the bank, it’s time to focus on protecting your hard work. Review your insurance policies and what your plan for succession might be. Do you have enough coverage? Are you comfortable with the level of risk transferred to a third party or do you need to do more? These are key areas we at StaffScapes help the business owner with through partnering with us.

MO: How can hiring the right people reduce costs and overheads?

Jim: Turnover is very expensive and combined with training costs, recruiting expenses, policies & procedures oversight and errors made by new employees, business owners today spend a large amount of their annual budget in employee related expenses. By putting a little planning in to your hiring practices, we often see these expenses reduced. Hiring right the first time produces employees who choose to stay with their employers longer which reduces the need for new training and eventually error rates are reduced as well.

MO: Regarding the health care act, what do you think is the greatest challenge companies will face in the next year or so?

Jim: Over the next few years as the health care act is adopted, employers will find more and more regulations. We will not be able to turn back the clock and will find that we will need to comply with more legislation, change procedures, and will experience more expense in matching costs etc.

MO: What kind of fundamental changes are American businesses facing in the coming years and how can you help them navigate the shifting system?

Jim: In the past five years alone, American business owners have seen changes to legislation that have directly impacted their business. Changes within the FMLA, ADA, Health Care, EEOC and many additional governing bodies. With StaffScapes, we help employers to stay current regarding required changes to these and many other legislative changes. We help employers implement the required changes and act as a liaison between employers and employees regarding these mandates. By ensuring business owners are compliant in regards to new updates and changes in the law, we help them reduce litigation and meet the standards issued by State and Federal governments.

MO: As a business partner, how do you recommend changes to business procedures?

Jim: As your trusted advisor, it is our responsibility to ensure that you are compliant and doing business the right way. Sometimes what we have to say isn’t easy to hear, but that’s our job. We are not afraid to tell you no or that something has to change. If we don’t we won’t be doing you justice in helping to protect you, your business and your assets. By helping you focus on your employees, protect your business and make more money, we ultimately serve as your success partner.

MO: You’ve had some of your clients for 15 years, which is commendable. Why do you think that your clients have chosen to stay with Staffscapes after all these years?

Jim: I personally believe it is our incredible attention to their individual needs. Laws are designed for everyone, but we help our clients personalize their requirements to the needs of their business and their employees all while staying true to the mandated rules. We help cut through the confusion and clearly explain what they need to do. As a local business, we can respond quickly to the needs of our client. Via phone, email or personal visits to their location, StaffScapes is proactive in serving the needs of our clients and their employees. I also believe our consistency in staffing (many internal employees have been with us eight to 13 years) aids as our clients get to know us and we get to know them personally. This kind of attention reduces the need for constant re-training and leads to superior oversight of the needs of our clients.