The Background
Daniel has always been passionate about ceramics. He started out by selling his creations through local markets and shops for several years. A year ago, after gaining a significant social media following from people sharing his work, he decided to leverage his digital presence by opening an online shop. This shift allowed André, Daniel’s husband, to quit his job and join the business. At first, Daniel focused on creating and photographing the ceramics, while André managed order logistics and the website. As the business continued to grow, Daniel and André recognized that they were being spread thin, so they decided to hire an employee, Selma, to take care of social media and website content creation.
The Problem
Since neither of them have a background in business management, Daniel and André handled this growth reactively and are feeling increasingly stressed about this approach. Business finances are managed through a spreadsheet that André set up, and structured payroll hasn’t been a priority until now. Daniel has spent hours scouring the web to learn more about business fundamentals and strategic planning. Both are unsure of where to turn for trusted advice and, while they’re thrilled to have additional support, they’re also feeling the pressure of being responsible for an employee.
The Solution
With Selma joining the team, Daniel and André decide to add an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as part of her compensation package. Through their insurer, they learn about Arete’s EAP and business assistance services. They decide to purchase both and are particularly excited about access to an online library of curated resources through The Healthy Business Bookmark™ (HBB), as well as telephone guidance from human resources, financial and legal experts.
They visit HBB and find a wealth of resources not only for business planning, but for supporting their new employee and themselves as business owners. After downloading and reviewing various resources and samples, Daniel is feeling confident about his next steps for strategic planning. André still has a few questions and wants to speak to a financial expert, so he calls Arete to be matched with a professional.
The Outcome
The professional answers André’s lingering financial planning questions and is even able to recommend some timesaving, simple-to-use software programs to replace the spreadsheet. This guidance will not only help André to efficiently manage business expenses and income—he now has handy tools for managing payroll and inventory, which will help down the road as the business continues to grow.
While they’re still learning as they go, Daniel and André feel reassured knowing they now have access to reliable tools, resources and guidance for their business at their fingertips.
Resource Connection
If you have access to HBB through your provider, check these resources out today!
- Guide for Building Your Financial Care Plan
- Business Health Check-Up
- Managing Stress on Schedule