At one time, Benefits, Inc. was just an idea. This idea was turned into a reality by Tim White and Kevin Smith. Most everyone knows that strategizing and planning to open a business takes an abundance of hardwork. I want to take you back to the year 2001, and into the minds of Kevin and Tim while planning the launch of Benefits, Inc.
When asked the following questions:
- Why did you decide you wanted to start a company, instead of working for someone else in the industry?
- What were your original goals for Benefits, Inc.?
- What was the planning process like, how long did you strategize before opening?
- If you were opening Benefits, Inc. today, what would you do differently from when you had the idea in 2001?
- What are your personal goals for Benefits, Inc. in the next 10 years?
Both owners responded to the questions from their personal perspectives.
Tim stated that he wanted to have his own business for the flexibility and independence that it would offer him. His main goal for Benefits, Inc. was winning. Tim described the planning process as a math problem on a legal pad. As of today, Tim states he would not change a thing over the past 21 years. For the next 10 years, Tim wants to continue to evolve as a company, and provide the best service and expertise to our clients.
Kevin had been working in the financial services/employee benefits business for almost 10 years when he and Tim started Benefits, Inc. Kevin’s goal from the beginning was to have his own company. Although he had been working for others and had success, it was not his own. Kevin believed he and Tim could do it better. The duo wanted to be the “go to” employee benefits company. Their goal was to provide over the top service at both the employer and employee level. The two of them were convinced that if they concentrated on taking care of the clients’ needs then success would follow. Kevin and Tim spent approximately a year of planning. Ultimately, it came down to them working hard everyday and telling their story to as many people as they could. Slowly, their reputation for taking care of the clients began to make things easier. The Benefits, Inc. staff also did a great job following the lead of Kevin and Tim in how they worked with clients and their employees. As of today, Kevin also says he would not do anything differently. He states, “It hasn’t been perfect 100% of the time, but even when we had short-term setbacks, we learned from them and continued to move forward.” Kevin’s goals for the next 10 years are to continue to be the “go to” employee benefits company. The belief of if you take care of clients’ needs, we will find success is still the same.
Kevin and Tim want to develop the next generation of leaders to continue moving the company forward. Both state that they have a great young staff, and it is their responsibility to continue to develop skills to someday become an integral part of the leadership of Benefits, Inc.