Let's go ahead and cut to the chase. Yes, offering benefits cost money, but what are your employee turnover, lack of employee engagement, and competition who offer their workforce better benefits costing your company? $11 billion is lost annually due to employee turnover (Bloomberg BNA)

A company's primary motive is to grow and serve its clients well. You will need a dedicated workforce to move that vision forward for that to happen. Having employee benefits will certainly play a role in making sure you attract and retain key staff members. 79% of employers believe offering benefits to employees is a critical component of attracting talent (Burston Marsteller)

What Employee Benefits Should I Provide?

Medical insurance for current and potential employees is top of the must-have benefits list. Small to medium size companies are struggling to attract and retain key employees. They are finding out that salary is no longer enough! Every day we help companies start and manage group medical plans with ease. After health coverage, employees are asking for dental, vision, disability, and life insurance. Most importantly, listen to the needs of your staff and the people you are trying to hire. If they ask for employee benefits, you should provide them, or you will not retain or attract the right people. 

Why Does My Current Advisor Ignore Me?

We hear this question often, and there are two simple reasons why. First, you are considered "too small to manage." Yes, it's a money thing, and the smaller the group, the lower the commission. Employee benefit carriers have disincentivized working with small businesses through reduced plan choices and commissions. UPstream offers many benefits and administration services to help businesses of all sizes achieve their goals. 

Second, your agent is not focused on you, as the insurance landscape has changed. Large agencies are buying smaller ones, and as a result, agents are handling more clients. You are a small fish in a big pond. UPstream only works with small employers and will provide you with a dedicated service team. If you have a question, need something fixed, or hire a new employee, you call the same team. We also have a fancy benefits management system that makes self-service easy when you want. 73% of employees prefer to talk live with someone about their benefits rather than use an automated system (Health Advocate)

Just Starting	Growing	Leading
Where do you begin? All businesses must learn where to get relevant and honest, trusted advice. UPstream advisors are experienced and cutting-edge, and we are excited about the opportunity to help your business become successful.	How do you grow wisely? As your business grows, so should your benefits plan. Have you planned for next year, or even five years from now, to be ready? UPstream offers insight into industry trends and cost changes as your company grows and prospers.	Have your benefits kept up? When you became an industry leader, you did so through hard work and making smart decisions. A second opinion costs you nothing! Maybe it's time for an UPstream advisor to show you what out-of-the-box thinking looks like.

How We Handle Our Service

Initial Contact
We start with listening. We want to hear your goals, needs, and expectations, and then we will ask questions to understand the full picture. We are also not afraid to tell you we may not be a good fit. Regardless of your next move, we want you to be informed before you make it. A great place to start the conversation is with a census of all your full-time eligible staff.

Full Proposal
Once we have the details and data, we will work on gathering employee benefit options for a proposal. At UPstream, we clearly and transparently deliver your benefits proposal and solutions that we think fit you well. We explain how our service differs, discuss each plan's pros and cons, and help you understand how we came to our decisions.

Employee Enrollment
We walk you and your staff through the enrollment process one step at a time. We provide the most updated online platform and tools for your benefits management.

Employee Transitions & Help
All businesses experience employee changes; we are here to help with those. We will support you and your staff throughout the year, not just at renewal.

Benefits Renewal
Benefits change, and so do costs. We will shop each year for the best benefits and rates to ensure you get what you pay for. When it makes sense, we will provide alternate quotes and ensure your staff is coached through the renewal process.