It is no secret that small-business leaders around the countryoften play multiple roles at their organizations — from HR managersto budget analysts and operations supervisors — and there isnothing these business owners don’t do. While constantly jugglingmultiple roles, they can sometimes find themselves overwhelmed.Advisors have an opportunity to step in and be an additionalresource to help small-business owners manage theiradministrative needs.

With so many partners, policy options, laws and regulationsinvolved, the administrative task behind managing health benefitsfor employees is no easy feat. By providing time-saving solutions,advisors can enable small-business owners to relinquish certainresponsibilities while they focus on other aspects of theirbusiness. These solutions could include:

Benefits administration tools: Choosingtechnology solutions that feature a range of benefits choices inone centralized system provides small-business decision makers withthe resources they need to keep employees in the loop aboutbenefits and other HR needs year-round. Look for options that areeasy to navigate, offer customizable features and a variety ofbenefits functionality — from enrollment to communication andreporting. Introducing time-saving options can help advisorsfurther prove their value as a trusted provider of benefitssolutions to help meet clients’ ever-changing needs.

Benefits education: Advisors can offer ahelping hand by providing small-business owners with benefits education materials that addressemployees’ frequently asked questions. The 2017 Aflac WorkForcesReport showed that 67 percent of employees say reading about theirbenefits is complicated and stressful, so it’s vital that materialsare easy to understand. To further reduce employees’ stress, andconsequently, employers’ stress, advisors can make themselvesavailable to meet with individual employees before open enrollmentbegins. Ongoing education efforts can ensure employees are usingthe right benefits at the right time to keep them happy, healthyand productive in their current position.

Voluntary insurance: Benefits are about helpingprotect the lifestyles employees love, no matter what unexpectedevents occur. Advisors can help small-business owners offer arobust benefits package with voluntary products such as disability,accident or hospital insurance. By doing so, employees are moreempowered to customize their coverage to fit their individuallifestyles, creating more productive employees with little to noeffect on the company’s bottom line.

Ultimately, advisors serve as valuable partners forsmall-business owners looking to maintain their competitiveadvantage and keep top talent, especially with potential millennialemployees who are becoming the largest generation in today’sworkforce. In fact, according to a recent survey, poor insurance offerings contribute to 35percent of millennials having turned down a job offer at somepoint, compared to 27 percent of U.S. respondents overall where jobrefusals were either fully or partially due to dissatisfaction withinsurance offerings. With their benefits experience and expertise,advisors can offer solutions to help relieve small-business ownersof some of their benefits administration challenges. With thisextra help, business owners are able to work smarter, not harder,and will have even more time to dedicate to making their businessthrive.