Ready to Outsource Your HR Department?
Surfwear Guru Finds Focus with a PEO
September 18, 2006
Vince DelaPena, serial entrepreneur and surf-fashion guru is ready to do it all over again.
Parting with the brand he created after 11 years, the highly acclaimed founder of Ezekiel Clothing and other surf-inspired brands has just bottled lightning. His latest brainchild is Mada, an edgy, rock-inspired, surf brand targeted at hip 15-25 year olds. With DelaPena's experience building brands and companies, he knows just what it takes to get to market. Yet, with no one to tackle critical employee management and human resource functions, he turned to a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), Emplicity, for help.
Considering Alternatives to Traditional HR
Much like DelaPena, many entrepreneurs are exploring alternative methods to employee management. For a fraction of the cost, small businesses are finding refuge-and revelation in shifting the labor burden, liability and hassle of being an employer to a PEO. Although specific HR processes like payroll and recruiting have gained outsourcing acceptance in previous years, today's over achievers are clamoring for more comprehensive, all-inclusive HR solutions. Like other fast-growth companies, Mada needs the expertise and someone who will take ownership of this critical function, but can't yet afford the expense of a full-time personnel manager.
Choosing the Right PEO
In response to the need to focus on core business activities, DelaPena's team selected Irvine-based Emplicity for its flexibility in delivering customized solutions and its excellent customer loyalty, as proven by a recent Gallup study that ranked the HR firm exceptionally high (4.8 out of 5) in client satisfaction and overall value. And for a fraction of the cost he would bear to hire a full-time HR professional, his company gets an entire HR department at their beck and call.
Having the flexibility to pick and choose their benefit packages, service levels and even their own part-time HR coach from Emplicity, Vince DelaPena was able to customize the relationship to best suit what his team needs the most. Assistance with policies and procedures, job descriptions, an up-to date employee handbook, employee benefits administration, and compliance were at the top of his list. With a full HR department at his beck and call, DelaPena was able to put full driving force into what he does best-building his brand.
Instant HR Infrastructure and Supervisor Support
Plugged into Emplicity's instant HR infrastructure, Mada employees immediately qualify for group medical, dental, vision and life insurance plans, direct deposit and the option for a 401(k) retirement plan. This helped to tip the scales when it came to attracting and retaining key design and marketing talent that Mada needs to differentiate itself from competing brands in the surf-lifestyle space.
Furthermore, the office staff gets a seasoned and unbiased HR coach who reports to DelaPena and supports his managers on a part-time basis, to help him get up to speed with labor regulations and to advise Mada on day-to-day employee issues. When the time comes, this trusted business advisor will coach or even terminate employees on his behalf. He especially likes having an impartial opinion from a third-party human resources expert, to ground him from the chaos and agendas often born out of office politics and special interests.
Home Run
Getting the expertise and infrastructure that his industry peers have at Quicksilver, Billabong and Hurley, Vince DelaPena can now begin to do what he does best. "I don't have the overhead and this alone makes my life easier. I can now focus on building my brand." Outsourcing to Emplicity has indeed helped him get the brand out on the street to over 150 retailers in California and Hawaii. Using the extra time he's had away from HR issues, DelaPena has also begun to forge relationships with licensees in Japan, Europe, Canada and Australia. For a two-year old company, the underground brand boasts the international appeal it took his last company nearly eight years to accomplish.
With retail sales at over 150 shops on the West Coast exceeding 3 million dollars and the extra time that Emplicity has given him, Mada is poised to make it big in the surf industry through with DelaPena and his vigilant team of branding gurus. Making Mada a movement with its trend-setting designs and passionate followers landed the brand "Breakout Brand of the Year" nominations two years in a row by peer members at the Surf Industry Manufacturers' Association (SIMA).
Is Outsourcing HR Right For You?
Finding the right human resources partner can simplify your operations, keep your labor expenses under check and ultimately make you more profitable and effective. Look to a vendor who takes a sincere concern for your needs, has a proven track record, and will deliver value to your bottom line. To see if outsourcing would be right for your company, take the 5-minute HR assessment at www.emplicity.com.
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