I had the pleasure to talk to the owner of Cornestone Benefits Consulting Group, Aaron Donaldson and ask him a few questions about his business. Aaron joined the board of directors for the Tumwater Chamber last month and he came to us with a plan to provide better benefits for our chamber members.Cornerstone Benefits Consulting Group finds innovative and solutions for business owners to provide cost-effective medical benefit programs for their employees. In addition, we facilitate benefit education, benefit enrollment, and protect the business from unnecessary fines and penalties through our three core value-added services:
- 1-on-1 Benefit Consulting
- Electronic Enrollment
- Compliance Administration
Tell us about your company’s mission and values.
Our mission is to help every business retain and recruit high quality, educated employees. Our goal is to give the members of the Tumwater Chamber sound business advise if they offer, or are considering offering, a benefit plan to their employees, even if they choose not to use Cornerstone as their benefit broker.
What is the most pressing issue for your business?
Most business owners are not aware of the exposure their business has when they hire employees and offer a benefits plan. There is an enormous amount of compliance rules and regulations the business must adhere to. It is our experience that as many as 95% of businesses who offer a benefit plan are out of compliance, leaving them vulnerable and unprotected from tens of thousands of dollars in fines and penalties.
What are the services you use the most (or are looking forward to using) from the Tumwater Chamber?
Advertising and promoting my business also I’m hopping I can provide a better understanding of benefits available, provided by emplyers. Chamber membership can influence the growth of any business if you are an active member.
How do you stay engaged with trends that you see in your industry?
Cornerstone has access to multiple resources that are followed weekly, keeping us apprised of any changes at the Federal or State level that could have an impact on how benefit plans are utilized.
What is your company culture like?
Cornerstone prides itself in giving our employees and agents the tools and training to grow personally and professionally. We promote a team environment, but allow a level of autonomy to each individual to find the way that works best for them to be the most productive they can be.
What does it take to be a successful employee at your company?
Consistency and Persistency.
What pieces of advice have you found to be the most helpful since starting your career?
I have always worked on the premise that if you provide the best product or service that works best for your client and not always for your pocketbook, you will always win. Cornerstone operates in an industry where people come and go. In fact, of the people who get into the insurance business, less than 30% stay in industry. Cornerstone takes a different approach. If you join our team, it is with the intent of building a career, not just working a job.
How do you achieve a work/life balance?
Work hours can always be crazy, especially during 4th Quarter, but I always make sure to schedule time for family and fun. It’s a part of my weekly calendar.
Social Media contact:
Website: www.cornerstonebcg.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaron.donaldson.13 https://www.facebook.com/cornerstonebcg
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adonaldson13/