PEO Tips for October 2006
In this issue we have some breaking workers' comp insurance news, some special announcements, some Networking tips and a new feature - Our Networking Buddy of The Month (starting off with Ozzie Blasini - see below!)


Florida Comp Rates Coming Down Next Year - Good or Bad?

The Florida Department Insurance has announced a rate decrease for 2007 of approximately 14% across the board. At first thought, this would appear to be good news, but consider this:

The insurance companies will now collect 14% less income yet still be paying higher medical rates.

It is our prediction that this will make it even harder for small businesses to get workers' comp insurance, and will drive more business to the PEOs. PEOs do not charge a preset premium, but a variable admin fee for their services.

Expect PEO admin fees to go up slightly to match the decrease in comp income, as employee injury expenses have not significantly decreased (but in fact increased.)


Book Signing in Orlando

Please join John Will Tenney at the Urban Think Bookstore in Orlando, FL on Wednesday, October 18th from 7pm to 8:30 pm. He will be signing his recently released book, "You're Hired!" and then retiring to The Hue, the restaurant next door, for dinner afterwards. PEO Pros is working with The Hue with their health insurance plan as this is written. (Just to see who is reading, if you come to the signing and say "I can talk like a pirate, 'YAR Matey!'" your first drink is on me!)

Other Announcements/PEO Pros News

Broker Alliance with National CM Services
We have signed and executed a broker agreement with National CMS. Not only can this St. Louis based PEO service all the typical PEO customers, but they can also place high risk clients in all 50 states with their wide variety of insurance carriers. "We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with National CM Services so quickly," said John Will Tenney, CEO of PEO Pros, "and we look forward to a long, mutually effective relationship."

New Director of Public Relations
We are pleased to welcome Ron Dixon to PEO Pros as our Director of Public Relations. Ron is recently retired from The New York Giants NFL Football team, where he was a wide receiver and kick-off returner. Ron holds the record for most kick-offs returned for touchdowns in any one postseason (2), including the only score for the Giants against Baltimore in the 2000 Superbowl.

Ron is fairly new to the insurance business but has been handling his own career for over 8 years, running his own business, and brings essential networking experience to the PEO Pros team.

Networking Group
We host a Business Networking Meeting every Friday morning 10:30 am, at the Waterford Lakes Hooters. Sponsored by Hooters, PEO Pros and the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce. All invited.

John Will Tenney, Property & Casualty Insurance Agent for PEO Pros

The Worker's Comp discussions are done for now. Let's talk about another favorite topic of mine: Networking.

Networking is simply defined as meeting people and expanding your sphere of influence. If you imagine each person surrounded by a "sphere" of people that they know (and more importantly, they know that person!) then the advantages of working with another person become obvious.

It is my hope that networking will replace cold calling and other obnoxious marketing methods in this new millennium.

Networking Tip #2: Introductions! When you meet a new networking associate, it is important to ask them how they want to be introduced to your sphere of people. Personally, I like people to introduce me as "a good guy to know in this industry" and perhaps yours would be something similar. Remember, if you don't tell them how to introduce you, they might not do it the way you like!

We'd like to thank our resource partners:

The East Orlando Chamber of Commerce

Jeff Bosworth and his staff at Sales Growth Group