Small businesses are the heart of Kansas. They line the main streets of Wichita and Topeka, anchor rural communities, and employ the neighbors and families that make this state what it is. Yet across the country — and right here in Kansas — the burden of running a small business has grown heavier every year. Rising compliance costs, complex employment laws and the pressure to offer competitive benefits are pushing small business owners to their limits. This week, as Kansas recognizes May 17-23 as Professional Employer Organization or PEO Week, we want to make the case that the right policy and business environment can change that — and that PEOs are already part of the solution.
Kansas has always had a strong entrepreneurial culture. From agriculture and manufacturing to professional services and real estate, this is a state built on hard work and independence. But ambition alone doesn’t keep a business alive, and the administrative and regulatory weight on small businesses today is real.
Payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, human resources compliance, benefits administration — each is a discipline of its own. Together, they can eat up hours every week that small business owners don’t have. That’s time not spent serving customers, developing products or investing in their teams…