TIBA has three key areas of concentration important to the small businessperson:
TIBA VISION: HEALTH INSURANCE AND HEALTH CARE
TIBA is committed to helping Shawnee County businesses obtain affordable, honest and manageable health insurance and health care.
TIBA will work for solutions for all sizes of businesses, but efforts based on size will be the opposite of insurers and providers. TIBA's highest priority will be to find solutions for businesses with 1-10 employees. They are the least attractive prospects for health insurance providers, and they are the least-insured group. The next most critical group is 11-25 employees. Employers with 26-50 usually have several alternatives. Groups over 50 are some of the most sought after by insurers.
TIBA will tap the business expertise of its members to design, obtain, and manage TIBA-sponsored health insurance plans for TIBA members.
TIBA will tap the entrepreneurial talents of its members to establish innovative health care services in Shawnee County.
TIBA will educate its members of all sizes on health insurance issues.
TIBA will work to enhance local competition in the health field.
TIBA will work for solutions for all sizes of businesses, with special emphasis on innovative solutions for businesses with 1-25 employees.
TIBA is committed to helping Topeka grow by nurturing its most likely sources of growth - local startups and expansions. In Kansas, for the 15-year period 1990 through 2004, expansions of existing businesses accounted for 39.8% of all new jobs, while start-up businesses accounted for 57.0%. At some stage of growth, businesses must offer health benefits to attract and keep key employees.
The smaller the business, the less the owners can afford to spend time investigating, purchasing, and managing a health insurance plan. In effect, TIBA will be the local consultant, proxy, ombudsman, and benefits manager for members with TIBA plans.
By representing many small businesses, TIBA can provide bargaining power.
TIBA will concentrate on Shawnee County. It is time to attack the health insurance and health care problems from the local end.
VISION: POLITICAL ADVOCACY
TIBA will be proactive in representing the interests of small and independent businesses before the Kansas legislature and governments in Shawnee County. TIBA is non-partisan.
TIBA's board will rely heavily on surveys of members and upon the work and recommendations of its Local and State Public Positions Committees to determine its positions on issues. TIBA will endorse Shawnee County candidates for office when necessary to forward the objectives of TIBA.
TIBA will work to make sure the voice of independent businesses is heard in public policy discussions and in local and state planning. TIBA will work and cooperate with other associations whose members are mainly small and independent businesses.
VISION: MEMBER EDUCATION
TIBA will provide educational opportunities for successful ongoing businesses, directed at business owners and their key employees. In addition to sponsoring presentations and programs by professionals and experts, TIBA will encourage its most experienced members to make presentations for the benefit of other members.
TIBA will provide opportunities for business owners with common interests to discuss business and political issues in a roundtable format.
November 2007