PEO Insider: Managing Risk for Long-Term Growth in A Volatile Economy

Recent headlines suggest small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are pulling back and playing it safe, but that’s not the full story.

In PEO Insider’s recent article, “The New SMB Playbook: How Business Leaders Are Reallocating Risk to Drive Sustainable Growth,” G&A Partners' Chief Operating Officer Aaron Call explains why leaders aren't retreating from growth. Instead, they're reallocating risk.

New data from the company's 2026 2026 SMB Readiness Report supports this claim and reveals a more nuanced story: business owners are pulling back in some areas but are doubling down in others.

“A majority [of SMBs] have had to delay or stop hiring (77%) and conduct layoffs (57%) to weather the economy, but that doesn’t mean they’re not planning,” says Call. “Over the next year, these same SMBs reported they’re planning to invest in better benefits and healthcare (41%), increase hiring (40%), and increase compensation (34%).”

Call argues that this shift changes what business owners need from an HR partner. As workforce decisions, compliance, technology, and financial pressure become more interconnected, "the great opportunity is navigating clients through the full picture.” PEOs and the businesses they serve will succeed by connecting workforce strategy to broader business outcomes, not just solving today's administrative headaches.

Explore more of Call’s insights on how SMBs are managing today's economic pressures in the full PEO Insider article.