Have Dots & Have Nots
The staff at your brick-and-mortar business are jealous of your dotcommers. How can you keep the peace?
Shawn Jenkins could guess what was coming. One of his employees at American Pensions sat across from him with a legal pad full of numbers-and asked for more money. What made this different from other discussions about pay? This brick-and-mortar employee with some database experience had done his research on salaries in the high-tech industry, and he knew how much tech workers earn. He also had an ever-present reminder of this profit potential: the company's new dotcom subsidiary, Benefitfocus.com Inc. "He asked for a raise, and it was due to our dotcom venture," Jenkins says.
Jenkins, 33, president and CEO of Benefitfocus, had watched as two companies-the brick-and-mortar business and the dotcom spinoff-fought to coexist in the same building. On one side was American Pensions Inc., a 30-employee Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, company that services corporate-sponsored retirement plans and where Jenkins is a partner. On the other side of the company's headquarters was the "Green Room," an 850-square-foot room housing 11 programmers. Sales and administrative staff were in a nearby conference room. Both rooms full of people worked for Benefit-focus, a company that lets clients manage the health and retirement benefits of their employees online.
Continue reading this article - and everything on Entrepreneur!
We make some of our best content available to Entrepreneur subscribers only. Become a subscriber for just $5 to get an ad-free experience, exclusive access to premium content like this, and unlock special discounts.
Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
-
Kale Was a Garnish Before This Creative Genius Made It Famous. Here's How She Did It — and What She's Planning Next.
-
Telling Your Brand Story Is Crucial. 4 Steps to Ensure That It Resonates.
-
This Baker Was Told Not to Speak Spanish With Colleagues, So She Started Her Own Cake Company That Values Employees Just as Much as Customers
-
Improving Yourself Takes 9.6 Minutes of Work Each Day
-
Meet the Women Behind Some of McDonald's Most Iconic (and Essential) Ingredients — and How They're Setting New Standards
-
Remote Work Shouldn't Be Up for Debate
-
Employees Are Over Foosball Tables and Free Snacks. Your Company Culture Needs This Instead.