Benefits packages. Payroll. Bookkeeping. Group health coverage. Key person insurance. CAER brings enterprise-level business protection to small businesses across 9 states — with advisors who share your faith and your values.
You didn't start a business to become an HR director, payroll processor, and insurance broker. CAER handles the protection layer of your business so you can focus on what you built it for.
These are not abstract challenges. They are the documented financial and operational realities that determine whether small businesses grow — or lose their best people to employers who out-benefit them.
In 2026, health insurance premiums are rising 18% — the largest single-year jump in recent history. Small businesses that don't have a strategic approach to plan structure, contribution design, and alternative funding models will simply absorb that cost or reduce coverage, both of which hurt retention.
CAER works with small employers to navigate the full spectrum of group health options — from traditional fully-insured group plans to level-funded arrangements that offer the cost advantages of self-insurance without the risk exposure. We structure employer and employee contribution levels to maximize tax advantages while keeping plan costs predictable.
Offering health coverage is not just a tax strategy or a retention tactic. For businesses built on faith values, it is a tangible expression of how you regard the people who show up every day to build something with you.
Group health plan comparison — 2026
The CAER Voluntary Benefits Add-On
Employees self-select and pay their own premiums. Zero cost to you as an employer. Dramatically increases perceived benefits value. CAER handles enrollment and coordination entirely. Available across all 9 licensed states.
Every small business has a key person — someone whose departure would immediately threaten the company's ability to operate. It might be the owner, a lead salesperson, a master technician, or the manager whose relationships keep key clients from leaving.
Key person insurance is a life and disability policy owned by the business. The business pays the premiums and receives the death or disability benefit tax-free. Those funds are then used to cover lost revenue, recruit and onboard a replacement, and keep the business operating through the transition.
Lenders increasingly require evidence of key person coverage before approving business loans. It signals to investors, banks, and clients that the business has a continuity plan and is not existentially dependent on any single individual.
How to calculate your coverage amount
Industry standard is 5 to 10 times the key person's gross annual compensation — including salary, bonuses, and benefits. A key employee earning $120,000 per year warrants $600,000 to $1.2 million in key person coverage. CAER helps you calculate the right number and select term versus permanent coverage based on your business structure.
5 situations key person insurance covers
The average small business owner spends 18 hours per month managing payroll. That is more than two full workdays every month spent on a task that produces no revenue, serves no clients, and builds nothing. CAER coordinates payroll and bookkeeping through vetted professional partners so those hours go back to you.
Bookkeeping is not just about staying organized. Accurate monthly books mean you know your real margins, catch overspending early, make loan applications with confidence, and face tax season without a crisis. Small businesses that outsource bookkeeping make better decisions — because they have better data.
Both services are coordinated alongside your insurance and benefits — so your total cost of employment is always visible, your compliance exposure is managed, and your CAER advisor has the financial context to give you genuinely useful guidance.
What CAER coordinates for your business
Voluntary benefits are employee-elected and employee-paid — you offer access, they choose coverage, and their premiums come directly from payroll. You increase your benefits value significantly with no increase in your operating cost.
Every business engagement begins with a clear picture of where you are, where your gaps are, and what a complete protection strategy looks like for your specific situation.
CAER's small business services are built for employers across the Southeast — from family-owned retail and professional services to construction, healthcare, and faith-based organizations.
Fill out the form and a CAER Small Business advisor will reach out within one business day. We'll start with a 30-minute conversation — no pressure, no commitment — to understand your business and identify where the gaps are.