JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A Jacksonville Beach company is creating its own stimulus plan in hopes of keeping local businesses going.
Hueman People Solutions is a staffing company located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville Beach that employs about 175 people. On a normal day, you’ll see dozens of their employees grabbing lunch or maybe an after-work get together in Jacksonville Beach. They knew that the coronavirus impacting businesses would hit small, locally-owned shops and restaurants the hardest. That when CEO Dwight Cooper came up with an idea and the rest of the team jumped on board.
“I think he recognized that a lot of local businesses were really suffering and so he said, ‘I want to do something to help businesses when we all start to come back from this,’" said Hueman Division President Dina Demarco. “It was really his brainchild.I just get to execute on it.”
The plan has four points.
First, Hueman bought a bunch of gift cards from local restaurants and gave them to front line workers like health care workers, and police and firefighters.
They also gave a bonus to employees, urging them to spend the bonus freely. That’s exactly what they did.
“I spent my stimulus bonus at Sippers Coffeehouse,” said Maria Fiore, talent acquisition specialist at Hueman. “It’s my favorite coffee shop around the corner. So I bought a $3 cup of coffee and I was able to tip the employee $50. She was very happy.”
What did she think Fiore gave her the big tip?
“Initially, she was confused,” Fiore said. “She saw $50 tip on a $3 bill and was confused but when I explained it to her she was so grateful and it just felt really good.”
The company has also decided to purchase and distribute the usual corporate holiday gifts in July, instead of waiting for December. And they’re purchasing them all from local companies. It’s all in an effort to make a difference, and perhaps, to inspire other companies that are not hurting as much as others.
“I would love to see other organizations do this as well,” DeMarco said. “I think that’s kind of our goal, to see other organizations that are in a strong place financially and who are able to say you know what, I want to help my local community around me.”
One other thing Hueman is doing what they are calling “Kindness Bingo.” It’s a way to incentivize kind behavior with points being awarded for things like writing a letter to a loved one, donating food or supplies, or planting something, noting, the bees will thank you.
This is not an unusual approach by the company’s standards. Hueman is routinely listed as one of the best small businesses to work for by Fortune Magazine.