ICHRA on Small Business Saturday: Compete with the Big Guys (Without the Big Costs)

‍Small Business Saturday is a moment to celebrate the founders, family businesses, and neighborhood teams who keep local communities vibrant. But behind every storefront, there’s a reality many people don’t see: the constant pressure of rising costs, especially health insurance.

And the data backs up your experience. According to the JPMorgan Chase Institute, nearly one-third of small businesses dropped health coverage from one year to the next because the financial burden simply became too much. They found that a 10% increase in health insurance burden increases the likelihood of an employer dropping coverage by 1.3 percentage points. If you’re operating on tight margins, that matters.

The research also shows that 79% of businesses that dropped health coverage continued operating. Dropping insurance wasn’t a sign of failure: it was a cost-cutting measure. But cutting benefits has its own consequences: higher turnover, lower morale, and a tougher time competing for talent.

You shouldn’t have to choose between offering health coverage and keeping your business financially healthy. That’s exactly the problem Venteur is solving.

💡A Tale of Two Employers: ICHRA's Versatility

ICHRA is a new, flexible model that allows employers to give cash for benefits. It solves for the unique problems facing businesses in every market, from Main Street to Silicon Valley.

Case Study #1: The Cost Controller: New Hampshire Brewery

Health insurance costs had been a major pain point for a family-owned brewery. In 2024, the business faced a massive 33% increase on its group plan renewal. The financial strain threatened the brewery's ability to maintain its workforce.

Venteur’s ICHRA provided the necessary cost control. The brewery successfully reduced its annual health insurance spend by $53,679, even after increasing its medical benefit contribution from 51% to 76%. The result: predictable costs for the owner and employees who felt they "got a raise."

Case Study #2: The Tech Recruiter: San Francisco Startup

In the highly competitive San Francisco tech talent market, a rising startup needed to attract top talent also being recruited by big tech. These companies often spend upwards of $30,000 per employee on health plans. Competing with that traditional group plan was impossible.

By allocating a generous, predictable allowance of $20,000 per employee using ICHRA, the startup made the benefit instantly tangible, especially to younger workers who rarely visit the doctor. Instead of seeing tens of thousands of dollars vanish into an unused group plan premium, employees could afford to buy Platinum coverage (if they want) and still have thousands left over in a tax-free Health Wallet (HRA balance) for qualified expenses. This model transformed a distant, abstract benefit into immediate, spendable value, effectively turning a compensation disadvantage into a powerful, highly attractive recruitment draw.

🌱 A Healthier Future for Main Street

By saving employers 20-30% on their health insurance spend, ICHRA offers another path to small businesses. It gives you the financial discipline you need without abandoning employee benefits. It helps you keep your promise to your team: “We take care of you.”

❤️ Culture Is Your Competitive Advantage

Strong small businesses aren’t just held together by revenue: they’re held together by culture. When you offer health benefits, you reinforce the values that make your business worth working for: you invest in people, not just payroll; you build trust that lasts longer than any market cycle.

ICHRA helps you protect that culture. It gives you the flexibility to navigate uncertainty while still honoring the commitments that define who you are as a leader and as a company. On Small Business Saturday, that matters.

👉 Ready to Explore?

→ Want to see how an ICHRA could work for your business? Try our ICHRA Playground for Small Businesses.