Homebase Announces Inaugural Top Local Workplace Awards for America's Small Business Teams

For the first time ever, more than 50,000 local businesses nationwide are being recognized for fostering transparent, fulfilling workplaces

SAN FRANCISCO, April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Homebase, the all-in-one team management app for small businesses, today is debuting its inaugural Top Local Workplace Awards, honoring over 50,000 businesses from coast-to-coast for their commitment to a variety of positive workplace factors, from pay transparency to employee engagement. The launch of the new recognition program, which coincides with the kickoff to National Small Business Week, is a reflection of the company's continued dedication to empowering small businesses and making their teams unstoppable.

As the leader in serving local businesses, Homebase examined over a billion data points from more than 2.5 million hourly workers as well as a decade of quantitative research to identify which local businesses demonstrated excellence in one or more of the following qualifying criteria: Flexibility, Employee Engagement, Personal Connection, Transparency (including Pay Transparency and Earned Wage Access), and Automation & Accuracy.

"My first jobs were in local small businesses, and those positive experiences had a giant impact on me," said John Waldmann, Homebase Founder & CEO. "We are proud to take a moment to recognize the dedication of thousands of small business owners and hourly workers who have cultivated a nurturing environment for their teams to thrive. One of the factors that makes small businesses special is their ability to provide fulfilling jobs that support their teams, and offer more than just an income." 

Winners will receive both a digital and physical recognition package, which includes an award to display in their brick & mortar locations, as well as a digital badge for their online footprint and social channels.

Homebase Top Local Workplace Award Recipients

Following the close-knit nature of local business communities, the Homebase Top Local Workplace Awards is anchored on community, not competition. Over 50,000 businesses are receiving the company's recognition, spotlighting admirable progress on their journeys to create fulfilling workplaces.

A few exemplary recipients from the 2024 list include:

• Brooklyn Tea (Brooklyn, NY and Atlanta, GA) - Husband and wife team Jamila and Alfonso Ali Wright show up for their team, celebrating their passions and supporting them in and out of the workplace by attending art shows, plays, and concerts to celebrate their employees' talents. For the duo, it all comes down to putting their people first and leveraging Homebase's features to provide transparency, flexibility, and open communication.
• Crumble & Whisk (Oakland, CA) - A trained chef with an artist's eye Chef Charles Farriér has made a conscious choice to prioritize creating a warm and inviting work environment that rivals the cozy atmosphere of his patisserie. Crumble & Whisk's journey is a testament to the power of combining passion, hard work, and the right technology.
• Dots and Doodles (Wexford, PA) - Founded by Laura Hilger, her mother, and her younger brother, this family business has a passion for teaching and bringing art to their community. Success for Laura has come from creating a workplace that fosters growth and development - it's the little things, like remembering customers' names and favorite projects, that make a big difference. When it comes to her team, Laura is all about empowering them to own their role in making the studio a happy place to be.
• Forth & Nomad (Houston, TX) - A lifestyle brand, by founders Andy and Morgan Sommer, that curates slow fashion and aesthetic products from emerging brands to promote positivity and thoughtful living. Their focus on conscious consumption invites their customers to embrace a feel-good lifestyle through authentic self-expression and mindful choices. This extends to their team of hourly workers, where they work to enrich and empower their staff with everything from benefits provision to advance scheduling.

The awards announcement comes on the heels of the launch of The 2024 Homebase Small Business Team Fulfillment Index—a report focused on fulfillment, which is defined by teams feeling a sense of purpose, pride, and connection to their work. The report also examined challenges small businesses are facing, such as the disconnect between what owners think their hourly workers want, and what actually matters most to hourly workers.

Key learnings from this year's report include:

• Fulfillment leads to a happy, loyal team. 91% of small business owners and 82% of hourly workers reported being happy in their roles when they feel fulfilled.
• Strong relationships, meaningful work, and community impact are the foundation for job satisfaction. The survey revealed that the top drivers of job satisfaction are solid work relationships, hands-on experiences, and the feeling of making a difference in the community.
• There's a significant disconnect between what owners think hourly workers want vs. what they're actually looking for. While 56% of owners believe competitive pay and company mission are the top priorities for their team, 86% of hourly workers are actually craving more flexibility and on-demand pay – which top local workplaces offer.
• Despite economic jitters, the small business job market still shows signs of strength. While inflation and recession concerns are on everyone's mind, the majority of local businesses have been hiring recently, and 90% of hourly workers feel secure in their current roles.
• Focus on the things that small businesses do best: building a flexible and supportive environment to attract top talent. By prioritizing employee well-being and offering perks like flexible schedules and on-demand pay, workplaces with thriving teams will be created.

The purpose of the annual index is to provide a unique perspective from both owners and hourly workers, along with actionable insights that can help small businesses boost retention, attract top talent, build a more resilient business, and more.

To learn more about the Homebase Top Local Workplace Awards, visit joinhomebase.com/awards or join the conversation on social media using #HomebaseAwards. For the comprehensive report of The 2024 Homebase Small Business Team Fulfillment Index, visit joinhomebase.com/blog/the-2024-homebase-small-business-team-fulfillment-index.

Award Methodology 
Homebase selected award winners from its active customer database who have signed up prior to January 31, 2024, are located in the U.S., and examined usage data across multiple data points from its database against the following qualifying criteria: flexibility, employee engagement, personal connection, transparency (including pay transparency and earned wage access), and automation and accuracy.

Index Methodology 
Homebase conducted the survey in March 2024 via an online survey form to its active customers from a sample of 1,290, ages 18 and over from the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii, in English.

About Homebase
Our mission is to make small business teams unstoppable.

Homebase is the everything app for hourly teams, with employee scheduling, time clocks, payroll, team communication, HR, and more. More than 100,000 small (but mighty) businesses rely on Homebase to make work radically easy and give their teams superpowers. As the leader in small business team management, Homebase tracked 1+ billion hours for 2.5+ million workers last year.

Homebase is based in San Francisco, Houston, Denver, and Toronto. We are backed by leading venture investors L Catterton Growth, Emerson Collective, Notable Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Baseline Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, Bedrock Capital, and PLUS Capital.

SourceCode communication for Homebase, [email protected]

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