Steve St. Cyr
Simploy

 Steve St. Cyr is on his way to Nicaragua.  After spending several years as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, the CFO of Simploy, a professional employment organization in St. Louis, decided this summer to offer building assistance to a doctor who is working to provide health care in an impoverished area near Managua.

While this type of humanitarianism may not have been the first attribute that Jay King, owner of Simploy, was looking for when he hired St. Cyr, Steve’s commitment to others is an example of integrity that he brings into everything he does.

“Taking vacation time to go on mission is an example of Steve’s great character,” says King. “I know that he is always motivated to do things the right way.  He treats people fairly, and I feel assured in knowing that he is handling the finances for our company.”

St. Cyr decided to make a move to Simploy after owning an accounting firm for two years.  But, he soon found that the “solopreneur” model was not one that he enjoyed.  “When I was the owner and I was not busy, then that means the cash register is not ringing,” he says.  “I felt like I was chasing my tail.”

So St. Cyr began looking for a job locally and found the perfect fit with Simploy.  “I wanted to work in a smaller company, because there are less hoops to jump through, and you can actually get something done,” says St. Cyr.  “I knew working in a small company would be a challenge, but I like a challenge, and I like being able to make a difference.”

Even though he did not enjoy business ownership, St. Cyr has not allowed the label of “employee” to limit his entrepreneurial thinking.  Over the past two years, he has been able to simplify documents and spreadsheets both internally and externally for Simploy’s clients.  His ability to translate finances in laymen’s terms has paid dividends for Simploy.

“When you are working in a PEO, the accounting side is much more complicated than most other industries,” says King.  “I had high expectations when I hired Steve and he has exceeded expectations in how quickly he learned our system.  Then, he went a step further and improved upon them.  He has made it easier for me to manage cash flow and create financial projections.  As a result, our net revenue has grown 20% in the first quarter and is on pace to grow by over 50% this year.”

St. Cyr cites open communication as being a key attribute to workplaces that would attract and keep employees like him.  “You have to be open and honest with your financial person,” he says.  “I gotta know the good and the bad.  Then, you should listen to your financial person’s suggestions.”