Are you a small business planning to offer benefits to your current staff or new employees?  Since small businesses often don’t have big budgets to compete with bigger companies on salary, offering employee perks is one way to help bridge the gap, boost morale and improve employee retention rates.
 
Many experts and entrepreneurs have identified some of the best perks that small businesses can offer employees.

1. Educate Them:  There are many perks employers can offer, but one that may fall into the favorite category is tuition reimbursement.  Not only can tuition reimbursement lead to happier employees, but it can also attract higher-quality employees. 
2. Free Food:  While you don’t need an in-house chef, a well-stocked snack pantry and quality     coffee maker can go a lot further than you think.  And, try to veer on the healthier side – you don’t want your team crashing on sugar. 
3. Listening to Employee Needs:  Whether your company is big or small, you need to listen to employee needs and understand the personal challenges they face to do their job well.  Voluntary benefits such as Legal Shield and Legal Estate are benefits that not only can protect their family under stress and future savings.
4. Show Appreciation:  Since most talented employees leave because they don’t feel appreciated, take steps to ensure your best people know how much the company values them.  This is a value can be added by dedicating space in newsletter for employee of the month and planning for team building events. 
5. Health Care: As a small business owner, you have options to offering healthcare for employees or at least providing a resource to delivering the information and tools for registering.  Employers have reimbursement programs and it also creates a tax-deductible expense for the employer.
6. Rewarding Employees with Money:  Small business owners can provide employees with a reimbursement program option.  This allows the employees to use the funds for family day to day expenses or medical. 

Motivating employees with perks doesn’t have to cost a fortune.  What small businesses may lack in corporate advantages; they gain in more closely-knit team.  Fontenot Solutions offers attractive perk solutions 

The world of filming offers a dream career for many people.  Film production is one of the few nationally subsidized media businesses in the United States.  As a business owner, how are you planning for company success?  And as an entrepreneur how will your business services be unique to the industry? 
 
Planning for success in any industry starts with a business plan that includes short-term and long-term goals. To start a film in production company you will need to incorporate or become an LLC.  Once you have incorporated you will need to come up with a script, either by writing it or finding one you want to produce. 
 
Some states offer grants for filming in their areas, but grants will not keep your business moving so you must consider other options for funding.  Topics such as funding should be outlined in detail within your business plan.

When developing a business plan be prepared to incorporate the expected challenges the industry may bring such as taxation, hiring staff and making the proper connections.  Will you bring a partner onboard and if so at what phase of the business?  How will you and the business partner mingle funds into the business. These are questions I encourage you as an entrepreneur to consider before the days turn into months and the months turn into years.

​The Houston Chronicle published a great article about getting started, check it out.   Below are additional links to use in learning more about the industry:

• Breaking into Film and TV business
• How to make a short film with practically no budge​t 

​Fontenot & Associates Solutions LLC can support your start-up budget plan or business plan.