Not long ago, I was coaching the owner of a growing business who was trying to figure out how to add a new role to his team. I asked if he offered any benefits.

He paused. “No,” he said. “We’re not there yet.”

But as we kept talking, he began listing what his company did offer — predictable schedules, rotating Fridays off in the summer, and a workplace where people felt heard. He hadn’t thought of these as benefits, but they are.

Growing businesses assume benefits have to be expensive — health insurance, 401(k)s, paid leave. In reality, benefits are anything that helps people feel supported or able to show up to work and still have a life outside of it.

A few years back, Growmetix set out to be seen as an employer of choice. As a small employer, that meant being intentional about what we could realistically offer and what’s important to our team members. We opened an Employer IRA Plan with Fidelity and committed to a 3% match. We also shortened our work week. Our team doesn’t have to work a full 40 hours to be considered full-time, but they still receive full-time pay.

We committed to paying competitive wages. We used sites like Glassdoor and Indeed to research going rates for the kinds of roles we were hiring for. Many small employers assume they can’t afford to do that, but the truth is, you can’t afford not to. If you want people to stay, they need to feel like their work is valued — and pay is a big part of that.

What holds many growing businesses back isn’t the money — it’s the mindset.

I talk to business owners who say they want to offer paid holidays or vacation but feel like it’s out of reach. The reality? You’re probably already budgeting for a full year of pay. If you plan to pay someone $60,000 for 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year — that total doesn’t change if they take a week or two off, or if you pay them for holidays. It’s all part of the same pie. You’re not losing anything — you’re simply building rest and respect into what you’re already planning to spend.

Benefits don’t have to look like a corporate brochure. You can offer flexibility in small, but powerful ways:

• Post schedules in advance.
• Let employees handle small tasks on their own time when possible.
• Give people room to breathe when life happens.

You don’t need to play by anyone else’s rules. You just need to build the kind of workplace you’d want to work in. When you lead with care and clarity, people notice. And they stay. Because benefits aren’t just about what you give — they’re about the kind of employer you choose to be.

If you are ready to rethink what’s possible for your team — and for yourself — now is the time to take the next step. I have helped entrepreneurs and business leaders from all walks of life embrace new ways of working, think more strategically. Whether you are navigating how to offer better benefits, build a stronger team, or shift your mindset around growth, you don’t have to do it alone.

Book your FREE Discovery Call today at www.growmetix.com.