Determining what your company needs: Get a professional broker.

Why do you need to get professional help: You are in a unique industry.
• Entrepreneurial
• Well Educated
• Young
• Make a lot of money
• Demanding Environment
• Work at a fast pace

A good broker will position you properly in the marketplace.

How will the broker do that? By asking the following questions:

• What are your employees expecting?
• Where do they come from?
• What other hiring incentives are you using?
  • Founders Stock
  • Options
• What are you trying to accomplish with benefits?
• In the first round of hiring, beyond the first round of hiring, 
• Where will your employees be located?
  • California;
  • Other national sites
  • International locations
• How fast will you add employees? 
  • Comparable Plans Nationally
• What about domestic partners\
• Choosing plans that can change easily as you grow
• Reflecting your culture in your benefits plan
• What do you need; What do you want

• Basics at a high level
  • Medical plans: PPO'S; HMO'S; POS's
  • Dental plans: insured vs. uninsured starting out
  • Long Term Disability
  • Life insurance
  • Flex plan availability and administration
  • 401k plans
  • Founders stock
  • Expansion Benefits
  • Voluntary Life Insurance
  • Vision plans
  • Short term disability

One Step Beyond: The key to creative financing

• Correct positioning in the first place
• Negotiated Market
• Financing Techniques
• Time line to keep from going bananas: 
  • Allow three weeks for bidding and analysis
  • · Two weeks to make a decision
  • Three weeks for employee meetings and implementation.