Your benefits plan is a marketing tool Is your business a good place to work? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your employee benefits - and how well you market them - may provide the answer. "Employee benefits are important for recruiting," says Linda Panszczyk, senior benefits analyst at CCH Inc., a business information group. "You want to attract and retain the best talent you can for any position." But it's not just medical savings insurance company flood insurance job candidates who will notice. Every time the sales staff makes a presentation and a client must choose between you and a competitor, the image and skills of your company are on the line. Simply put, setting up a good employee benefits plan can be your best marketing strategy. There also are financial advantages: Tax savings. Plan contributions are tax-deductible. Personal savings. Setting up plans for the staff may national service life insurance flood insurance net you better benefits for less money than paying for yours alone. Payroll savings. Some employees may accept certain benefits as a substitute for higher salaries or raises. Yes, there is a cost The down side to all of this, of course, is the very immediate costs. Many startups and small companies don't want to commit the necessary cash to employee benefits. "About 75% of small firms flood insurance flood insurance already offer health insurance, because that's usually the first concern of employees," says Alice Magos, CCH's small-business analyst. Owners may be understandably reluctant to take on more. Plus, health insurance just got a lot more expensive. (See my colleague Joseph Anthony's argument on why guaranteed health care makes sense.) This year, companies have been socked with an unprecedented 15% to 20% increase in annual health-insurance premiums. Rob Houghton, instant health insurance quotes flood insurance partner at Creative Benefit