Mr. Dossett says he can't afford to match bigger competitors' salaries for graphic artists, editors and animators. But he and co-founder Meiert Avis have retained employees for years in the face of lucrative rival offers by being flexible as well as generous with the company's resources. They tailor jobs to their 14 employees' changing interests and encourage workers to pursue personal projects using company resources and time. Small businesses that can't match the pay and perks of larger corporations have to be creative to retain valuable employees. That often means using the company culture as a selling point.
Ejector seats serve as desk chairs.
Painting and sculpture adorn the flaps and exposed brick walls, along with three of Mr. Avis's electric guitars. He built his directing reputation, in part, on his music videos of the rock group U2. Recently, he directed a 30-minute feature film that has been making the rounds of various festivals. Mr. Chanchola's project grew from a lunchtime challenge from Mr. Avis. Mr. Chanchola says he has turned down other, higher paying positions.