Patricia Thorpe, president of Miami-based Thorpe & Co. says the benefits package offered by her firm is as good as many Fortune 500 PR firms, and part of the reason
she's been able to recruit talent away from the big boys. Four years ago she began outsourcing benefits and payroll to ADP, a professional employer organization. PEOs consolidate
small businesses into a large group to negotiate better coverage from benefits providers. ADP handles Thorpe's payroll, health and disability insurance, and 401k plan, freeing her
and her administrative staff up to do other things -- like grow the business 80% last year. "The one down side," says Thorpe, "is that I am a co-employer with ADP, so they could
technically fire me. Not that I wouldn't mind spending more time at the beach." Other PEOs include Automating Peripherals, inc., Administaff, and MMC Inc.
(Thorpe, Thorpe & Co., 305/446-2700; API, 262-673-6815; Administaff, 800-237-3170; MMC, (800) 899-6624)