How Startups and Small Teams Can Offer Top Rewards Without Big Budgets
June 18, 2025
June 18, 2025
This is a guest post created by Block Rewards in collaboration with ElektraFi.
In today's competitive startup landscape, many of us are asking the same question – how can we attract and retain top talent without stretching our budget too thin. This is a battle that startups, with their lean approach and perhaps a lean amount of resources need leverage to be equipped to put their best foot forward.
Young businesses are constantly walking a fine line between managing costs and facilitating growth. Competitive compensation might not always be feasible, but well-designed rewards signal appreciation, reinforce core values, and create a sense of shared success. For scale-ups navigating rapid growth, rewards can help align teams, reduce turnover, and maintain momentum even as roles and structures evolve.
The crucial part to get right as an early stage business is to make sure potential and existing employees have short-term buy-in and long-term rewards realization. Put simply, you want people to believe in the business direction and know that they have a future payout for their current hard work. Getting this right means that your top performers will stick around and won't be afraid to roll their sleeves up when the going gets tough, which is bound to happen when growing a new company.
Offering rewards in Bitcoin can be a creative and modern way to stand out, especially for startups looking to attract forward-thinking talent. It adds an element of flexibility and long-term value that traditional rewards might lack. By offering voluntary savings in Bitcoin through a provider like Block Rewards, you can tap into an engaging reward that many employees feel excited about at minimal cost.
For employees already interested in crypto, it's a perk that feels personalized and progressive. Plus, even small Bitcoin bonuses can feel meaningful, helping stretch limited budgets while still offering something exciting and potentially appreciating in value. Despite high volatility, Bitcoin has been the best-performing financial asset over the past 15 years, and with crypto compensation leaders like Block Rewards, employees get a streamlined user interface to track and manage their Bitcoin rewards.
You’re going after ambitious goals, and reflecting that in employee rewards and compensation can help. Even small tokens like employee swag, or perhaps some extra time off, can be really valued by employees who have decided to stay for a year, two years and beyond.
Baking in rewards for performance at roles beyond just a salary raise can also help orient smaller teams to excellent work culture and recognition, even under the constraint of smaller budgets. Combining performance and tenure-based rewards allows startups to both push forward and say thank you, striking the right balance between hustle and heart.
If you’re a smaller team or startup, one way you might already be offering rewards is through an Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP). Stock options are a common tool in early-stage companies because they allow you to attract and retain talent by offering a stake in the company’s potential future success — even when you can’t compete on salary. For many early team members, the opportunity to share in the upside if the company grows and eventually exits (via acquisition, IPO, or secondary sale) can be a powerful motivator and differentiator.
Another way you can recognize high performers if you’re a smaller company is to offer them a meaningful seat at leadership decisions – and perhaps give them access to information and decision-making they would not have otherwise. For example, if employees chose to work for a larger company or a public company, there’s almost no chance they would interface with the Board.
Allowing employees in early teams to stretch themselves into areas they might not otherwise get involved in at larger companies, from hiring decisions to interfacing with the higher-level finances, is a reward that can be underlooked that allows smaller teams to compete on the talent marketplace by offering growth talented people might not see otherwise.
By curating rewards at the employee level, you can really get into what makes your team members click, and you can align on rewards that are more personalized and reflect the mission and values that drove your employees to join in the first place. Tailored rewards show that you see your employees as individuals, not just roles — and that goes a long way in building trust, loyalty, and engagement.
For example, if your company values continuous learning and growth, you could offer a budget for courses and certifications. If wellness is a core part of your culture, consider rewards like fitness stipends or even extra mental health days. For team members balancing work and family, offering flexible hours or extra time off around major life events can be incredibly rewarding. The key is to listen, ask, engage and respond.
Instead of taking a shotgun approach to rewards, you can empower a culture where individual managers with more focus can target rewards that really speak to individual employees.
If you’re a smaller company, one of your strengths is that you can turn on a dime and be true innovators. One area is in doing reward tables that track the performance of many team members and that offer real-time rewards – for example, a cash bonus for the sales rep on your team that brings in the most customers, or a piece of company swag for the person on the team who brought in the most referrals.
This is what is called a SPIFF – an immediate bonus for a sale. Nothing stops you from rewarding at the same pace as you build – nearly instantly.
With the right approach, startups and small teams can still stand out, being innovators in delivering the right culture and maintaining and recruiting top teams. Budget isn’t the constraint - but rather our imaginations and the array of partners you choose to help you take that next step.
In conclusion, the modern talent landscape demands more than just a competitive salary, especially from startups and small teams operating with lean budgets. The key isn't to outspend larger corporations, but to out-innovate them in how you appreciate, engage, and retain your most valuable asset: your people.
A prime example of this innovative spirit is the integration of Bitcoin savings plans through providers like Block Rewards. This forward-thinking initiative leverages the power of digital assets, offering employees a unique and potentially appreciating reward that demonstrates a company's progressive vision and commitment to their financial future, all without a hefty budget.
Ultimately, your rewards strategy should reflect your company's unique culture and ambitions. When imagination leads and strategic partnerships are leveraged, startups and small teams can not only attract top talent but also foster an environment where everyone is motivated to roll up their sleeves and build something extraordinary together.
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The modern workplace is a whirlwind of change. From the rise of remote work to the ever-evolving expectations of employees, companies are scrambling to adapt and find new ways to attract and retain top talent. But amidst the flurry of trendy perks and flashy benefits, there's one powerful tool that often gets overlooked: financial wellness.
