Looking to spice up your benefits package? Concierge benefits can bring high-value services at low-to-no cost to small and mid-size businesses (SMBs).

Although catered meals, dry cleaning and babysitting services traditionally have been associated with larger dot-com firms, they aren't just for the Googles of the world.

Katherine Giovanni, president of the International Concierge and Errand Association, says that concierge benefits are one of the most effective work-life benefits employers can provide. "It's going to give you an edge up on your competition because not everyone is offering this benefit."

In fact, a 2005 survey by AOL and Women's Day says that 67% of people would prefer a personal assistant to a life coach.

A 'definite' benefit

Christopher Bostrom, human resources assistant at the Century City, Calif. branch of law firm Hogan and Hartson, LLP, says that as an employer, the ability to offer a benefit at no cost made the choice "a definite." While Bostrom would consider adding paid concierge services to office's repertoire of benefits, he said that the main drivers were cost and return on investment.

Connie Goldheim of Westside Regional, a publicly funded center that helps people with disabilities, agrees. "We're on a short budget, but any value we can add for our employees is great."

Giovanni says that hiring a concierge may be less expensive than many SMBs would fear. Older workers looking to retire and work part-time, or younger employees looking for a foot in the door, can make great concierge workers, she says.

Employers looking to designate a current employee as an in-house concierge, or hire someone specifically to fill the position, look for candidates who are positive, friendly and have a go-getter attitude, she says.

Low cost, high value

Doug Cook, owner and founder of Birmingham, Ala.-based Concierge Worldwide, sees concierge benefits as a particular niche for SMBs looking to create more productive employees. It's a benefit that has a more direct and lasting impact than some others, he adds.

"If you add in 1% [more of an employer match] on the 401(k), people think, Wow, that's good,'" Cook says. "[But] two days later, they've forgotten about it."

Using Cook's business model, an employee who wants to make an appointment for an oil change calls his concierge service and arranges a time. The concierge service then picks up the car, has the service performed, and returns the car to the employee. The cost to the employer? Zero. The cost to the employee is the same or nearly the same as if he or she had done the service themselves - minus the several hours out of a workday or weekend, and minus the hassle of waiting in line.

Cook's business partners with vendors, who negotiate a set rate and benefit because they gain guaranteed business and increased name recognition.

Other services, such as Jonathan Rapaport's California-based Great Work Perks, asks upscale outside vendors to offer discounts to employees on a weekly basis. Each Monday, employees who are signed up for the service get a newsletter with featured discounts. Again, it's at no cost to the employer or the employee - featured vendors benefit from increased patronage and essentially "free" advertising. The company currently services the greater Los Angeles area but is expanding to cities around the country in mid-2008.