The Best Small Businesses to Work For in 2017

ICC and the Best Comapnies to Work For program classify small businesses as 100 or fewer employees. The organizations recognized in 2017 include two advertising/marketing agencies, both headquarted in downtown Denver, and an engineering consulting firm.

WINNER

ADPERIO

One of the biggest perks employees at the digital advertising agency Adperio enjoy is the opportunity to earn additional time off.

If each department achieves the goal set for the week, employees knock off early on Fridays. If they make their goals for the month, they earn additional vacation days. Then there’s the contest that runs from September through December, where making goal means the entire week off of either Christmas or New Year’s.

“We think it’s really motivating,” says David Asseoff, Adperio’s chief executive. “It’s not just revenue teams — it’s operational teams like human resources and accounting. It’s a perk that really speaks to a lot of people, but especially millennials.”

Adperio, which has 36 employees, is a performance-based online advertising agency that represents some of the top U.S. brands in entertainment, finance and market research. It’s one of the world’s largest buyers of in-game advertising, specifically on the Facebook social games platform.

“We’ve been in business 23 years with a high retention rate.”

Employees say they like the professional growth opportunities the company provides, as well as the activities it supports outside of work. Asseoff is the dealer for the company poker tournament in which the winner gets a trip to Las Vegas. The company also provides tickets to sporting events and the theater.

"In addition to being the CEO, I’m also the CCO — chief cultural officer,” Asseoff says.

RUNNERS-UP

DIABLO MEDIA

Employees like working at Diablo Media because their work keeps them engaged. The company takes a creative approach to building Cost Per Action (CPA) campaigns that initiate a fee paid by an advertiser each time a visitor-initiated action, such as completion of a sale, occurs at the website displaying the advertiser’s message. The company, which has spent years developing relationships with its network partners, gives its employees the opportunity to work on projects they’re interested in, and with people they can trust and collaborate with. One employee notes that the work environment promotes a sense of humility that makes everyone approachable, regardless of position. Employees aren’t confined to a 9 to 5 schedule, which enables them to balance work with other things going on in their lives. Diablo also provides bikes for employees to run errands during the day and sponsors company happy hours and a weekly lunch.

PIE CONSULTING

Pie Consulting & Engineering believes the best pies result from a proven recipe and top ingredients, with a gifted baker bringing it all together. The company prides itself on having the right mix of people, talent, culture and integrity, qualities that encourage employees to take ownership of the roles they play. Still, employees are happy to be part of the team and not quick to take credit for jobs well done. “It’s amazing how much you can accomplish when no one gets the credit,” one employee recalls seeing on the company’s website. Employees say the company spends time and money investing in its people and rewards good work. They also like that they’ve made friends in the workplace whom they enjoy socializing with away from the office. They participate in wine nights, mud runs and softball.