New book discusses link between alternative equity and employee retention

Reins co-founder pens guide to creating incentive programs that reward, retain and inspire top talents

LAS VEGAS, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Reins, a pioneering technology firm dedicated to empowering privately owned businesses through alternative equity solutions, announces the release of a new book. "Alternative Equity: The Owner's Guide to Phantom Stock & Modern Incentives" provides a comprehensive guide for business owners who wish to engage and motivate their employees without sacrificing company control or vision.

"In today's labor market, holding on to top talents is more challenging than ever," said Chris Buttenham, co-founder of Reins and co-author of the book. "Historically, the best way to engage employees has always been to connect incentives with the success of the business itself, but giving up equity dilutes ownership. Our book demonstrates a more innovative approach, one that offers advantages for business owners and employees alike."

"Alternative Equity" offers a deep dive into phantom stock, which is a way to connect employee incentives to business performance and create invested, committed key players without giving up ownership shares. Throughout the book, Buttenham and co-author J. Mark Poerio provide guidance for business owners who wish to develop flexible and effective incentive programs that foster loyalty and long-term commitments from their employees.

"No matter the goals you have for your company—whether they are for scalable growth, acquisition or succession—it's important to have employee interests aligned with those goals," said Poerio, an advisor for Reins. "We help owners understand how to make that alignment happen, even as they learn more about practical considerations such as taxes, compliance and valuation. We take the guesswork out of the equation."

The book features step-by-step instructions for designing effective plans that offer flexibility and are easily adaptable as priorities change. In addition, Buttenham and Poerio provide case studies that showcase the unique challenges different industries, such as construction and manufacturing, face when implementing phantom stock plans.

"Alternative Equity: The Owner's Guide to Phantom Stock & Modern Incentives" is now available on Amazon.

For more information about Reins, visit https://www.myreins.com.

About Reins
Reins is an innovative platform that empowers privately-owned businesses to retain key employees effectively by offering owner-like benefits that incentivize employees to contribute to the business's long-term success. Founded in 2023, Reins' mission is to help independent businesses remain productive and grow. Reins' proprietary solution, the Modern Agreement for Rewards and Equity (MARE) program, was built by attorneys and is customizable to meet each business owner's needs. Every plan is legally binding and stored safely in the Reins software for compliance. Using the MARE program, business owners can create and execute a tailored program within minutes. For more information about Reins and the MARE program, please visit https://myreins.com/.

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SOURCE Reins