Small companies like Embolden Design Inc. and Baeder Corp. struggle to retain talent in the face of deep pockets at larger organizations. The cost of turnover is especially high for young companies trying to grow due their small size and the costs of training.

Embolden, with 12 employees, strategically offers desirable benefits like health care, time off, and family benefits despite the costs of such packages on their revenue stream.

“Particularly with technology companies, it’s difficult and a challenge to find good talent and compete with corporate wages,” [President and founder Ann-Marie] Harrington said.

“We’ve actually had folks come work for us from bigger businesses where they were offered larger pay,” Harrington said. “They decided to work for [Embolden Design] for quality of life.”

Baeder Corp., through subsidiaries Business Link International and OpenBOX, employs 15 people in Providence and outsources programming to a team of about 25 in China, largely due to the high cost of health care.

“It’s probably the single largest barrier preventing us from hiring more employees,” [President and CEO Dave Baeder] said.

But if the state would make it possible, through legislation, for small companies to pool together and set out a bid for health care, which could lower the cost per employee by as much as 20 percent, Baeder said, each of those companies could probably afford to hire more employees and retain them.