Zero jargon
Understand alternative equity incentives like phantom stock in plain English. No legal language, just clear, concrete examples you will grasp fast.
Alternative Equity.
Phantom stock, profit sharing and bonus plans in plain English, with the activities to build your first plan. Free to read today.
Instant access. No cost.
1,500+copies downloaded and sold
Why owners finish it
20+ years
Co-authored by veteran business and compensation experts, distilling decades of lessons from hundreds of US businesses like yours.
8 activities
Real world activities and thinking questions designed to help you build your first alternative equity plan with ease.
Alternative Equity was written to help owners understand their options with confidence.
Ask how to keep the person who runs the business when you are not there and you get two answers. Give away real equity, or pay a bigger bonus. One costs you control of the company. The other is spent and forgotten by February.
There is a third answer, and it is older than either of them. Large companies have used it for decades. Nobody had written it down for a shop with twelve trucks.
This is that book. The vocabulary, the frameworks and the questions to work through before you sit down with a lawyer, so that conversation takes hours instead of weeks.
What is inside
The whole table of contents
Thirteen chapters between the introduction and the authors, and eight of them close with an activity that turns what you have just read into a decision about your own business.
Introduction
1
How phantom stock works
10
Valuation methods
18
Vesting
27
Vesting mechanics
35
Calculating and financing payouts
44
Accounting and taxation
54
How phantom stock differs from equity
62
Phantom stock advantages over equity awards
72
Phantom stock strategic planning
79
Legal considerations
88
Phantom stock for specific business types
95
Future-proofing phantom stock plans
102
Key takeaways and considerations
109
About the authors
119
Written by
Chris R. Buttenham
J. Mark Poerio
Questions owners ask about the book
What is phantom stock?
Phantom stock entitles an employee to a future cash payment based on the company's value, usually triggered by events like a sale. It is a way for LLCs and other companies that cannot or do not want to use traditional equity to give key employees owner-like benefits.
Who is this book written for?
Owners and finance leaders of US small to mid-sized businesses, especially trades and contractors, who need a clear, step by step path to employee incentives.
Will the book replace my lawyer or CPA?
No. It prepares you to meet them efficiently, cutting discovery time and billable hours by arming you with frameworks, terminology, and end of chapter activities to cement what you learn.
Hardcover or paperback: what is the difference?
Both carry the same full content. The hardcover lays flat, which makes the end of chapter activities easier to complete.
Do you offer bulk discounts or team bundles?
Yes. For orders of 10 or more copies, email hello@myreins.com with how many you need, what you plan to do with them, and the best way to reach you.