•Acknowledge: The least productive sentence an employer can use is "I don't need to thank employees; they get paid." We all need to be thanked and recognized. Find opportunities to get the staff together to acknowledge jobs well done. Give small acknowledgments: plaques, certificates, T-shirts to recognize even small achievements.
•Reward: Pay people decently, reward them when you're successful, and give them as much sense of security as you can. Employees don't work well when they're worried about how they'll pay the rent or whether they'll have a job next month. Job security, good pay, and decent benefits help make a much more productive staff.
In a small company, every day is Labor Day. It's important to make every employee feel valued, included, and respected. If you help your employees grow, they'll help your business grow.
