11 August 2010
You can have a gazillion products and services, but if you do not bring in people, your business will die a natural death. When we say people, we are referring not only to your steady stream of prospects and customers. We are also talking about your own team. Your own team matters. After all, you are not Harry Potter who can just wave a wand and do everything that needs to be done. Even a small business requires at least a person to help manage the enterprise.
However, for many years, business owners are viewing people as sort of commodities. Workers are needed simply to bring in profits for the enterprise. Though it is fundamental to have buyers and talents behind you to keep the business afloat, you should know once and for all that money should come second. The first thing you should focus on is increasing the value of your own business.
How to Do It?
You may ask, “Why is this so?”. When your business has value, it has sense for your consumers. They will instantly know the benefits they are going to get if they do business with you, such as buying products or availing services. Moreover, by having value, you increase your level of professionalism and credibility in the industry. The set of values you develop will also serve as guiding forces for the continuous betterment and growth of the organization.
Building up company values does not happen overnight. Nevertheless, there is always the “now” to start with. You can begin with the following ideas:
• Consider other motivating factors.
You should stay away from the idea that everyone works for money alone because if you remove it, you can expect your salespersons and supervisors to disappear in a snap.
What you can then do is to introduce other forms of motivation. For one, you can offer promotion to those who perform well. You can also give away special recognition to people who excel. Give them the trainings that will make them more confident about doing their jobs.
• Immerse them with the dirty work.
Employees will become more passionate to help the company out if they are given the chance to handle some crucial tasks. For instance, assign to someone the overall management to the upcoming trade fair. These types of projects bring about a different sense of fulfillment or satisfaction far greater than money, and many of your key personnel will likely contribute more and stick around a lot longer.
• Choose your people wisely.
Do not take the hiring process for granted and in a hurry. If you will do just that, you will end up employing those who would work only for their salaries. Make sure that the staff you will hire has the same vision as you.