We’re in business, so we don’t get to sit the tough seasons out and come back when it’s all better. Despite the economy, the small business owner still has serious management issues to address. We can tackle them head on, grow our businesses and ourselves–or we can ignore them, but that could eventually put us out of business. Success is the goal, and the better the team, the better the business.
Here are three suggestions to help you take care of your team, so that they can take care of your clients.
1. Focus on the little steps and everyday strategies.
Your team is no good if you can’t keep them focused. And you can’t keep them focused if you can’t keep yourself on track. Have you ever tried to build a business with your eyes glued to the television? It doesn’t work. In the same vein, jumping from one task to the next without focus and an ongoing sense of completion is just as unproductive. You’re busy, but so is a cat when he’s chasing his tail.
In “It’s All About the First Downs,” Diane Helbig gives some great tips to help you grow your business in “baby steps.” Instead of focusing on that big, amazing, and sometimes overwhelming plan, she has you shift your focus to the little steps. If we address the day-to-day details consistently, then we will eventually arrive at our big goals.
Diane says, “I’ve been confronted with people who are having trouble focusing.” She believes the “root cause is…an inability to see a big idea in small pieces.” I like what she says, because I believe your company’s future rests in your ability to manage the details of the dream, the day-to-day elements. In fact, the more focus you have on the daily strategies of your company, the more focus you can expect from your team.
Making the shift from the big idea to a daily grind that will get you where you want to be isn’t always easy. But Diane’s advice will get you started.
As you focus your team—and reap the benefits from it—you’ll probably want to find a way to reward them.
2. Try a new kind of raise: performance-based pay rewards.
You can’t grow your business without your team. So how do you take care of them if you are in a situation where you have just enough cash flowing to keep the doors open? Anita Campbell discusses performance-based raises in “Should You Pay for Employee Performance?”
You can’t give raises with money that you don’t have. So, if they make it, then you pay it. Anita explains, “A good pay-for-performance plan will focus on the aspects of employee performance that increase sales and profits. As a result, there will be more money available to pay employees for their performance.”
In the article, Anita tells you the type of employees that are most likely to appreciate this plan, as well as suggestions on how to implement pay-for-performance, including the advisors that can help you set it up.
Anita says, “When handled properly, a pay-for-performance program can motivate employees,” and that can move your business forward. Just keep in mind that your team needs to know the rules of engagement and it’s up to management to make that clear upfront and document it.
When it comes to performance, some people just don’t live up to it, and tough decisions have to be made. That brings us to point number three.
3. Fire what doesn’t work; hire what does.
In high school, college and the rest of life we try out for sports, audition for plays, interview for jobs, etc. We have to qualify for what we want, and the older we get, the higher the standards. We aren’t babies anymore—so we’re also long past being rewarded for being cute and cuddly. Everyone can’t or won’t perform at the level that your company needs and requires, and you have to do something about it.
In “3 Things to Consider When Hiring and Firing,” John Mariotti gives some well-balanced advice on firing team members without disrespecting them or breaking their will. He says, “Firing people is no fun at all—at least it shouldn’t be—but it is necessary.” John also advises us to “Always remember that it takes two errors to create a failed employee:
- an employee who doesn’t perform in the job, and
- the supervisor who put them in a position to fail.”
I try to remember that making the tough decisions can set us up to succeed where others fail.
From Small Business TrendsManaging Staff in a Tough Economy: Who Do You Fire, Who Gets That Raise?
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Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes and all have special challenges. But there are some commonalities we all share, like the need to improve ourselves and our knowledge daily and to find new ways of leveraging our potential to create great value with limited resources. Here are some tips and tools that should apply to many entrepreneurs and our hope is that you will use what you can and pass it on to others. Remember that sharing these resources helps every entrepreneur by creating more potential for us all. Got a tip or tool to share? Add it in the comment section, and add to the value we all share.
Online Resources
40 things holding up your business success. Check this simple check list of some of the worst habits plaguing entrepreneurs. If you find yourself here no worries. This is a great reminder of what you have to work on. Check off some of these issues as you address them, and we bet you’ll see a differencer in your small business success. New Biz Blogger
Where to find wholesale products online. If you run an online store as part of your entrepreneurial enterprise, finding products may be a challenge. Fortunately some simple solutions exist that can make your search for products a much more managable affair. Check out the post and video at the link to learn more about the opportunities available for you. MyWifeQuitHerJob.com
How to make money from your business blog. You’ve probably heard plenty of people talking about it. Monetize your blog or other Web presence and your set. How hard could it be? Well, harder than you might think actually and here’s a list of both things you may want to try and others the author wouldn’t recommend. Traffic Generation Cafe
Self-development
Simple tips to stay productive. How do successful entrepreneurs and other leaders stay productive? Tap into their secrets to find a way to fuel your own entrepreneurial success. It may be simpler than you think to power yourself up for the challenge ahead. See if the suggestions of some of these folks resound with you. Inc.com
Making the best of bad situations. You may not be having as bad a day as Penelope. Her blog post tells the story of hiding out while on the lamb all the while scheduling a meeting with a potential investor for her latest entrepreneurial adventure. Reading about Penelope’s problems may make your own seem small, but being able to “reframe” any situation is a key entrepreneurial skill. Can you make lemons out of lemonade? It wouldn’t hurt to try. Penelope Trunk
Customer Relations
150 tips for dealing with difficult customers. Whether we like it or not, things will occasionally go badly in any small business and though there may be many challenges to face, dealing with a difficult cstomer may be amongthe worst. Fortunate then that this list has been assembled of suggestions from a wide range of le business leaders on how to handled these troubles when they arise in your business. Carol Roth
Boosting Sales
Ideas for overcoming sales objections. Some hardcore sales types spend some time in this roundtable offered as a free podcast hashing out how to get past the objections your customer or client may have to saying yes to your product or service. As entrepreneurs, we are all essentially our companies first salesmen. Why not learn from the best about how getting your customer to say yes? The Pipeline
Better sales through print PR. Of course, there are many opportunities to boost sales through marketing via online resources, but entrepreneur Sarah Shaw reminds us that, especially in some industries, PR via print, especially magazines, may also be critical. Learning how and where to pitch your business or product will take some practice, but here is a place to start. The entreprenette Gazette
From Small Business TrendsTips and Tools for Entrepreneurs
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