When it comes to attracting and retaining talent, small business owners often wonder how to show their employees appreciation for a job well done. The good news is that there is no shortage of ways to reward great performances, and none of them need to break the bank. Consider: 1. Money: It is no secret that money motivates employees; we all know that. Holding sales contests, offering bonuses, dangling raises—these are tried-and-true approaches that are effective. But these things also...

It is easy when you are a small business owner to have a narrow view of how you are doing. If things are going well and you are making a profit, you are in good shape, right? And, if you are in a rough spot and money is tight, then you need to be doing something better, no? Let me suggest that both views are probably too myopic, and as a result, probably incorrect as well. Judging the success or failure of your business by a snapshot of how you are doing today, or this week, or even this...

Recently, I have been involved in a big, new work project. You know the type –it gets your adrenaline flowing, requires creativity and discipline and takes up a lot of time and bandwidth. The kind of project that is both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Did I mention that I am pretty tired? But unlike other times when I have faced similar deadlines on big projects, this time, while weary in a good way, I am not burnt-out like I may have been (OK, have been) in the past. The...

Small business pop quiz: Which employees are entitled to overtime and which are not? What workplace benefits are required and which are perks? The answers to these types of questions are of course important, vital even to the success of your business, but many small business owners do not know the answers. And that begs two questions: First, when you own a business, where do you go to get legal information? And second, are there common legal issues of which you need to be especially aware?...

There are all sorts of clients you can have when you are in business, and most are pretty good. The valuable client, the friendly client, the repeat client – yeah, we love them. But what about the troublesome client, the difficult client? No, we don’t love them so much. What makes for difficult clients? It could be any number of things: They are too demanding or unrealistic in their expectationsThey might be belligerentThey may complain excessivelyThey ask for revision upon revisionThey...

Can you smell it? March Madness is in the air and we all know what that means: Folks fill out their brackets, watch games online and in the break room, chat about how they are doing and get less done. According to Gray & Christmas, a consulting firm specializing in workplace issues, about $1.7 billion is lost in productivity during March Madness. But figures like that assume people are busy little bees while at work, humming along, doing their job all day, consistently and persistently...

I would venture to say that we have all had an influential mentor at one time or another. It might have been a teacher who inspired you or a colleague who guided you, but whatever the case, you were fortunate to have the right someone at the right time. Yes, mentors can make a difference but the funny thing about them is that, typically, they show up when they show up. You don’t normally get to choose when a mentor relationship becomes available. All too often, finding a mentor when you...

Small business and sales go hand in hand. Indeed, it is impossible to be a small business owner without learning a thing or two about sales in the process. But that said, it doesn’t always follow that making sales comes easy, because for some people it most certainly does not. The good news is that sales is one of those things that, even if it doesn’t come naturally, can be learned with a bit of effort. This is especially true for those all-important presentations. Small business folks...