fbpx

Grow Your Business by Treating Your Employees Like Gold


by Don Smith

All products and services featured on this site are independently selected by our authors and editors. If you buy something through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

More than any other factor, people make the most significant difference in whether a business grows or fails. If you want to grow your business, treat your employees like gold.

A Gym's Downfall

I know a gym owner who was passionate about his gym, but it collapsed. He was a great guy, but a competitor came into town, stole his best employees, and along with them, his best customers.

Business closed because they didn't take care of their people.

While he was always friendly with customers, in conversations with employees, I found out that he had barely been paying minimum wage, had not been timely with payroll, and was very critical.

He lost his business because he hadn't taken care of his most valuable assets, his people.

A New Gym Blossoms

Across town, the new gym suddenly took off. They had hired the best people they could find, paid them well, and customers were flocking in.

Growing your gym business - get more customers by taking care of your people. Picture of a dance class.
Your best customers want the best people taking care of them
Image by Sobima from Pixabay

It may seem counterintuitive to think that you can increase your profits by paying people better, but it works if you've priced your products and services correctly.

When starting up a company, it is common to pay someone more than you make as an owner. That's because you want them to stick around and build your business with you, and highly skilled employees won't do that if they are only making a few bucks a week.

Rewarding People Doesn't Always Mean Monetary Compensation

Beyond merely paying people well and like clockwork, the new gym owner also rewarded her people when they did a good job. While she wasn't afraid to provide constructive feedback and didn't let employees walk all over her, the owner handed out compliments like candy.

Like Blanchard described in the book Whale Done! The Power of Positive Relationships,” the owner regularly caught people doing the right things and reinforced those actions.

“It's great to see you this morning! I love how you're always here early ready to go with a smile on your face!”

“Sandy's mom wanted me to let you know how much Sandy loves working with you! She said that you keep it fun, and she likes that you are always showing the little things she can do to improve. Keep up the great work!”

“Great job with that class, I love how you are constantly giving them feedback. It's the little things that add up to big changes over time.”

She also made sure that everyone had what they needed to do their job and provided contests that rewarded people when they increased business, like a small bonus or gift card for each new client they signed.

You don't have to pay your employees a million dollars a year for them to be happy, just treat them like human beings and take care of them. A kind word goes a long way.

Dog holding thank you card - thanking employees can go a long ways towards growing your business.
Telling employees thank you goes a long ways
Photo by Howard Riminton on Unsplash

Treat Each Other Like Gold And Both of You Win

Owners, take care of your employees, and they'll take care of you. If you're an employee, make the business a lot of money, keep your customers and coworkers happy, always show up with a smile, and the right employers will take care of you.

About the Author 

Don Smith

Happily married with five kids, Smith owns a technology company, is the founder of this site, has served on the board of directors for multiple companies, and loves playing soccer, hiking, and mentoring.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Have you recently taken over a leadership role and found it difficult to ask team members to complete tasks? You don’t want

Read More
Can You Delegate? Five Questions to Ask Yourself

Every so often, someone will say something negative about a comment or post I made, and I feel like trashing this entire

Read More
How to Keep Going When You Feel Discouraged

Do you wish that you could be a better public speaker? Find and join your local Toastmasters club by clicking here, and

Read More
How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills

Did you know that Coca Cola spent $74 on advertising and only made $50 in sales their first year?[1] Adjusted for inflation,

Read More
Even Coca-Cola Lost Money the First Year. Don’t Give Up!

I recently officially registered The Personal Growth Channel LLC as an LLC (Limited Liability Company). If any of you have been in

Read More
Forming an LLC For Your Company

Wondering how much cash you need to start a business? Former bank director and business consultant Don Smith discusses this issue. Keep

Read More
How Much Cash You Need to Start a Business

If you haven't found your passion in life yet and wonder how to decide on which career track you should start down,

Read More
What is the best career path for me?

How many of us have concentrated a significant amount of our efforts on getting rid of ourweaknesses in our pursuit of personal

Read More
Personal Development Book of The Month: Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

With the pandemic in full swing, more and more businesses are scrambling to find a way to keep their business going. One

Read More
Vocal Teacher Moves to Giving Virtual Lessons

If you’re in your twenties, it’s possible you feel torn. Some people are telling you that you have “all the time in

Read More
The Importance of Personal Growth in Your Twenties

In Clash of Clans, a popular strategy game for the iPhone and Android, there is a concept of a shield that goes

Read More
Breaking the Shield

Branding is not what most solopreneurs think it is. It’s not just a side project that can be done in your spare

Read More
10 Common Branding Mistakes That Solopreneurs Make

SUBSCRIBE

Get new articles and course discounts from leading providers every Friday in your inbox with your free subscription!

>