Running a small business with staff working remotely has its pros and cons.
The biggest advantage is that they can work flexibly, whether they are university students, have second jobs or are bringing up a young family.
As we don’t have a fixed place of work, it means we have to work twice as hard at communicating. This is important for business development but also for the well being of my team. Our WhatsApp group is always pinging with questions, ideas, words of encouragement and banter too!
It’s also important for me to recognise hard work and commitment, so yesterday I launched a couple of reward schemes. It created such a buzz with everyone congratulating this month’s winners.
Sometimes these schemes can demotivate rather than inspire so it’s important to get the balance right. My goal is to maintain and improve standards but also for my team to feel valued for working hard and going the extra mile.
The rewards are non cash, which I hope will be more meaningful, but i think the biggest gift is for me to publicly acknowledge their achievement and say thank you.
I hope you feel valued in your job. What keeps you motivated?