5 ways to motivate your staff without spending a fortune

One of the beautiful things about running a small business is that it’s so much easier to motivate your staff.

As the leader of a small team, you will have the opportunity to get to know exactly why each employee is working for you – and use that info to press the right buttons and positively affect productivity.

Managers of large companies can’t do that, especially when their hands are tied by daft schemes “sent from head office”. You can use the advantages of a well-motivated team to sharpen your business’s performance against its bigger rivals.

You’d be wrong to think all employees are motivated by money. In fact, it’s only 28 per cent according to a survey by recruitment firm Brook Street. It found 37% are motivated by job satisfaction and 16% by a challenge.

So using that knowledge, here are Bytestart’s five tips to motivate your team without spending a fortune.

Invest in them

A business that commits to the personal development of its employees is a powerful one. And the good news is it’s more important to invest time than money.

Every member of your team deserves regular coaching and appraisals, even if you run a two person business. It’s the only way to ensure you know exactly how your team feel about their work, and to figure out what their development needs are.

Off the back of that you should make a commitment to give your team the training they need. You will virtually guarantee a motivated workforce, and also have a very positive effect on staff retention levels.

Create an amazing culture

Work should be a fun place to be. No matter how dull the tasks that have to be done, a business that wants to keep its staff motivated makes the work enjoyable in whatever way it can.

Creating a great culture is about having a positive attitude and demonstrating to your team that they are appreciated. As the leader of the team, you will set the attitude within your business, mostly through your actions. If you say one thing and do another, you will soon be caught out.

So encourage your team to take ownership of results by doing the same yourself. Gain their respect by giving it. Know your role in the business and show you appreciate the value of their roles.

Build your team

Forget learning how to chop planks of wood or being forced to work together to solve some pointless puzzle. Leave those expensive sessions to the corporate boys!

Team building in a small business is about getting to know each other and finding where your place is in the group. You can’t force it, but you can actively encourage it.

Identify problems in the business and set your team the challenge to fix them, with a clear reward (depending on the problem it could be a fun exercise, just like in this current Honda advert). You can actually watch your business become more efficient while your employees bond!

Building a team can also be encouraged with regular social events. This can be as simple as Friday lunchtime at the pub, or as fun as a mini carting tournament. Give social reasons a purpose and reason for being and they are more likely to be well attended.

Recognise and reward good performance

Employees want respect, freedom and responsibility at work, which they will get from the right culture. They also want to know when they are doing a good job and reap the benefits of it. Coaching and appraisals will help your team know where they stand, but don’t forget the reward.

No employee will ever feel the way you do about your business. They will never feel the urge to “just do a bit of work” at 10pm on a Friday night. They wouldn’t work 70 hour weeks for a tiny salary. As a business owner you’re different, so you have to remember that on top of all the other things we have mentioned here, employees want rewards as well.

Salary increases and profit bonuses are smart ways to reward people while driving performance. For busy people, an extra free day off can be a powerful motivator. And perks can go a long way – could you offer your team free gym, bikes if they cycle to work (good for the environment), or maybe even go as far as Google does?

Say thank you for no reason

Your business probably wouldn’t exist without your employees. It certainly wouldn’t thrive.

Find ways to thank them for their contribution to your success. The National Trust has the right idea.