This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and efficiency coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. The Professional Development Toolkit package covers professional development and real-world IT topics in detail. If you are interested in inexpensive training in these areas,get signed up
More and more small businesses are popping up. Either you or your spouse is working at a small business or you know someone that is involved in a small business. In a small company or business, discretionary funds are very restrained. Even so, the need for employee recognition and appreciation is still important. Your company’s success lay on your employees shoulders (especially when your resources are limited). You and your employees are wearing multiple hats and are responsible for significant tasks that can make or break the company.
So — How can a small business reward and recognize outstanding performance without breaking the bank?
The best way to recognize employees on a budget is to create a 2-fer. By this I mean to think a little out of the box to discover and create rewards that also support your business success.
Some examples could include (but not limited to):
1) Use your client’s restaurants or facilities to hold recognition lunches.
2) Use your client’s print shop or merchandize to reward with plaques or gift certificates.
3) Make it an honor to be selected to escort clients to games, dinners theater, or other interesting entertainment etc (only select people that this is fun for — you want this to be a treat, not seen as a punishment).
4) Your company needs to be represented at certain luxury events, have your high-performing employees enjoy those evenings as your representative instead of you.
5) Work with a local Gym or Fitness Center to purchase group memberships in exchange for them placing your marketing/advertizing banner in their hall.
6) Sponsor a local technical conference in exchange for employee seats in certain certification, training or sessions. Your marketing logo will be strategically displayed throughout the conference as well as getting your high-performers a lead into the next generation skill set.
7) Your company needs to periodically travel to high-profile client sites. Prepare your high-performing employees to do these important client retention visits. While they are during these travels, add an additional vacation day to their itinerary. Picking up the extra night hotel stay is a minimum expense, but it gives them a nice retreat.
So the idea is to make the effort to add value to what you are doing. Combine the recognition program with your client retention/referral/loyalty program or marketing/advertising dollars. Since you need to spend money on your marketing and client retention programs (as well as your employee recognition program) – find a way to get more bang for your bucks.
In the Professional Toolkit, I provide worksheet, templates and guidance on how to accomplish these things. In my Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations, I have 105 work-life scenarios like the above. The scenarios show how to accomplish your goals in similar situation.
For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers“, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info