The type and quality of employees can make or break any business. As business leaders we often make the mistake of thinking we can only get the right people if we offer the biggest salaries. While people do indeed want to be paid well, they also want a number of other things to make work worth their while.
 
Firstly, your employees want to know what their specific roles are and what success looks like. It is your job as business leader to make sure that every person in your business knows what you expect them to do, how you expect them to do it and how what they do contributes to the overall success of the business. Don’t just leave it up to a line manager or HR person or the employees themselves to figure out.
 
The second thing your employees want to see is their co-workers disciplined if they step out of line. Disciplining employees is one of the hardest things any business leader has to learn how to do well but a management style that is too soft can foster an unethical workplace culture and create feelings of resentment in employees that stay within the rules.
 
So it is incredibly important to balance strong inspirational leadership by the will and skill to appropriately discipline employees.
 
Employees also want praise.
 
While everyone doesn’t do the same work, or everyone’s work doesn’t have the same direct impact on the business, everyone wants to know that their efforts are recognised. In business we often leave praise for big milestones … signing a new deal, delivering on a big contract, exceeding annual targets … where the type of praise employees want is often for smaller achievements.
 
As a business leader you set the tone for the culture of who receives praise for what. It costs nothing to send someone a note to say “good job on writing that tough email” or “that’s a brilliant idea, well done!”. In a workplace where the leader is generous with praise, employees thrive and are more willing to consistently give their best efforts.
 
And people want to give their best efforts without being micro-managed. If you give someone autonomy you’re saying to them “it doesn’t matter how inexperienced you are, I trust you to do the best you can and I will guide you when you get stuck”. It doesn’t mean that you let go of doing all the usual checks and balances, but it does mean that the responsibility for quality work is shared.
 
Employees also be impressed by their boss. As a business leader you have to consistently live the values of the organisation. You have to be honest about your shortcomings and about when you need assistance. And you have to always strive to do better … not to have something to brag about, but to lead by example.
 
Lastly, employees want to be part of a winning organisation. They want to know about the small steps of progress as well as about the big wins. They want to feel that they have helped achieved something bigger than just their own tasks. So remember to regularly share updates about the business’ progress with every employee and make sure that everyone knows how their work is contributing to it.

Many small business owners started the business because they were really good at doing what the business does and keeping customers happy. Keeping customers happy will increase the chances of their return business and might even result in them telling others to buy from you. While this is the best way to generate business, in my experience just doing good work is not enough to bring in new customers.
 
Businesses also have to constantly find and sell to potential new customers. For small businesses this might mean that the owner has to be great at doing and selling. For larger businesses it means that the leader has to ensure that those employed to sell don’t just keep on selling to existing or past customers, but also actively works at identifying, researching and connecting with potential new customers.
 
There are so many sales training and marketing videos available for free online that it can feel a little overwhelming. So here’s a few simple things to get you going:
 
Start with thinking who might need what you offer. Think about what they read, which social media groups they consult, etc and make sure you have an active presence there. For example, if your target audience is moms with small children, they most probably spend quite a bit of time on Instagram. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a fan of social media or not; if your customers are on there, and you’re not, you’re missing out on an easy way to remain top of their minds.
If your target audience is more professional, then you have to be active on Linkedin and most probably have a website that they could find everything they need to know about you and what you offer.
 
Your sales efforts will be a lot easier if you contact people that have already spent time online with your brand. Similarly, even if your first personal contact didn’t turn into a sale, that person might go follow you online and turn into a sale later.
 
So what do people want to hear or see when you sell to them? They want to know less about what the product is, and more about what it can do for them.
 
Which means every message you post online, every piece of wording on your website, every sales email you write and sales call you make has to immediately answer their question “how does this help me?”.
 
Saying you’re the best isn’t enough anymore. You’ve got to know your potential customers so well that you know what their needs are. A phone call or social media post saying “We see many home owners in your area struggle with termites over the past month, and they’ve trusted us to keep their properties damage free” will go down much better than a call or post saying “We do pest control”.
 
Spend time and effort researching your potential customers, and spend time and effort crating messages that will address their needs, not your awesomeness.
 
Make sure you follow up with customer queries as soon as you can. On social media, it should be almost instant.
Once you’ve closed a sales deal, make sure your processes and people are geared to do everything they can to offer top quality products and services in a way that delights the customer. There is nothing worse than creating high expectations during the sales process only to have those expectations shattered when it comes to getting or using what was promised.
 
Marketing and sales require quite a bit of effort and that’s why many businesses don’t give it enough attention, but think about it this way: as business owner or leader your number one priority should be finding and keeping customers that buy from you, otherwise you don’t have a business, you’re just someone that can make a product or offer a service.
 
Only once when there are customers does it become necessary to make the product or offer the service.

Leading a business often means you have to make decisions that will force others to change the way they do things. These decisions and changes in life and business are inevitable, but as a leader there are a few things you can do lessen the discomfort of the change.
 
It helps to know how different people respond to change. A quick Google search can give you quite a bit of insight, and can help you to adjust your communication to accommodate as many as possible preferences.
 
The most important thing I’ve learned about change in an organisation is that we shouldn’t just give people the tools they need to do things in a new way; we should also teach them how to break old habits and establish new habits.
 
Communicating change is therefore not a once-off occasion; it starts with the announcement of things that are going to be different but then has to follow up regularly with check-in sessions that helps everyone deal with the discomfort of change.
 
Let’s start with how to make the announcement about a big change.
 
Many experts recommend that you include as many as possible people in the decision-making process. This sense of inclusion makes it easier for people to stick with the change even when things get tough.
 
There are however times where business leaders have to make decisions really quickly, or where a process of consultation will only make the decision harder. The only thing left to do then is to be really good at communicating the changes to those that will be affected by it.
 
First off, explain what led to change being necessary. Even if you suspect everyone already knows, it’s good to explain it from your point of view.
 
Then give an overview of what you kept in mind when considering the various options. This will allow others to understand that your decision wasn’t taken lightly and only with yourself in mind.
 
When you announce the actual change do so in a way that is clear and concise. Speak in terms everyone can understand and stick to practicalities. People often care less about what will change and more about how it will affect them, so be sure to tell them what the impact will be.
 
It’s no use trying to hide or sugarcoat the hard effects of change; it might feel easier for you in the moment, but it creates distrust and false hope that you WILL have to deal with later. Rather be open and honest with everyone right from the start.
 
Different people will have different reactions to the announcement. Some might want to immediately try and convince you that change isn’t necessary. Some might be quiet and seemingly accepting only to respond a few days later with a long list of concerns. Some might keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves and quietly boycott the change. Others might actually become champions of the change and help you drive it. All of these responses are completely natural, and you should be prepared to take it in your stride.
 
Announcing a change is only the first step in a much longer communication process. You should also have a schedule for how often you’re going to check in with your team to see how things are going and to listen to constructive feedback. Share this schedule with everyone so they know that they will continue to have opportunities to be heard.
 
Remember that each person processes change in a different way and at different speeds. As leader, you are responsible for finding a balance between being compassionate about natural resistance to change while still maintaining the discipline it takes to ensure that the business survives and thrives.