How Being Selfless Can Be Your Secret Weapon as a Small Business
When we start a business, it’s because we are concerned about giving ourselves and our families a better life. Isn’t the dream of running your own business being able to spend more time with those you love, doing what you love, and making more money than you would as an employee? Of course. So, you may be wondering how being selfless can be your secret weapon as a small business. By its nature, you may be selling a service to others, but you’re doing it to take care of yourself. However, when small business owners and the culture of the business begin to put others first, great things happen.
Start by Putting Your Employees First
If you have employees in your business, you can start being more selfless by putting them first. Although you hired them to help you grow your business and your profits, they’re also humans. This means they have problems, families, hopes, and dreams of their own. Putting your employees first and being concerned about their well-being is important because you want your employees to be dedicated and motivated. When employees are treated well, they are more loyal. Even small acts of selflessness can change the entire culture of your business. Your employees remain dedicated to you and to the success of the business. They know that most employers are more concerned about the business than they are with their employees…who are the business. Your corporate culture begins to change and the change will ultimately impact your clients. Companies with noted cultures that you should strive to be include Zappos, Adobe, Twitter, and Google. You can see Entrepreneur.com’s list of 10 companies with fantastic cultures by reading this article.
You may not have the ability to implement some of the things that the 10 fantastic culture companies do for their employees, but there are some simple ways that you can put your employees first. You can start by praising your employees when they do well and when they think outside of the box. You can offer small gift cards for a job well done. You can cater in lunch from time to time. Think about how you would want to be treated if you were your employee. Everyone likes to be recognized for a job well done.
Put Your Clients First
Being selfless is about putting others before yourself. Another easy (and obvious) place to start is by putting your clients first. This means that we begin to implement total quality management. This is a form of management that involves everyone in your company. It relies on knowing what the client defines as quality and striving to meet that definition. You’ll have to know what it is that your clients want.
Respecting the time of your clients is one of the best ways that you can put your clients first. This means that you call when you say that you will. It means that you return emails and other messages in a timely manner. It means that you actively listen to your clients so that you truly understand their needs. It means that your clients become more than dollar signs. Happy clients tell their friends, their colleagues, and you are first in their mind when they hear from someone who could use your services.
Give Back to Your Community
How many GoFundMe requests did you see in your newsfeed this week? Probably quite a few. When you find worthy causes that you can verify, such as a child who is raising money for Jump Rope for Heart, give money. You can act as a corporate sponsor. This creates goodwill for your business with the rest of the community. People want to do business with companies who get involved at a local level. Also, you can give your time. Contact your local food bank to find out about volunteering opportunities. Contact your local Junior Achievement office and volunteer your time to teach children and teenagers about business. You’ll get to meet some great people and you’re gaining free exposure for your business. You’ll also feel incredibly fulfilled because you know that you’ve done something that really will make a difference.
Need Help with Your Small Business?
Do you need help to run your small business? It can be hard to balance your time because of all of the activities that must be done. Clients ARM is here to help. We provide remote support in multiple areas. Some of our most popular services include customer service, client intake, billing, accounts receivable, writing policies and procedures, collections, and setting credit limits for our customers. With more than 30 years of experience, Clients ARM saves you both time and money. You can continue to focus your time on servicing your clients and growing your business. You only spend about 40% of what it would cost to hire a traditional employee. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, call us today and book your free, no-obligation process review. Find out how you can get started and take advantage of our experience.
