For small businesses, every little success should be celebrated. Many small businesses close down after a year or two because of challenges they encounter such as slow sales and low revenue. Making it through the first five years is a challenge in itself.
So, when sales are high and everyone is working hard, employees should be appreciated. This would motivate employees to work harder knowing that their efforts are being noticed and appreciated. However, how can small businesses, that do not have a lot of excess spending money, give?
So, here are some ideas to help you show employees that their efforts are appreciated without having to spend a lot of money:
Personalized Gift Boxes Shop
A personalized gift box can be a good gift for an employee. It does not necessarily have to be personalized with the employee’s name; it can also be personalized with your business’s name on it. Also, making personalized boxes is easy and fast. All you need are some colored paper, ribbon, glitter glue, ribbons, personalized labels or stickers, and other embellishments. But you can give personalized gift boxes made through a shop. There are services that specialize in this sort of thing which will make the task easier.
You can give personalized gift boxes to your employees as a small token of appreciation and make them feel special and valued, which will motivate them to work harder.
It is also good to give personalized gift boxes during the holidays; you can even create personalized Christmas boxes for each employee. Doing this would show that you remembered everyone’s birthday and Christmas.
Gift Cards
Gift cards can be given to employees; it doesn’t have to be only for the business. Gift cards would also be good during holidays like Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries.
You can give gift cards in any denomination depending on your budget. Gift cards would also be good when you’re in a rush and cannot come up with an idea of what gift to give.
Some people also prefer gift cards because it allows the recipient to pick what they want to purchase, instead of receiving something that they already have or don’t really need.
Snacks and Beverages
During the holidays like Christmas and New Year, you can give snacks and beverages to your employees. It doesn’t need to be expensive; it’s the gesture that counts.
Filling your office pantry with a selection of snacks will be appreciated. Ordering pizza for everyone or taking everyone to a local restaurant for lunch will show how much you appreciate them for working hard.
Treat Them to a Fun Day Out
For you to show how much you appreciate them for their hard work, you can take them out on a fun day out at the amusement park or to a sporting event. It does not need to be expensive; even going by bus will do. Spending time with each other is a good way of strengthening the bond among employees.
Having barbecues in the park or going by bus, these small tokens of appreciation would definitely go a long way in encouraging your team members and making them feel special and valued.
This could also be a great way for you and your employees to forge a stronger bond that will extend outside of the office. You can have fun and get to know the people you work with on a deeper level. Do this during office hours, not the weekend, so that it does not affect everyone’s rest days.
Give Out Bonuses
If the small business can afford it, you should give your employees bonuses for a job well done. Money alone won’t motivate people to work harder, but it sure will let them know that you are willing to share your company’s earnings with them if they do a good enough job. After all, people go to work to earn money to use to pay for their living expenses. Even a $50 or $100 addition to their monthly payments would make a huge difference since it would allow them to save money or buy more of the things that they need.
Employees work hard to help your small business succeed. The success of every task or project is yours and theirs. So, be conscientious and kind in every action that you take toward your employees; they’ll be happier and work harder for your company. And do not forget to thank them every now and then because, without them, there will be no business at all.
