***Contributed Post***

Most small online businesses start out with a single person doing all of the work. It’s tough. There’s a lot to do, and a lot to learn, and absolutely not enough time for it all. Most new business owners work like mad trying to be everything. Dreaming of the day when they can employ staff. They look forward to having a small team around them. People to take on the tasks that they aren’t so good at, and some of the more basic jobs, which would allow them to do more important things themselves, and give more attention to creating products and selling services. They think that having a team of staff will make everything easier and give them much less to worry about.

Then, it happens, and they often find that this just isn’t the case. Having a small team can make everything easier and make your life less stressful. It can help your company to grow and bring in wonderful new ideas, if your team are happy and motivated. If they aren’t, it just gives you an extra thing to worry about and makes your life harder.

It can seem as though there is some magical and complicated equation to keeping everyone happy. They are different people, with different needs and habits. But, it’s usually not. In fact, it might be easier than you think. Here are some of the easiest ways to keep your team happy.

Pay Them 

The first way to make them happy is the most obvious. Pay them. Pay them a fair wage for their work, on time, without them ever having to ask, or worry about late pay. This gets more complicated as your team grows, especially if you expand to other offices. cloudpay.net can be a massive help, making the process of payment easy for everyone.

Be Fair to Them 

Your staff have the right to expect fair treatment, and you have a responsibility to offer it. Any pay differences should be clear and easy to explain, (it is ok to pay a senior team member more!), all staff should be offered the same levels of flexibility and the same chances to develop. You should treat each member of your team with respect and be friendly with them all. You might feel closer to some than others, but this should never show in your professional relationships.

Thank Them 

Perhaps the easiest way to make your staff happy is with a simple “thank you” at the end of the day. Big bonus and perks are great, but you won’t always have the budget for them. A thank you, and the odd after work drink after a particularly big or hard day can go a long way to creating a happy team that is loyal to you.

 Get to Know Them 

Each member of your team does have different needs and different moods. The only way to really give them what they need is to get to know them. Spend time with everyone, try to understand them as people, not just employees.