In this blog, we will discuss three simple ways for you to show your employees how much you value them and help strengthen the company culture you create for your business. When your team members are happy, your business can thrive, which creates a win-win situation for everyone involved with your company. 

Listen to Your Team and Provide Open Communication Always

Your team members are often the first face that customers see, and they are frequently experts in their industry. Many useful ideas and techniques can be learned from an experienced employee, and it is important to listen to their ideas and suggestions. Develop an open-door policy where employees feel confident in sharing their ideas, and they are open to learning new ideas, as well. Two-way communication that is filled with listening, respect, and working towards the same goal is a rewarding place to be and work.

Focus on Employee Development and Growth

Enhance your team members’ industry knowledge by providing continuing education opportunities, such as industry-focused workshops, classes, webinars, conferences, and other engaging outlets. When your employees know you are invested in their future and are concerned about their professional development, they will feel more loyalty and excitement in helping your company thrive. You may also wish to celebrate industry learning by hosting lunchtime learning sessions with guest speakers or more experienced team members, or you may find a relevant podcast or book that will help increase your knowledge on a particular topic. 

Create A Company Culture Where Employees Are Recognized, Rewarded, and Valued

Showing genuine interest in your employees creates a welcoming, thriving environment. People like to be recognized, and as a business owner or manager, there are many ways to accomplish this task. Recognize a team member for a job well done by placing a note in the company newsletter or speaking about that person at a team meeting. Perhaps leave a personal note on their desk or in their box, congratulating them or thanking them for the hard work. You may also wish to provide a small bonus, gift card, or some other reward for their efforts and help with your company.

Bottom Line

When it comes to having a business that is thriving, many aspects need to come into play. It is important to provide top-quality industry services, use top-of-the-line equipment, have an effective marketing and sales strategy, and, of course, help take care of the team that supports your company. A team that feels motivated, works in an environment that helps boost morale, and feels safe within a strong, positive company culture will help your company grow and thrive. These team members will provide services that showcase company values and offer attentive customer service to your clients. As a company owner or manager, you can help your company thrive by allowing your employees to succeed. It truly is a win-win situation for you, your employees, and your customers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

How do I determine if I have a strong company culture?
If you have employees who enjoy coming to work, are actively engaged with team members and customers, and who seem motivated to provide top-quality services, then you are experiencing a strong company culture. 

As a small business owner, how can I show appreciation to team members and stay within a small budget?
Many simple, meaningful gestures go a long way in showing your appreciation for employees, and they can be gestures that hardworking individuals truly appreciate. Perhaps offer flexible scheduling, a celebratory lunch, recognition in a company newsletter, or an unexpected afternoon off from work. Your creative ideas can mean a lot to your loyal team members. 

How does investing in each team member’s growth help improve company culture?
Industry experts need to stay up to date with new techniques and technology that improve their workload, systems, and services. When you invest in continuing education for your employees, they will learn new ideas that benefit you, your customers, and your thriving company.

The post A Thriving Team Means A Thriving Business: 3 Simple Ways to Support Your Employees and Strengthen Your Company Culture appeared first on Mr. Pipeline.

Tips For Hiring Outstanding Teammates 

Identify Qualities Of Your Ideal Crew Members

List the qualities that are most important for the success of your business. Consider whether you need to hire someone who is already licensed or if you have the capability to train new team members. Consider whether someone communicates effectively, is dependable, and is committed to delivering high-quality services to your customers. Search for people who fit the needs of your company and check the boxes you have identified.  

Compose Detailed Job Descriptions That Attract Top Talent

While it is vital to find team members that fit the needs of your business, it is also important to promote your company as a good place to work. Showcase the reasons why talented individuals may want to work for your team. Consider growth opportunities, competitive benefits, and salaries, as well as a positive work environment that provides stability, recognition, and opportunities for longevity. 

Choose Individuals With An Eagerness To Learn And Perform

Your employees are vital to the success of your home services company. Invest in your team by providing training and allowing each individual to pursue certifications and continuing education as needed. If a team member is eager to learn and excited about helping your customers by providing high-quality workmanship, then they will be able to acquire new skills. 

Tips For Retaining Your Employees

Offer Competitive Benefits and Pay

It is essential for wages to meet industry standards and possibly even exceed the local market rate. Additionally, benefits may include paid time off, holidays, insurance, retirement plans, bonus pay, or allowances for uniforms, equipment, and travel expenses. 

Invest In Your Teammates

Employees who feel valued are more likely to stay with your group and deliver excellent service. Investing in career development, safety training, service training, leadership development, and personal growth can have a profound impact on the lives of your teammates. 

Encourage Open Communication, Positivity, And Good Work-Life Balance

Most employees want to bring home a solid paycheck, feel like their work is making a difference in the lives of customers, and be able to enjoy their life, too. You can retain employees by providing a positive work environment that fosters a good work-life balance and a livable wage. 

Bottom Line

The bottom line for most employees is that they want to be respected and rewarded for the knowledge they have in their particular industry. As an owner of a home service company, you can hire and retain an exceptional team by creating a strong and healthy work environment for your team members. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can I find some entry-level employees for my company?
One thing to remember is that there are several avenues to use when searching for potential employees. Use online job sites, such as Indeed or Craigslist. You can also connect with local community colleges or trade schools to meet interested people. Social media sites can be useful for advertising, and word-of-mouth through current employees or industry associations is also a good idea. Remember, skills can be taught; you just need to find people who are interested and excited to learn the skills your team needs.

As a small business owner, how can I compete with larger home services companies when searching for qualified teammates?
Many employees enjoy working for smaller companies that offer a positive work-life balance and a close-knit community between other team members and customers. Often, employees want to know they are helping other people and making a difference in the lives of those around them.  

What can I offer to retain my talented crew members?
If your crew members feel valued and respected, they are more likely to stay with your company, especially if they receive a fair salary, potential growth opportunities within the business, and a workable work-life balance. 

The post Build A Team That Builds Your Business: Hiring and Retention Tips for Home Service Companies appeared first on Mr. Pipeline.

Out of thousands of tremendous applicants, Mr. Pipeline was chosen as one of the 346 Best Workplaces in the entire country! This is such an important accolade for our company because we are big believers that nothing is more important than fostering a second to none culture centered around Good Vibes and Hard Work.

Check out all of the winners here: 2019 Inc. Best Workplaces Full List

At Mr. Pipeline , we push for excellence on every level all while providing best in class service to our family of clients. This relentless pursuit of pushing the envelope has led to achieving great growth, rewarding accolades and success over the years.

Mr. Pipeline is a marketing agency that helps small businesses understand the digital landscape and the power of effective online advertising. We specialize in data-propelled digital marketing through our core service offerings of SEO and Paid Search. Through digital innovation and our customized approach we have earned the reputation of being a truly ROI-focused digital marketing agency.

“I Love Working Here. Cool Culture and Energy. Job Security. Growth Oriented. Tons of Room To Advance.” These are just some of the words used by our awesome staff to describe how they feel about working at Mr. Pipeline.

At the end of the day though, we know we are only as good as the people who compose our team????????.

We are proud to employ some of the hardest working people and brightest minds in the online marketing world. We encourage you to spend a little time learning more about the our awesome staff who help drive our company forward. We know that within a few minutes, you will be able to see exactly what we are talking about.

Thank you Inc. Magazine for the incredible honor! Make sure to pick up Junes issue that will hit newsstands May 30th. Check out all of the winners here: 2019 Inc. Best Workplaces Full List

The post ⭐ Mr. Pipeline is named a 2019 Inc. Magazine Best Workplaces Winner! appeared first on Mr. Pipeline.

When a successful, driven professional attempts to find balance success with doing the things that he or she loves to do and spend time with people important to them, it’s easy to let health fall to the wayside,   Whether you’re traveling constantly or working long hours, it’s often easy to grab food on the go or spend your free time with family and friends rather than logging time at the gym or taking the time for healthy meal preparation.   After all, after a 12 hour workday, would you rather relax on the couch with a glass of wine or spend an hour at the gym working off that Wendy’s takeout you grabbed on the way to your last meeting of the day?   When you’re traveling, it becomes even more difficult to eat healthily and fit in that workout just out of sheer inconvenience.  After a long day, pizza takeout is going to trump searching all over a city you might not know well for a decent salad.

After awhile, what many professionals discover is that their unhealthy habits catch up with them.   Yes, not getting enough sleep and making poor food choices will eventually affect your business!  That being said, health and fitness should be a top priority when you’re considering work/life balance.   If you’re tired all the time and uncomfortable with the way you look, it’s going to start to take a toll on your self confidence.   In the name of “working harder” maybe you miss an opportunity to show your best work because you’re tired from not sleeping for days.  Perhaps you aren’t as prepared or focused in a business meeting as you’d like to be.   Maybe you even find that you’re late to work from oversleeping due to pulling long hours in the days prior.    The ultimate result?  By pushing your body to its limits to achieve success, you end up running yourself into a hole, having to take more time off due to an exhausted immune system.  Kind of beats the purpose, doesn’t it?

Making small realistic adjustments to your routine can help you keep your healthy in check while still being a top performing professional.  Not everyone is a gym rat or a health food fanatic, so you don’t necessarily need to spend hours pumping iron at the gym or spend your evenings pouring over tofu recipes to make adjustments that will help you to focus.  Deciding to take a 30 minute walk on your lunch breaks instead of lounging in the break room or prepping a salad on a Sunday night to take to work for your lunches to keep you from falling into the takeout pitfall can make a huge difference.  Keep a supply of healthy snacks, such as bananas and nuts in your working space to snack on when the mid-day slump hits. (Also a good idea for when you’re traveling) This will keep you away from the office vending machines. Always remember that everyone needs a break too.   You might think that working through your lunch every day is going to be the key to success, but taking 15 minutes to sit outdoors on a beautiful day to relax will give your batteries the recharging that they need. Similarly, spending an hour on Sunday to organize yourself for the week ahead can give you that extra 15 minutes of sleep you need in the mornings.   On the topic of sleep, your work should never interfere with it.   Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each morning, turning off any notifications that might come up on your phone during the hours you are typically asleep.   If you can only change one habit to benefit your health, let getting enough sleep be it!  You can integrate other habits in later.   If you’re overtired, you’re not going to be on your “A-game”, which will lead to you being frazzled and unorganized.  Remember, your mental health is just as important as your physical health!

In conclusion, it’s important for every professional to put his or her health first.   By taking care of your body and mind, you’ll be the successful professional you strive to be.   Self confidence will exude from you, and you’ll bring  positive energy to your business and be a role model for work/life balance for your colleagues in the years to come.

The post The Importance Good Health Plays In Your Work/Life Balance appeared first on Mr. Pipeline.