To many people in our present society value a career completely based off of financial benefits. Our workforce and those that employ them have lost touch with why our parents and grandparents stayed at the same place of employment for most of their working life. It would be irresponsible to assume that financial gain wasn’t important, but Benjamin Franklin wasn’t the only reason Papaw stayed at that mom and pop machine shop all those years.
In years past small business owners valued their team. The revenue made was a
benefit, but how a member was respected held its weight in gold. A good leader and owner would almost always put his team and their families above their own in some regard. People mattered more than dollar signs.
At our company we find meaning in those that are part of our work family. Men and women from all walks of life have a place at our table. Hard work, a great attitude, and living by our core values of integrity, dependability, and respect are rewarded not only with money but with hugs. When people feel valued for the hard, dedicated, and beautiful work that they perform, morale is only a by-product. At Brunner’s Lawn and Services, ltd, our core values of integrity, dependability, and respect begets good team morale.
Ways that we show value to our team is by providing unexpected meals, quality training, a career ladder, and good leadership. In 2020, our ownership team will be giving performance bonuses for our entire team based of high-quality control scores. When our company does well, our team deserves to reap some of those benefits.
In a world where it is pricey for a small business to provide benefits, lawn and landscape companies have to be creative. One way our team has created value for our team is to offer retirement, paid days off, and holiday pay. These benefits are not acquired at the beginning of employment, they require some dedication on the new team member’s part. They must complete a year of employment with our company.
As you can see, at Brunner’s we feel that it is important to create a family-oriented work environment for our team. Although we do work long hours, coming to work shouldn’t be a daunting task. As a small business owner, I want to leave you with one piece of advice. Create a culture in your company that a team member will always remember. Make your company be a company that the team can take ownership and pride in. Feeling valued must come from the top down. Have a great day and remember at Brunner’s Lawn and Services, ltd, “Satisfaction Really Does Matter.”