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Tips for empowering your team in a time when capitalism is eating our humanity.
These days, more people than ever are taking the leap and working for themselves, which is amazing. I have yet to meet anyone whose admiration of small business has exceeded mine.
Small business is beautiful. Working for yourself is empowering in more ways than 10! And no matter how you slice it, it's almost always better than working for a company or organization that doesn't value you as any more than a means to a profitable end.
But here’s the catch: the pressure to "make it big" creates this sticky little trap that more and more of us business owners are falling into; it is better for businesses to undervalue, overwork, and overall dismiss our team's role in OUR success.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Building a successful business doesn’t mean you have to run your team into the ground. In fact, the opposite is true. When you take care of your people—when you really appreciate and support them—you build a company that’s stronger, more resilient, and yes, more profitable.
At The Clever Catalyst, we believe that gratitude and empowerment aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re essential to long-term success. Let’s talk about why appreciating your team is one of the best investments you can make in your business.
Why Bother?
It is true that you can outsource some of your work to freelancers on Fivver or find contractors who are desperate enough for work in this gig economy to work for less than they deserve, so why bother?
It's important to point out that very few business owners start out and decide to take advantage of people, but many transgressions are allowed to occur in the name of business.
Maybe you want a well-paid team, but it's too easy to get work for $5/hour overseas right now. Or you spent too much of the budget, so this is a one-time thing. Or it's really all your concept you just need an artist to devote 30 hours of their time to creating it, why should they get 60% of the profits from this?
Whatever the reason is for slipping into bad habits, here are all the reasons I believe that is never in your best interest:
Higher employee retention: When your team feels valued, they’re more likely to stay, reducing costly turnover and wasted training time!
Increased productivity: A supported team is more motivated, leading to higher efficiency and better results. Because they are invested!
Improved creativity and innovation: People who feel empowered are more willing to think outside the box and bring new ideas to the table, and those ideas are typically better because they are better intertwined with the business.
Stronger company culture: A positive work environment fosters loyalty and collaboration, building a cohesive team that works well together. Plus, it's a lot more fun!
Better client service: When your employees are happy and engaged, that energy carries over to how they interact with clients, boosting satisfaction and long-term relationships.
Reduced burnout: Supporting your team helps prevent burnout, leading to fewer sick days and a healthier, more sustainable workplace.
Enhanced reputation: Companies that treat their people well build a reputation as great places to work, attracting top talent and clients alike. Trust me, our clients love this!
It's the right thing to do. Your team is people, just like you. They have kids to feed, hobbies, dreams, and goals. Underpaying them, overworking them, and/or creating a toxic work environment is just not cool. I don't know about you, but I don't need that kinda of Karma in my life!
Okay, but how? Strategies for Supporting Your Support
Every business is a little bit different, so be sure to adjust these tips to make them make sense for your situation, team, and industry. Also, remember this should apply to all of your support, whether employed, contracted, or just volunteer help.
Honestly, these could all be applied to most interpersonal relationships; good business doesn't have to be different from good human-ing after all.
Tip # 1: Communicate, Openly and Often
One of the simplest ways to show appreciation is to listen. Honest, two-way communication is the foundation of a strong team dynamic. Encouraging open dialogue across all levels of staff—whether it's through regular check-ins, anonymous feedback systems, or open-door policies—creates trust and engagement.
Actionable Tip: Hold regular check-ins with your team that focus on personal and professional growth, not just performance. Ask about their career aspirations and how the company can support their development. Showing that you care about their future builds long-term loyalty.
This doesn't even have to be a separate event - every week, I meet with my team on Monday and individually with me throughout the week. We go over project details and check in with workloads, future plans, and what things are going on personally that might change our current rhythms (#backtoschool). It takes us no additional time, and it probably saves us a lot of time lost from misunderstandings or things of the sort.
Tip # 2: Encourage Ownership
Autonomy is a key driver of employee satisfaction. When employees feel empowered to make decisions and take ownership of their work, they feel trusted and respected. This trust leads to greater engagement, creativity, and a stronger connection to the company's mission.
Plus, if you only ever want your support to do the job the exact way you are showing them how to do it and you're not constantly staying up to date on how to best do that exact task (which you're presumably no longer doing) are you not limiting your progress to the exact moment you handed that task off? These are the thoughts that keep me up at night.
Tip # 3: Make Work-Life Balance Possible
Empower your team by recognizing that everyone has different needs and work styles. Flexible hours or remote work options show that you trust them to manage their own schedules. They don't make it, so they have to choose between caring for themselves or losing their job.
This one can be tricky, depending on your type of business. We, for example, are 100% remote, and we can work whatever hours we want. Other industries can be less forgiving, but the goal is the same: respecting that they have a life outside of your business.
Tip # 4: Provide Mentorship, the WHOLE Time.
The number of people who make a living on making TikToks capitalize on the shared relatability of being expected to do a job you aren't properly trained on is honestly surprising.
Train your people, people. Don't just show them how to do something; explain why they are doing something.
Because there will be times when there are conflicting priorities or things break or software updates happen, and without knowing why they are doing what they are doing, they cannot make informed decisions, and they cannot be empowered, and you're again limiting yourself and your business. (I stand by all the 'ands' in that sentence, by the way!)
Actionable Tip: Work this into step one! I will coach each of my team members on our weekly check-ins for errors we're encountering or just ways they can further improve.
If there is nothing coachable, then I look ahead and see what they can start preparing for, such as researching software for an upcoming project or taking a quick course on this or that. That could be the #homeschoolingmom in me, but if it ain't broke, right?
Oh, and I have a policy where they can bill me their time for doing these things (within reason, of course), so their efforts are not voluntary.
At the end of the day...
..... your team is the backbone of your business, and how you treat them will directly impact your success. By showing gratitude, empowering them to take ownership, and investing in their growth, you build a workplace that’s not only more productive but more fulfilling for everyone involved.
When you prioritize your people, you’re setting the foundation for long-term success—because a supported team doesn’t just perform better; they stay longer, innovate more, and help your business grow in ways that chasing profits alone never could.
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