Continuing in our series of questions linked to Payroll, we look at staff motivation.

Answer: One of the beautiful things about running a small business is that it’s so much easier to motivate your staff.

You’d be wrong to think all employees are motivated purely by money. In fact, it’s only 28% according to a recent survey. A further 37% are motivated by job satisfaction and 16% by a challenge.

Invest in them - A business that commits to the personal development of its employees is a powerful one. And the good news is it’s more important to invest time than money.

Every member of your team deserves regular coaching and appraisals. It’s the only way to ensure you know exactly how your team feels about their work, and to figure out what their development needs are.

Off the back of that you should make a commitment to give your team the training they need. You will virtually guarantee a motivated workforce, and also have a very positive effect on staff retention levels.

Create an amazing culture - Work should be a fun place to be. No matter how dull the tasks that have to be done, a business that wants to keep its staff motivated makes the work enjoyable in whatever way it can.

Creating a great culture is about having a positive attitude and demonstrating to your team that they are appreciated. As the leader of the team, you will set the attitude within your business, mostly through your actions.

If you say one thing and do another, you will soon be caught out. So encourage your team to take ownership of results by doing the same yourself. Gain their respect by giving it. Know your role in the business and show you appreciate the value of their roles.

Build your team - Forget learning how to chop planks of wood or being forced to work together to solve some pointless puzzle. Leave those expensive sessions to the corporate boys!

Team building in a small business is about getting to

know each other and finding where your place is in the group. You can’t force it, but you can actively encourage it.

Building a team can also be encouraged with

regular social events. This can be as simple as Friday lunchtime at the pub, or as fun as a mini carting tournament. Give social reasons a purpose and reason for being and they are more likely to be well attended.

●Add a note to an employee's pay check highlighting something great he/she did that week.

●Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and special achievements.

●Send a card to the employee's spouse/family thanking them for their support.

●Pass on helpful articles that could benefit employees and attach a note that says, "Saw this and thought of you."

●Learn about their hobbies, families, children, pets, etc. showing interest in what matters most to them.