As another year comes to a close, we at NiteHawk are reflecting on a great year and on our gratitude for the incredible people we meet and work with every day. Strengthening relationships within and outside your business is critical to running a good company, and it’s essential in overall job satisfaction! Let’s take a minute to reflect on those key relationships and how to improve them as we begin a new year.

Caring for Your People

The success of your business is directly related to the quality of your people. As you prepare for a new year, think about how you can improve employee motivation. Low motivation among employees is often due to a lack of advancement opportunities, creativity outlets, or personal growth development within an organization. If you are not able to offer financial incentives, think about creative ways to help your people see the vision and future of the company. Create opportunities for different employees to take leadership over new initiatives, and coach them up to help them be more effective managers. Showing interest in individual growth will remind employees that they are valued members of the organization.

Looking out for the Customer

As with any relationship, cultivating trust and loyalty with the customer requires one-on-one time and attention.  Allocating resources to give personal attention to the customer will show you care, you’re serious about meeting their needs, and you are striving to provide quality service. In a tech-obsessed world, do not underestimate the value of face-to-face meetings. Working directly with the customer will enable you to read their reactions and respond immediately to any concerns. If an in-person meeting is not possible, a phone call also adds a personal touch that is often lost through email.

Caring for Yourself

As small business owners, you pour all of your time and energy into your business. This is what the job demands, and it’s often where your passion lies. But especially this time of year, we can reflect on our work-life balance and make sure our passion for work is not coming before our well-being or the well-being of loved ones. Remember in the craziness of running your company to schedule time for yourself and your family. Take time away for hobbies, relaxation, or whatever it is that recharges you. Whether it’s hitting the gym, reading a favorite book, or spending time with family and friends, our personal time keeps us grounded, healthy, and happy.

During this time of year, our hope is that we remember what is truly important in our lives and think about how we can make life better for those around us. If you need a new outside perspective, whether it’s sales, marketing, operations, finance, or just talking about the industry—give us a call. Even if you never intend to buy a truck or aren’t a current customer, we would love to talk to you and see if we can help.  From everyone here at NiteHawk, we wish you a warm and prosperous holiday season and continued optimism for the upcoming year.