Private Sector Network (PSN) Tip
Valuing Employees
Dominic Amenta
Director of Communications & Public Relations
Altus Marketing & Management
After graduating from college, me and my friend Jarrod would do occasional gigs for his father’s business – En Garde – a fabric restoration and treatment company that services several companies in the Boston area. He was paying us well, and we were making more money in the 3 days a week he had us working than our other friends working normal summer jobs. I couldn’t understand why we were making the money we were making for treating and restoring fabric for an office building on the 18th floor of the Hancock building or for over 500 cafeteria chairs at the Boston University cafeteria. This was a $12 - $14 an hour job at most companies, but we were making three times as much.
I asked him why he paid us so well, and he said…
“It’s real simple, look at the business, or any business for that matter as a triangle.”
(Motioning from the top of a triangle to the bottom corner) “I pay you guys well…you’re happy…you do a great job for the client.”
(Motioning from the bottom corner of a triangle to the other) “The client is pleased with your work…they’re happy…they keep bringing me the business.”
(Motioning from that corner of a triangle back to the top) “I’m happy because I have a solid clientele that will come back to me time and time again. It’s really that simple.”
He then went on to explain the flip-side- if he paid us poorly, then we would do poor work, which would result in a “revolving door” of clients. But, it’s that answer (and how passionately he spoke when he gave that answer) that I can still picture today. From my 4 years of business school, for some reason, this is the piece of business advice that has stuck with me the most, and try to apply it whenever I can, both inside the office and out. It’s a theory so simple, yet for some reason you see a lot of companies not follow the same blueprint.
Do you have a tip or some advice for small business owners? Submit your tip to Stacy: smcnary@interise.org.
