We are facing a tough time with people losing jobs and with the economy a long way from turning around. So, what do you do for your employees when they look to you for more?

Employees are scared you make close the business, but still are looking for more from you - either in pay or in incentives. It is human nature to want more. Don’t hold it against them. It has nothing to do with greed. If you have been honest about how your business is doing financially, they are going to understand the burden you have.

So, what can you do for your employees to help them and give them more than they already have? Just hit the subject head-on, you are not going to pay them more. The dollars are just not there. This, however, is a time when you can help them grow personally and professionally by providing information, resources, and the time to explore ways to build skills and knowledge.

When I was running stores as a Manager, I would get in a few minutes early to stretch out and get my body ready for the pounding of a full day on hard floors and give myself the right frame of mind to be excited for the customers. One of my employees came in early and asked me about it (laughingly at first). I mentioned how I felt better after stretching and how I had a better day when I took 15 minutes to do it. It wasn’t long after that I had most of my team in early stretching. It was amazing how it changed them.

Physically getting better is one of the best ways to add value to your employee’s lives.

Another way to help them is to find resources they can use to improve their minds. Many times there are free events or classes through the local public schools or colleges that are not well advertised, but are full of great information. Find the websites and print the calendar.

The Chamber of Commerce in your city is also a wonderful place to get information. You can use the list of companies from the Chamber as a reference and see if any of them would be interested in swapping information. A likely swap would be a financial planner talking to your team about budgeting and planning for the future. That company may get more clients and your employees have useful information.

Check out the [1] U.S. Chamber of Commerce for your local chapter

Think out of the box a little and you can bring value to what you give your employees. Be proactive about their well being and they will build loyalty to you and your business.