Maximising Your Greatest Resource 

What do employees need in order to excel?  A pleasant environment?  An appreciative manager?  Motivation?  While these things are important, the key ingredient shared by all successful employees is confidence. Confidence comes from ability, and results in productivity.  Employees who have the skills and knowledge needed to perform their duties -- and whose accomplishments are recognized -- will out-produce, both in quality and quantity, employees who are uncertain or struggling with their assigned job tasks.

Since confidence begins with competence, it follows that employee training is a crucial component in molding a productive work force. Without employee training, your company could easily slip behind the competition, because no amount of savvy merchandising can compensate for employees who miss sales opportunities, bungle orders, or alienate customers.

Unfortunately, many small business owners feel that employee training is something only large corporations can afford to do.  Fortunately this is not true.  Training employees doesn't have to be expensive.  It can start with a foundation that is free, and that is probably already playing a part in your company at least to a certain extent.