My Way or the Freeway

Out of recognition for the work that Blastom! volunteers do for the company on a daily basis, I choose to offer occasional employee incentives. Because I am an

entrepreneur who is just starting out, cash is at a premium. This puts me in a bind when looking for day to day help with the business, in the office, or remotely. Gone are the days when volunteers are satisfied with gaining experience in exchange for their time; and times haven't changed that much, volunteers like employees, have standard living expenses for which they're responsible. Because of things like these, and many other reasons, volunteer incentives are necessary. The way that I choose to incentivize my volunteers, is by offering time sensitive coupons and services to them that they would otherwise go without, but which supplement their everyday costs, or reward them with comfort items that they would normally not be able to afford themselves. For example, one of my volunteers mentioned the other day, that they needed a pedicure. It seems unlikely to NEED such a service, but knowing this volunteer's as I do, I know that they have a medical requirement that a pedicure fulfills. Because they can't claim it as a medical expenses, and because they volunteer for me free of charge, they go without a service that would make walking less painful for them. My solution, when I have available funds for such a thing, is to give that particular employee gift certificates for pedicures. This solution has two benefits. One, it satisfies a need not otherwise met for the volunteer, and two, it helps secure and appreciate the time that the volunteer invests in Blastom! In a forward looking way, it also works towards volunteer retention, which at the grass roots level, and into the future, is so important for a business just starting out. I know that all entrepreneur wish that they had an employee who knew the business from the ground up. Well, volunteer incentivizing is one more step towards making that a more realistic reality. I invite conversation about volunteer incentivizing, and encourage all entrepreneurs to get to know your employees better, so that your incentives can be more meaningful, potent and impactful.