Entrepreneurial

Creating a workplace where employees love to be has been a key factor in the success of Firespring. The Lincoln, Nebraska-based marketing company recently made Inc. magazine and Winning Workplaces’ 2011 Top Small Company Workplaces .

“From the beginning at Firespring, we focused on making sure the employees felt a sense of empowerment and entitlement,” said Jay Wilkinson, CEO of Firespring. “If an employee doesn’t feel like they’re taken care of, then they’re not going to take great care of the customer.”

Besides Firespring, other winners include Cal-Tex Protective Coatings, training company TRX and audio firm Skullcandy. Bob LaPointe, president of Inc. magazine believes it’s important to recognize the commitment of the companies to creating work environments where employees are as important as customers.

“Given their commitment to a higher purpose we felt recognizing these companies for their passion and for how they’re building their companies can be a worthy cause for others to follow as an example.”

Besides empowering employees, exemplary workplaces allow them to make decisions affecting the companies’ profitability. LaPointe has noticed the CEOs of such companies have “been open and articulate in communicating the business strategy in how he/she wants the business to be run to the point where employees are empowered to make great decisions.” He added: “It’s another piece in competing and building a better company.”

Tina Bean’s wish for 2011 is that people will open their wallets more.

“People don’t want to spend money,” said Bean, the owner of Port Arthur, Texas-based pet food dealer, Five Star Feed Store. “They are buying necessities and that’s it.”

Annual sales at Five Star Feed Store have declined approximately $100,000 since the recession, said Bean. She has been forced to lay off three workers and has given pay cuts to the remaining five. The cutbacks have also had a personal effect. “For a long time, I didn’t draw a paycheck,” she said.

Bean’s experience is highlighted by recent financial data from Sageworks Inc., which showed a number of sectors are suffering from declining sales. The report analyzed 2010 sales, profit per employee and payroll as a percentage of sales data for private companies in six major industries: construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, healthcare and education.