As a successful entrepreneur, I would say I try to model my companies on the Finland system. I want happy workers because I know happy workers are more productive workers. My workers also receive travel bonuses on holidays. I would say the type of employees that I look for are interested in job security and a higher quality of life. I may not pay my employees the highest salary in the marketplace, but I am 100% there for any personal emergencies that may arise. I strive for a happy and healthy balance between work time and personal time. When my companies tried to pay the highest wages and bonuses, I thought that would attract the best workers. But in reality, it attracted people that were more focused on themselves than my business. We had salespeople fighting with each other every time the phone rang over who would take the call.

I have clearly found that by allowing employees extensive vacation time like Finland, along with travel vacation bonuses, their overall physical and mental well-being makes for more productive employees who are happier in their jobs. By preventing employee burnout, I don’t have to train new workers. Therefore, my long term employees actually help me to grow my business, instead of spending my valuable time training new ones.

Emotional Intelligence is the capacity to know oneself, develop emotional leadership, and know others. Emotional Intelligence develops from experience with people while learning from successes and failures in social situations. Social Intelligence encompasses tact, common sense and social knowledge. Tact is knowing what to say and when to say it. Common sense is an innate understanding of why things happen, coupled with the ability to think on your feet. Some people refer to it as Street Smarts. Social knowledge is knowing how to act in any situation. Incorporating Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence into any business endeavour will help an Entrepreneur achieve success. By collaborating with their employees an Entrepreneur will lead and inspire them to greater and more successful productivity. There is strength in numbers and there is no ‘I’ in Teamwork.