Great Employees Make a Great Business

Providing service with a smile never goes out of style. Here's why it's so important to hire the best workers you can find

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By Michelle Nichols

March 31, 2006 at 5:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Which people are more valuable -- good employees or good customers? While some might think this is a rhetorical "chicken-or-egg" question, it isn't. The answer is -- envelope please -- good employees. This may surprise you, since this column focuses on how to increase your sales, but a successful business starts with good employees who then attract good customers, not the other way around.

Employees are like a fulcrum -- they can have a tremendous effect on sales and profitability, both positive and negative. One good employee can draw in 100 customers. On the flip side, one bad employee can drive away 100 customers. If that happens, it can take 10 good employees to replace or restore all those lost customers.