385: How to Handle Employee Raises When Revenue is Low (Business Owner Strategies)

If you’re worried about giving employee raises when revenue is tight, you’re not alone. In this episode, we explore ways to reward your team without putting your business at risk. You’ll discover smart ways to structure raises when cash flow is limited, how to communicate compensation changes without hurting morale, and strategies to retain top talent even when money is tight. If you’re a business owner trying to balance people and profits, this episode will give you practical steps you can implement now. Join Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling to learn smart, sustainable strategies for handling raises without jeopardizing your business.

Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production.

Show Highlights:

  • Balancing an uncertain economy with the need to take care of your A-players
  • The problem when a business owner isn’t cashing their paychecks in order to give employee raises
  • Take an honest look at your team, identify your A-players, and give raises accordingly. (Underperforming “warm bodies” do not deserve a raise.)
  • Strategies for protecting you, the business owner. These are a priority for a sustainable business.
  • Maintaining profitability is the #1 priority; all other decisions flow from that foundation.
  • More money is NOT the goal for many A-players; time flexibility and freedom often matter more.
  • Learn to structure an A-player’s work schedule around the delivery of their key result.
  • A team member’s perspective from Melissa: time flexibility and freedom matter most!
  • Considerations for a growing business (Don’t grow your payroll across the board!)
  • Have conversations with your A-players to find out what matters most to each of them.
  • An action step to take today: prioritize systemization for each A-player’s role (Guard against being hostage to any A-player.)
  • Need more support to confidently grow your business? We can help! Book a call with us today!

Resources:

Ready to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today!

Master your time and profit! Give us 20 minutes of your time, take the Better Business Better Life Assessment, and receive a free paperback copy of my book, The 4 Week Vacation®️.

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About The Author

Tap the potential of your team and double profit!

Sabrina Starling, Ph.D., PCC, BCC, The Business Psychologist, is the international bestselling author of the How to Hire the Best series and The 4 Week Vacation®.

The third generation in her family impacted by entrepreneurial hustle culture, Dr. Sabrina is transforming the story of success from long hours and grinding it out to work that supports and enhances life.

Hustle culture often means sacrificing our health, well-being, and relationships, all for the sake of success. Dr. Sabrina’s research shows this leads to burnout and pain in our relationships. There is a better way. Work supports life, not the other way around!™

Dr. Sabrina is revolutionizing the workplace with concepts like Work Supports Life™, 4 Week Vacations®, $10,000 an-hour activities, 25-hour workweeks, and unlimited vacation and sick time in highly profitable businesses winning the war for talent. She inspires transformation in a world where work often overshadows life, sharing insights from her ongoing research with over 650 entrepreneurs and their high-performing teams.

Featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, and Thrive Global, Dr. Sabrina is the founder of www.tapthepotential.com and the globally top-ranked Profit by Design Podcast. Listed in The Daily Hustle’s Top 50 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2022, Dr. Sabrina is on a mission to get 10,000 business leaders taking the Work Supports Life™ Pledge.

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