When you’re in business, there’s a lot you have to cope with, especially on the shop floor. You have customers milling in and out, you have shelves to keep stocked and sorted, and you’ve got your staff to look out for. Your staff are the backbone of your business, the ones who keep it turning when you can’t; because of this, they need to come first in your business plan.

If you’re someone who’s looking to start a business, or you’re putting together your first payroll, or you’re just someone who’s looking to make better office relations a couple years into it, here’s the tips you need for making sure your staff are always treated properly.

Make sure the smiles on employee faces aren’t just there for show! (Source)

This equation will always be relevant to a workplace, no matter the work they do inside it. As long as you’ve got some good relations amongst your workstaff, you’re going to have a much more positive feeling whenever you walk into work in the morning. And then there’s the idea that you could even start to make some friends; just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you can’t be approachable!

People such as Yvonne Yancy strive to promote this side of the HR department, as it’s very clear to experts that always having a positive office atmosphere, and clear boundaries with your staff, is the most effective way to succeed at business. You don’t want your internal relations bouncing around all the time - it’s a killer for productivity! So make sure you’ve always got ice breaking activities whenever someone new starts, that your staff are never in rivalry with each other (friendly competition is just fine, however), and that you’re never playing favorites.

If you treat your staff well, you’re going to have plenty of talent flying around, and the people under you are always going to go the extra mile for making sure customers are happy. And when the customers are happy, your profits are going to go up and up! So always keep the idea of allowing your employees to grow in your mind; they won’t treat you as a stepping stone when you put some good trust and the ability for initiative in their hands.

Not to mention, having two or three or four heads on a matter is always going to be better than just your own. So be sure to hand out managerial promotions whenever you see someone show the potential to handle one. And people will be happy to take on longer, harder hours for the time, attention, and money you lay at their doorstep! You have a clear eye for talent, make sure you don’t waste any that walks through your door.

Treating employees well means a company is always going to have a good business model on their side. If you’re an entrepreneur, make sure you’re playing by these rules above all else.

Note: This post has been contributed.  

So many of us were left reeling in the shock that, earlier this year, Anthony Bourdain had shuffled off this mortal coil. But, for all of his ventures in front of the camera, many of us still view him as one of the most authentic chefs to come out of New York City in the last 25 years. Let's not forget, he was one hell of an entrepreneur, and are there any lessons we can learn from this modern master, and apply it to our own restaurant businesses?

If there's anything we can learn from him at face value is that through his show No Reservations, he was incredibly respectful to other cultures. He tried any food that was offered to him, as he knew the families that presented these strange and exotic dishes were unable to afford to eat most of the time. We can apply this to our business acumen by doing very simple things, greet the customers and show them how grateful you are that they've chosen your restaurant. And even if an employee has made a grave error, do you need to fly off the handle about it? Think twice.

In life, we need to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone, and he did this with enthusiasm, unlike anyone. He was always keen to try new things, and we should all take this on board when pushing our restaurants further. Taking risks needs to be the fundamental backbone of what we do. And if you don't have a curious mindset, and you've stuck to the same menu for as long as you can remember, practicing curiosity is something we can all do; it's a matter of habit. You can look on FastCompany.com to get a few ideas of the habits of curious people, and this is what will help you develop as an entrepreneur.

As he frequently admitted, he was no saint, and whatever the mistakes we all make in life, either on a personal or professional level, taking these opportunities to learn is essential to our growth and development. Whether you have made frequent administrative mistakes, or you've hired the wrong person, there are so many things we can do to build on these mistakes to improve ourselves and our business. Even from the administrative side, you can view RestaurantAccountingServices.com for various restaurant-oriented tools to improve your business. If we don't learn from our mistakes, then there is no point in us ever progressing beyond our remit.

Last, but certainly not least, he was someone who enjoyed life. If you find yourself bound by the pressures of running a business, you need to take a step back and look at if you are actually enjoying the ride. This is as important to your sense of self as it is to your culinary passions. You've got to make the most of what you've got, and if you're not happy running your business, you need to change it, so you don't have any regrets. His passing has left a mark on the restaurant world, but there are so many things that we can learn from how he lived his life to improve us and our business.