Hourly workers can make, break a business

For many entrepreneurs, hourly employees are both a blessing and a curse.

They are a blessing because they are relatively easy to find and inexpensive to hire and train. They are a curse because they tend to come and go — sometimes whimsically — and ... well, you get what you pay for. Sometimes less.

But for most entrepreneurs, the blessing outweighs the curse. Hourly employees — particularly those of the young, unskilled variety — are the lifeblood for many businesses during all stages of operation, from startup to maturity. They answer phones, stock shelves, take orders and staff production lines, often serving on the front lines of the company's public interaction.

Some hourly employees are useful, effective and a huge asset to the companies for which they work. Others are not. For entrepreneurs, who view the business as an extension of their heart and soul, it is sometimes difficult to understand the motivations — or lack of motivation — for hourly employees, who view the business as a job. And vice versa.

In this space previously we have offered recommendations and advice to entrepreneurs for selecting, managing and even firing hourly employees. So now it's time to offer some advice to hourly employees who are working for small businesses — especially those of you who are new to the workplace (you entrepreneurs can read along if you'd like — and if you want to post it on your bulletin board right next to the time clock, feel free).

• Work doesn't have to be fun. Work is ... well, work. It can be hard. It can be boring. It can be frustrating. And while it can occasionally be fun, usually it isn't. It's work. That's why they have to pay people to do it. If it were fun, we'd do it for free. So don't go to work expecting to be entertained or to have a good time or to study or to text-message. You're going to work.

• If you're going to do a job, do it right. The easiest way isn't always the best way. Shortcuts through hard work almost always lead to more work — and harder work — for someone, somewhere down the line. Learn to savor and appreciate the joy that comes from doing a job well. Like my dad used to say, "The only thing that's good half-done is a steak."

• The customer isn't always right. In fact, the customer may be dead wrong from time to time. He or she may even be rude and surly and have bad breath. But the customer always deserves to be treated with kindness, courtesy and respect. Without them, your boss doesn't have a business, and you don't have a job.