Prizes, Rewards and Incentives - How to Get Them for Your Team on a Budget

I am always on the lookout for fun ways to get my employees excited about work. I love to reward them for even the smallest good deed to keep them interested and engaged with the task of pleasing customers. An inexpensive prize can be a tremendous help in letting your staff know you are watching and that you're happy with their performance. Still, prizes and rewards are rarely free and can add up very quickly if you are simply buying candy at the local market. Over the years I have narrowed down three easy ways to acquire fun prizes without breaking the bank.

Ask Your Vendors:

Your current vendors want to keep you happy, especially if you are a good customer. I always say "Ask for the moon and be happy with the stars." It doesn't ever hurt to ask, even for goods from vendors you currently do business with.

For instance, I do business with Coca-Cola, a huge company that really doesn't need to advertise but yet needs to keep me happy as one of the largest distributors of their product in the country. Coca-Cola is always interested in reaching my teen to twenty-something employees with their newest form of Coca-Cola paraphanalia... Key chains, water toys, boogie boards, beach towels, water bottles... The list of Coca-Cola gear is limitless. Coca-Cola shwag is always a big hit with my staff and quite frankly the most inexpensive way for me to secure a box load of employee incentives and prizes.

Your current vendors are a valuable resource and should never be written off as potential suppliers of incentives prizes. I recently asked a large Office Supply Store for a donation of gift cards for my staff. I reminded the General Manager that I shopped exclusively with his store and that all my print services flowed through his location as well and suddenly he was eager to donate a few $20 gift cards to my company picnic. Of course I printed my picnic invites there the same day to encourage and reward his generosity.

Trade Services:

Trade is hands down the easiest way to get prizes and rewards for your employees. You have a product or service with value and so do the many, many places your employees frequent: movie theaters, Wal-Mart, bumper cars, arcades, Dave & Busters, oil changes, gas stations, fast food joints... The list is endless!

If your company does not already have gift certificates for the goods or services you provide then make it you goal to get them. Place a value on those goods or services and create a tangible gift card. Approach any business with goods or services your staff may be interested in and offer up a trade. Trade the exact value of your goods or services for the exact value of their goods or services (hence the term "trade").

A good trade relationship can benefit both parties equally. For instance I peddle pizza and my friend at AMC movies theaters pushes movie passes... We trade pizza cards for movie tickets every other month. Needless to say my pizza employees love the movie tickets and the movie employees love the pizza cards, a win-win!

I have traded for everything from airline fares to rentals cars; almost any industry has a use for traded goods and/or services... Side note, every year I trade with a local florist to for free carnations for mothers on Mother's Day. We WOW every customer who orders pizza on Mother's Day when our drivers show up with a bright carnation for every customer. We bring many moms to tears when they open the door for the pizza delivery guy. The florist loves to accomodate our request because each flower has a neatly attached card advertising their floral services! Trade works best when you make it valuable for both parties.

Approach New Businesses:

Samples from new businesses are always a great way to get prizes for employees. I found a new surf shop in San Diego willing to give me 300 sticks of surf was just to advertise their new shop! A new business is desperate to reach potential new customers and your employees are just that, potential new customers. The more employees you have the better and more attractive your employees become to a new business trying to get customers. I've even taken free dog washing certificates from a brand new dog washing service interested in reaching my employees! Never underestimate the power of your captive audience, your loyal employees, in attracting the interest of a new business owner.

Suggestion: Chamber of Commerce newsletters are a GREAT resource for keep up on the newest businesses opening in your community.

Prizes and rewards are an essential part of every business whether or not our bosses are willing to admit it. Little prizes and rewards really do motivate and excite employees. Take the time to find fun ways to thank your staff; it's worth the effort and goes a long way in keeping morale up and turn over down.