Ask Jo Malone: ‘Romance’ your team to keep their passion alive

Think of your company as a theatre production. No matter how large or small their role, everyone has a part to play, so make each person feel essential to your story. Spend as much time as you can sharing your journey so far — understanding how much it means to you and the hard work it has taken you to get there will help them understand how important their contribution is. As you grow, highlight “ambassadors” within your team who can go out and tell the story on your behalf and cement the same culture.

In any relationship, you have to think about how to keep the romance alive and business is no different. Don’t get lazy, you constantly have to “romance and reward”, so think about where you can introduce a new twist and inject a sense of fun — linking an idea to a sales incentive is great team-bonding and encourages everyone to get involved.

No matter how quickly you grow, take time out with your team. Organise creative days and encourage your team to come up with new ideas — by inspiring them to dream big and sharing in your success you will create a happy business family.

Connolly founder Isy Ettedgui: “As the owner, you have to lead your team by example. For instance, the best way to demonstrate your enthusiasm and product knowledge to your sales team is by being on the shop floor and selling directly to the customer.

“Do this with every department and very quickly you will have imparted the love first-hand.”