Being a great boss starts with guiding your employees in the right direction. Management skills may not always come second nature to those who choose baking as a profession, but learning them can be vital to business success.

For a bakery to thrive, it needs to satisfy customers. To do that, a bakery needs to produce quality products, but it also needs to provide customer service that matches that standard. The way to ensure that your staff reflects your own commitment to excellence is to devote time and effort into keeping them happy.

While baking is a creative endeavor that intrinsically provides a mood boost, you can’t rely on that fact alone to guarantee employee dedication. It starts with hiring the right people. Bring in workers who share your ideals about keeping the customer happy, and you’ll put your bakery on the right track. Those who are passionate about baking will be able to relate to customers more easily.

Fair pay and flexible scheduling are the next pieces of the puzzle. Treat them well, and they will reward you with better work quality. A good wage speaks for itself, but it’s also important to recognize that a life-work balance is vital to maintaining enthusiasm. It has become the focus of much research in recent years, which finds that employees need a balance between their jobs and their personal lives. The old mantra of living to work is outdated, as Americans now work to live.

When employees have ample time to focus on their personal lives, it can boost their productivity at work. The overall happiness of bakery staffers will be noticeable, and your bottom line will improve.