Cha-ching! (10-27)

Conventional thinking says that a happy employee is a productive employee. At Plants for All Seasons in Houston, Texas, employees have many reasons to be both.

On busy spring weekends, company owner Victory Flaherty foots the bill for lunch for his staff. He also tries to give all staffers two days off in a row, even during the busy times. He pays 100 percent of uniform expenses. The clincher, though, is his generosity when the garden center flourishes. Flaherty shares 33 percent of the company's positive cash flow with full-time employees.

During these times when job security is a nationwide issue, employees that feel wanted are likely to go above and beyond for a boss that makes them feel wanted. And above and beyond is a great recipe for "Cha-ching!"

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