What do Google, Zappos and Disney all have in common? Yes, they’re all hugely successful companies - but it’s more about how  they became so successful. They all go to great lengths to empower their employees.

There’s been a lot of talk about wellness at work. Hardy surprising when you consider that if the health of the nation was an Olympic event, we wouldn’t have been on the podium in Rio. But, as a business owner, to what extent is it my responsibility to ensure my employees are happy and healthy?

Sometimes it’s obvious your team is a bit flat and could do with a morale boost. While I’m not suggesting that team-building is a long-term solution for low staff morale, it is something that can get them away from their computer and help them feel refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to throw themselves into their work.

Did you know there’s an American Institute of Stress (AIS)? The Texas-based, non-profit organization aims to “improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence of stress management in education, research, clinical care and the workplace.”

Employee morale is a tricky topic for any business owner. It can be hard to build, difficult to measure, and unfortunately all too easy to kill.

Finding the right staff is a big challenge for any business, but especially so for smaller companies. And once you've found the perfect employee, getting them to stay is another issue altogether.