IS IT WORTH TRAINING MY STAFF? It's tempting to think that money spent on training staff is money wasted. However, successful entrepreneurs will tell you that your people are your greatest asset. Investing in your staff to keep them growing and progressing is one of the best ways to foster loyalty and retain employees. As their skills and understanding develop, their performance and productivity will also increase. In fact, good training is one of the most cost-effective, profit-boosting investments you can make. Training for staff includes: n Apprenticeships with day release at a local college. Government funding is available; see gov.uk for more information n On-the-job training and courses run by your own senior staff n Bringing in experts from outside the company for in-house training events or courses n Sending staff on external training courses to strengthen their performance in key areas or foster leadership or management potential 128