So you've had a great year.  Sales are up, profits are up and your customers are ecstatic about the levels of service that your business delivers.  It's the culmination of all the hard work and money you've put into your business over the years.  You're feeling very pleased with yourself. 

But wait a minute.  Did you do it all by yourself?  If you are a one person business then you probably did, but not necessarily.

Even the very smallest of businesses has to rely on others for all kinds of inputs required to deliver satisfaction to customers.  If you are a tiny business, you reward your suppliers and contractors by paying the agreed rate on time, as promised.

However, if your business employs other people to do some of the work, they are part of the successful outcomes that your business delivers.  The results of your business are the product of actions by everyone who works there.

Sure, they get rewarded by the payment of wages and the occasional pat on the back.  But is that the only share of the cake they will receive?

In ancient times, when the view of the world was much smaller than it is now and resources were believed to be finite, everyone shared in the production of food and the necessities of life, and everyone shared in the results according to their needs.  This was because resources were scarce and care for one's neighbour and community was required as a matter of survival.

In today's world this community view appears to have been largely lost, with the prevailing culture being "everone for himself".

But no man is an island.  Whether we like it or not, everyone still depends on someone else to ensure his or her survival.  It's just the way the world works.

So when you have had a bumper year, how will you share the spoils in a way that reflects the contribution others have made to your business?