Group of happy co-workers sitting on a bench with their arms around each other.
These Entrepreneur.com contributors offer their best tips to boost employee productivity, from mentorship to music playing. — Getty Images/Cecilie_Arcurs

CO— partners with Entrepreneur.com to bring you a roundup of the best Entrepreneur articles each week. Below are this week's favorites:

The adage “time is money” is especially true for small business owners. The more time that you can allot to planning and executing sales and strategies, the more profit you have a potential for bringing in.

Small business owners should be looking for ways to make their companies more productive while not sacrificing quality or efficiency. By using simple, yet effective productivity strategies, businesses can expect to see a positive shift in their output and sales.

To help improve productivity and efficiency in your small business, we've rounded up the best content from Entrepreneur.com contributors published in the past week to share some insights and strategies.

Mentor your employees

You can make your employees feel more valued and have them become more productive by giving them a mentor to show them the ropes. In the article, “The Confusion Between Coaching and Mentoring: Which Is Which?” Krishna Athal, founder and executive director of YUVA, says that the goal for coaches and mentors is to increase their mentee’s self-confidence and work-life balance. By investing in your employees’ personal growth, they'll become more familiar with your business and industry and be able to find innovative and efficient strategies to bring to your company.

[Read more: How to Find a Business Mentor: 6 Places Entrepreneurs Can Look]

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

Remove toxic employees from your workforce

Managers can waste a lot of time dealing with the fallout from toxic employees that could be better served going back into the business. In his article, “Is Your Personality Driving People Away? The 5 Traits That Can Tank Your Business,” Patriot Software CEO Mike Kappel discusses the different types of toxic personality traits that tend to show up in business. Kappel advocates that leaders should find and dismiss any toxic employees that are negatively contributing to their work culture. He also states that humility is a personality key trait that contributes to the success of your team and business.

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

It's impossible to have true success without having some failures along the way.

Work remotely

Entrepreneur leadership network contributor Anna Johansson says there are many ways small businesses can effectively cut costs without sacrificing quality. According to her article, “How New Entrepreneurs Can Save Money Easily,” one of those ways is by offering employees the ability to work remotely. Giving them the option to work from home or a remote office allows employees to manage their own schedule and be more flexible with their time. It allows them to work in a comfortable environment that lets them manage their own schedule in a time-effective way.

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

[Read more: How to Develop a Hybrid Office Policy]

Listen to music

Research has found that having your employees listen to music while at work makes them more productive. In his article, “Listen to Music All Day, Get More Done,” John Rampton of Calendar cites many studies that analyze why music makes us more productive, and even what type of songs are best for certain working environments. Allowing your employees to listen to music keeps them happier and more focused on the task at hand.

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

Embrace your failures

It's impossible to have true success without having some failures along the way. Typecast founder and CEO Saikiran Chandha believes that for companies to grow, they need to look inward about what their conflicts and obstacles have been. In “Why Success Makes No Sense Until You Embrace Your Failures,” Chandha discusses how embracing failure impacts your business and can lead to growth and better productivity.

Read the full article on Entrepreneur.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

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