Nowhere is it written that a small business can't accomplish huge goals. If your mind is set on accomplishing something, you'll be able to achieve it. With a team of motivated assistants, you'll be able to take on the world. But motivating people can be difficult. Here are some tips for keep your assistants motivated.

Goal setting is a powerful force for motivation. Giving your assistant written goals will help them to understand exactly what needs to be accomplished. Plus, goals are measurable - you either reach them or you don't. This helps your assistant to be able to measure their progress.

Taking a few moments at the beginning of each month or each week to define goals with your assistant will keep both of you on track. Your assistant will know what is expected of him or her. This will make it easier for them to complete their assignments.

A positive environment will also help with your assistants' motivation. Even if you live on opposite sides of the world, you can still create a positive working environment.

Perhaps you can all meet for a weekly meeting on a teleconference line or in a web conference room. Help everyone feel like a team by encouraging them to interact with one another. Let them know that they can always ask each other for help or advice if you are not available.

Giving your assistants new challenges will also help keep them motivated. Perhaps they can help you plan a new product or event.

Providing lots of stimulation will keep your assistants from feeling stagnant. If someone works on one task for too long, they can get bored and their work can start to slip. Once their tasks become easy for them, give them a new assignment to take on. You may want to have two or three assistants work on a project together. They may really enjoy the interaction from working as a team.

Contests are another great way to motivate people. You could define a team goal and if the team reaches it, they all receive a price. Or create individual goals to create a sense of competition.

Naturally, everyone is unique and each person is motivated by different things. What works for one assistant may not for another, so it's important to keep the lines of communication open and to pay attention to the things that motivate each one.