Now is the right time to prepare for the holidays. Yes, it’s not even Labor Day, but the holidays will be here before you know it. And by preparing now, you can be ready for any surprises that may come up during the hectic days in November and December.
I just read a good article that offers six suggestions for holiday prep work that you can do right now. Read the full article for all the suggestions….and consider some of these:
- Think about the customers who you want to attract. Who bought your gift baskets last holiday season? Were most of your holiday sales made to women? to men? what age group? Use this information to design advertising materials and promotions that will appeal to those customers.
- Start looking through industry magazines and web sites to get an idea of the gourmet products that are “hot” this year. Specialty Food News is a great resource to learn about trends in our industry.
- Browse the internet and look at holiday products that are being shown by large retailers. Are you seeing certain design styles or colors?
- Confirm with your vendors that you’ll be able the items that you want to use in gift baskets will be available.
- Check with your usual shipping company to find out if rates will be increasing. Take the time to check other shippers to find out about their current rates.
August 27th, 2010
If you listen to the news or read the newspaper on a regular basis, you are bombarded by problems and crisis: oil spills and accompanying safety issues, displaced workers striking out against former employers and co-workers, nations at war, economic problems, political dissent and more, more, more. As business owners, we need to recognize that these critical situations can affect our workers too and create new challenges the in workplace. As our employees are faced with stressful situations outside of the work situation, they often bring their worries into the workplace and negatively affect the work environment.
As business owners, we can’t solve the world’s problems, or even our employees’ problems, but we can still help our employees and ourselves during these uncertain times. An article that I read in Incentive Magazine describes 10 ways that we can keep our staff motivated and energized while at work.
I especially like the two following suggestions but read the full article for a new look at things you can do to alleviate stress in your organization.
“Hold regular team or staff meetings. Consistent communication and awareness-building are essential. Keep everyone posted on the latest developments and be upfront about the unknowns. ”
“Emphasize the importance of looking after oneself. Provide internal and external resources for health and wellness improvement, with tips for getting proper rest, healthy nutrition, and keeping physically fit.
August 5th, 2010