Week 1July 3-8
MANAGEMENT Summer is a time for fun, sun and strategy. To help, a question from Jonathan L. Byrnes, author and lecturer at MIT: Do you have bad profits? “Some investments look attractive, but they also take the company’s capital and focus away from its main line of business,” he explains.
OPERATIONS The back-to-school sales period is only weeks away. Run a final check on product availability, and on staffing to ensure it’s sufficient and the team is focused on making business happen.
MANAGEMENT For the next four weeks, pretend Friday doesn’t exist. Schedule nothing. Instead, use the day to catch up on paperwork, marketing and other managerial tasks. Dive into spreadsheets. Look for opportunities to eliminate margin leaks.
MARKETING Assemble “cleaning kits” for your young patients. Include cleaner, cloth and membership papers in invisible ink welcoming them to the Secret Optical Society (SOS). And before you start getting sentimental about the joy of childhood, start cleaning all those demo lenses.
Week 2July 10-15
MARKETING Prepare a press release/blog posting of the 10 things all parents should look for in eyewear for children.
INVENTORY Vision Expo West is only two months away! Do a frame inventory and then get serious about clearing stock to make way for new orders. Consider a staff bonus to ensure you meet your target. If you hit quota last year, raise it. Employees love a challenge!
OPERATIONS Summer drags on but keep drumming into staff the need to discuss the benefits of prescription sunwear with patients.
Week 3July 17-22
MARKETING Sometimes the old ways are the best. Direct mail postcards to increase exam revenue in the (usually slow) quarter ahead.
STAFF Summer is also a wonderful time to do training with the team. Bone up on product lines, go over customer-service skills and return protocol.
OPERATIONS Let’s get your inbox organized with some help from productivity guru Dave Allen. From now on, view your inbox as a repository solely for “Active” tasks, meaning things that need addressing. Everything else should be deleted or filed as a “Reference” matter (receipts, photos, thank-you notes from customers) so you can find them when you need them.
Week 4July 24-29
ORDERS Go through any orders that haven’t been picked up. And then the day before payday, call the owners and suggest they come and pick up the item (while they’ve still got the cash).
COLLATERAL Redo your receipts, order forms, and invoices to make them more “friendly” both in tone and ease of use. This is more than just branding. Professionally produced documents deter discount requests.
INDUSTRY If you haven’t visited for a while, go to invisionmag.com and peruse our constantly improving website — more news, advice and dialogue than ever, and lots of archived material as well.