Feb. 28-Mar. 6
KUDOS Submit an early bird entry to the America’s Finest Optical Retailers Contest by Mar. 1 and you’ll receive suggestions on how to improve your entry.
DOWNTIME Pick a weekend you can get away — after a long winter of disease and discontent, you likely need a break, and March is generally pretty slow, especially this year with VEE’s move to May.
Mar. 7-13
STAFF Investigate a cross-training program. When staff can cover for each other it makes for a smoother operation, a team that understands each other better, and less work for all — plus you’re covered in the event of an emergency, if someone leaves suddenly… or a pandemic.
MARKETING Gather a group of fun green frames and highlight them online as St. Patrick’s Day specials.
Mar. 14-20
TRAINING Hold a mini-conference right in your own office. Assign each staff person a topic for a 5- to 10-minute presentation on something they are strong in. This could even be the start of your cross-training program.
MARKETING Reward word-of-mouth. Make a list of everyone who referred customers over the past three months and thank them with an Amazon or Starbucks gift card, or a certificate to a local restaurant for your biggest sales.
Mar. 21-27
STRATEGY Draw up a list of competitors and their estimated sales volumes. Then jot down your trade area and its population to work out your market’s potential and where you rank. (When you talk to bankers, potential buyers or mentors, they will expect you to know this information.)
ONLINE Explore the options for hosting a plug-in online e-tailer on your website. It can be an interesting option for certain “repeat” product sales.
Mar. 28-Apr. 3
OPERATIONS When was the last time the carpet was cleaned professionally? After the long winter there is a good chance it’s starting to smell less than fresh.
MARKETING Send birthday cards to patients so they arrive one week before their birthdays — “wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday.” This way, your card stands out and won’t get lost in all the birthday wishes that people get on their special day.