Jan. 29-Feb. 3
FINANCES Ask your bank if it offers payroll assistance. Many provide a service allowing you to log on to their website and enter your workers’ hours. The bank then makes a direct deposit into employees’ checking accounts as well as paying your federal and state withholding taxes.
STRATEGY Time for a strategic review. Look at what competitors are doing and learn from the good and the bad. Visit stores and websites, subscribe to newsletters, and have a staff member save their ads in a file. This will keep you up to date on trends, where your market is moving, and what others are advertising, discounting, and featuring. It’ll help you identify where to compete and how to differentiate your store.
STAFF Pledge to be a better boss in 2018. Add your employees’ birthdays to our “ultimate calendar” in this issue. (Any gifts or similar gestures will win hearts and minds.)
Feb. 5-10
DISPLAY Starting with your Valentine’s Day displays, keep a record of your cases from now on. Take a photo of each display case the first of the month. This history will let you know what every holiday in 2018 looked like when it comes around in 2019.
MANAGEMENT There’s no one correct way to arrange a profit-and-loss statement. Ask your accountant to arrange the information so you can tell instantly what went right (or wrong) the previous month.
Feb 12-Feb. 17
MERCHANDISING Schedule a meeting with staff to discuss merchandising. Brainstorm buying strategies that will enable you to achieve your 2018 goals (do you want to attract more Millennials? Expand your kid’s offerings? Increase sales of blue light blocking lenses?)
STORE Visit online florists to see if they’ve got stock left over from Valentine’s.
Feb 19-Feb. 24
MERCHANDISING Create a display of sunglass or fashion frames that fall into the $100 to $500 range and promote it to attract those tax return dollars. Most households are expected to spend in the range of $100 to $300 (the sweet spot for popular sunwear).
TECHNOLOGY Google your store’s name. If you have to scroll down to find your website, you’ve got work to do. First, reply to any positive reviews on Yelp or Google. Then, consider a blog or a Twitter or Instagram feed that updates to your website to increase activity.
SALES Create “repair moments.” Don’t just hand items back; present them in a beautiful store-branded case and/or cleaning cloth.
Feb 26-Mar. 3
INVENTORY Get your frame boards cleaned up and sorted for the upcomg buying season.
BUYING Vision Expo East starts March 15 (education) and March 16 (the exhibition) at New York’s Javits Center. Start planning and appointment making now.