Mar. 31- Apr. 6
OPERATIONS As at home, spring also means it’s time for getting your business in order: Inventory, EHS and financial records, those dust balls under your curtains — draft a schedule to tackle it all.
FINANCE When finishing up your taxes, don’t forget to account for items lost to theft, disappearance or damage. These may be tax deductible.
Apr. 7-13
MARKETING Brush the cobwebs off your old marketing files. It’s a great time to revisit past successful promotions and reconsider ideas that might deserve a second look. It doesn’t always have to be new.
MARKETING Spring is here along with allergy season. Sniffles aside it’s a great time to boost your daily contact lens subscriptions. Offer them as an add-on or as the central part of another marketing push. (Talk to your suppliers as well — they often roll out rebates in the middle of the year.)
STRATEGY Find a category of your business you want to improve — such as children’s eyewear or low-vision services — and draft an action plan to start making it happen.
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Apr. 14-20
MARKETING The shift from spring to summer means trunk shows at many vision businesses. This year combine your ophthalmics and suns, suggests Morgan DiMaggio, the office manager at Taylor Eye Care in Carmi, IL. “They tend to do better.” And check out our Special Feature on page 48.
MANAGEMENT Annual strategic reviews are likely a regular part of your operating procedure, but it can be helpful to have shorter cycles of review. Perhaps every Friday do some kind of short review, checking in with revenue and expenses, new email subscribers, and other KPIs.
FINANCES Interest rates remain stubbornly high. If you’re at the mercy of a floating rate, do some research and set a time to see your banker to discuss your options. They might be willing to adjust your terms or suggest some other way to ease your burden.
Apr. 21-27
OPERATIONS If the middle months of the year are traditionally slower for your business, consider switching to a “Summer Schedule” such as closing every Saturday. It’s all part of working smart.
MANAGEMENT Purchase the most recent tourist guidebook to your hometown or region. You’ll learn about what’s happening in your town by playing the tourist once a year.
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