staffMore Donuts
Want to add some fun to your store? Take a tip from Sherrie’s Jewelry Box in Tigard, OR, where “you’re never late to work if you bring donuts,” owner Sherrie Devaney told INVISION’s sister publication INSTORE magazine.
TRADE SHOWSGood Expo Days
Headed to Vision Expo East? Follow the advice of marketing consultant Andrea Hill and take along a collapsible instant hot water carafe “because coffee is the beginning of a good day” and those Starbuck’s lines can get brutal.
hiringValue Added
Anand Sanwal, the CEO and co-founder of fast-growing tech company CB Insights, has an interesting take on the best question to ask a job candidate — “Tell me how you prepared for this interview.” Not only does the reply likely reveal a lot about how the person’s commitment to the position — do they care? — but it hints at their work ethic and analytical capabilities, he says. In the case of good candidates who have done their homework, they may even have fresh ideas about the way the company functions. “All of a sudden it goes from an interview to a conversation and that is a really encouraging sign if someone is adding value at that stage,” he told The Twenty Minute VC podcast.
psychologyKeep It Real
The problem with high expectations is they often result in future disappointment. Meanwhile, low ones tend to make you glum since there’s not much to look forward to. The answer? Stop expecting, says Jason Fried, who has written several books on work. “I used to set up expectations in my head all day long. But constantly measuring reality against an imagined reality is taxing and tiring.” Expectations also keep you mentally living in the future and deflated when events don’t measure up — even if what happens is pretty good. So, in 2019, don’t expect so much.
planningUse Will-Do Lists
When making your daily to-do list, don’t pick 20 things you hope to do that you think add up to one day’s work: you’ll overestimate your capacities. Instead, pick the three or four most important things, and really commit to doing them, even if you think they’ll take you only a couple of hours, suggests Luciano Passuello at litemind.com.
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merchandisingProtect Your View
Yes, the job market is tight and you may be short staffed, but hang those Help Wanted flyers on a local bulletin board or near your counter, not as some retailers do, in your front window. “Your front window is your customers’ first impression of your store,” says merchandising expert Tom Crossman. “Don’t make it a messy one.”
TIME OFFShort and Sweet
There seems to be a belief that a “proper” vacation requires at least a week. But as psychologist Thomas Gilovich told the Boston Globe, “If you have to sacrifice how long your vacation is versus how intense it is, you want shorter and more intense.” That’s because we remember and judge our experiences not in their entirety but according to how they felt at their emotional peak, and at the end. Yes, time feels scarce in the modern world. But you have no excuse for not having a memorable holiday this year. Start planning now!