Mar. 31-Apr. 6
MERCHANDISING New stock headed your way? Develop a product launch plan, or schedule training sessions to ensure the successful sell-through of the styles ordered at VEE.
MARKETING Spring is here along with allergy season. Sniffles aside it’s a great time to boost your daily contact lens business. 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.
Apr. 7-13
OPERATIONS Book a lab tour. Get in touch with your favorite provider and see if you can bring the staff around for a visit.
INVENTORY Start your Mother’s Day (May 12) preparations by going through last year’s data. Compare popular price points with what you have in stock now.
Apr. 14-20
MARKETING Launch “Project Big Shot.” Start contacting local personalities: newscasters, society figures, sports people, to see if they are interested in promoting your sunwear ahead of summer. The deal: Free eyewear that you’ll style them in with cutting-edge shapes and colors.
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Apr. 21-27
FINANCIALS Review your cash-flow projections. With the economy in something of a state of flux, it’s easy to run into a mismatch between the cash coming in, what you’re taking out, and what you owe your vendors.
SALES TRAINING Selling by face-shape: Brush up your guides for identifying flattering frames in inventory for those with square, diamond, oval, round and heart-shaped faces.
Apr. 28-May 4
INVENTORY Finalize Father’s Day orders. Dad’s big day arrives just as men start thinking of fish-filled waters, a glorious drive down the 17th fairway or catching those beach rays from behind a pair of fine sunnies.
SALES Set up what sales trainer Shane Decker calls T.O. teams. When you see two people who work well together, schedule them together.
STAFF Ask employees for their summer vacation requests. And block your vacation time as well.