With the holiday season fast approaching, the “12 Pains of Christmas” parody song comes to mind as well as the chaotic hustle and bustle at malls. For such a joyous time of the year it always seems to be paired with stress. Understanding consumers and their needs during this time will help boost your bottom… Read more »
What do December, January, February and July have in common? Aside from hosting major American holidays – Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day and Independence Day respectively – according to Careerbuilder.com these popular winter and summer months are also when employees call in sick. As an employer or hiring manager, you’ve probably heard one or several… Read more »
It’s cold, the skies are gray and spirits are as blue as the invigorating summer skies of months passed. The chipper energy, wide smiles and productive focus of your team appear to have faded with the vibrant green hue of August grass, and even the most dedicated, hard-working employees seem to be suffering from an… Read more »
The appearance of your employees reflects directly on your restaurant’s standards. Having your staff looking professional and sanitary is essential in any business, but especially one where you are serving food. You don’t want to turn off customers because your staff has a ring in their nose, stud in their lip, midriff exposed, scruffy hair… Read more »
The New Year brings the anticipation of change, growth and maybe even a little more wisdom. What better time than the new year to evaluate your current employees’ performances? It’s customary for businesses to conduct performance evaluations in January, as the new year always starts with setting new goals, strategic planning and budgets. While supervisors… Read more »
HR Corner: The Dreaded Termination Conversation Laid-off, fired, terminated … just these words alone can invoke a panic attack in even the most laid-back person. But unfortunately termination is a fact of life, and sooner or later, every owner, manager and even CEO will be faced with having to release someone at some point in… Read more »
Face-to-face interpersonal communication is becoming less and less frequent in the workplace. Communication these days is quickly evolving into less conversation and more electronic sharing of information. With such mainstream communication technologies such as e-mailing, texting and instant messaging, employers are able to contact their employees without ever having to actually talk to them in… Read more »
Part 6 – Prepare to Open Your Business Time to reap the benefits of this long-awaited journey As our series comes to an end, it can only mean one thing for your business – it’s time to open your doors! If you have missed any of the series’ articles, let’s quickly review the steps that… Read more »
As a business owner, you are motivated by pride, a strong work ethic and making your bottom line. When you are at your shop, you know that your customers are having the best experience possible. What about when you can’t be at your shop all the time? How do you ensure that your employees, who… Read more »
Working in a gelateria, coffee shop or other foodservice establishment can be a lot of fun, especially when your staff is enjoyable, your customers are pleasant and you can resist the temptation of the sweet products you sell. However, for most people, constant temptation can be troublesome. This article offers suggestions of how to resist… Read more »
Files, a Tedious but Needed Task Tom Cruise (think A Few Good Men) would never have shown up to the courtroom unprepared. Neither should you. Records may be a pain to maintain and worse to file, but they are so critical when you need them. Whether you’re a small-, medium- or large-sized business, creditable and… Read more »
Helping Employees Fight Increased Gas and Food Costs Fall is synonymous with fun outings and back to school, but more recently, it has also become a season known for high gas prices and an increase in food costs – two items that can dramatically affect individual finances and morale, and initiate transportation issues. As a… Read more »
