Tag: clean

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Winter Weather Worries

Winter Weather

Groundhog’s day may be around the corner, but don’t wait for Puxsutawney Phil to make the call; make sure your store is ready for winter (even if the groundhog predicts spring will come early).

1. Inform

Do you have a way to inform your employees if the weather is too bad to stay open? Take into consideration where your employees live; would you be willing to pay extra if they still want to come in? If you have a system in place (i.e. a phone tree, back up employees, etc) make sure everyone is privy to the system before the weather takes a turn.

What about informing your customers? Utilize every tool possible to let them know the store is closing by posting on social media, changing the voicemail, and leaving the closed sign on the store door.

2. Budget

Some businesses have a slush fund in their budget that incorporates the possibility of snow days. If you decide to stay open, consider rewarding customers with a sale or deal you’ve been on the edge of executing. And if you haven’t already, it’s a great idea to invest in snow removal. What’s better than arriving to work on a snowy morning to see the sidewalks already clear?

3. Clean

One often overlooked duty that comes with winter weather is the extra cleaning that comes with it. Consider placing extra rugs by the entrance, and make sure to keep those rugs clean throughout the day. If the rugs stay wet, place fans at the entrance to help keep them dry. Having a clean store is a big part of having a presentable store, so put in the time and effort to ensure your store stays that way.

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Declutter Your Digital Space

Declutter

It’s easy to remember to declutter your home when it’s a daily reminder, and easier to ignore one of the tools you use everyday—your computer.

Plan some time this Friday afternoon to clean up your digital space, within one day you’ll notice how less stressful your life feels.

Tips to declutter

  • Unsubscribe from emails you never read. Even notifications can be distracting and contribute to the everyday stress you feel. When you check your email you won’t even notice those subscriptions are gone.
  • Clean your desktop. That’s right, you should actually be able to see the background image on your desktop. It may have been years since you’ve been able to do this, but an organized desktop is the best time saver you can do for yourself.
  • Turn off notifications. If it really is important enough to check, you will.
  • Upgrade your systems. That’s right, the next time a reminder to upgrade pops up on your computer, don’t press ignore. Upgrading makes sure your computer has the best and safest software.
  • Download screen time monitoring apps. The nice things about these apps is they allow you to specify how much time you spend on what sorts of things, ie social media, learning, work, etc. We all know blue light isn’t good for our eyes so try to make the most of the time spent looking at it productive.

Increase digital space

  • Uninstall software. The easiest way to figure out how to do this is to Google it, this trick is more preventative as it will free space down the road.
  • Delete your downloads. Continuing on with the preventative tips, delete your download folder. This will save open up even more space and may also speed up your system.

Decluttering your digital space will make you feel more organized than you realize. Nothing is better than knowing exactly where something is, and these tips will help you get there.

Have you heard the news? American Quilt Retailer is hosting the opening session at spring Quilt Market in Kansas City! Their Schoolhouse Series includes breakout sessions and an opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge from the people who make, design, or write about the products you sell. Register to attend today.