Key to a Great Business

A chief of a company in the Colorado area granted an interview to a friend's son, a graduate business student, planning his thesis. The young man asked questions about marketing, budgeting, and the most beneficial market techniques. The talk and questions also including business hurdles and challenges, protecting assets and the problems and practices in increasing sales. The CEO confessed that managing a firm's long-term reserves had always been at the core of his energy and determining stakeholders was instrumental. Weighing options in every aspect was his solution to the question about best decision-making practice. The 60 minute interview was almost over when the graduate asked his last question about what was the biggest liability and what was the greatest asset in the company. After bumbling through a list of financial jargon, the CEO stopped unexpectedly and thought carefully before saying that all of that was secondary because the employees could be the greatest asset or they could be the greatest liability. The folks working for you can make or break the company. Simple as that. The CEO then took our friend's son out to lunch and they continued to dialogue. The conversation included examples from the CEO's working experience when he worked at a restaurant through college and when he managed various establishments. He had many examples of how good workers actually made the company money and the managers and owners did not always know it or recognize it. At the same time, a impolite or incompetent or an employee with a bad attitude could ruin not only the sale at the time, but later. They talked about the television show Undercover Bosses where CEOs pretend to be new employees on the ground level for a week to actually get some in field experience and insight. The CEO confessed that he had thought of doing that. The two of them throughout lunch talked about different episodes and came to the realization that employees do make or break a company. And usually what they want most even more than money or raises is to be dealt with respectfully and to have their efforts acknowledged. They want a thank you of some kind whether it be just a sincere thanks, a gift card, money, a promotion of a gift. The graduate shared that his mom who had been an administrative assistant had just resign her job the week before saying she had just had enough. Her boss not only did not see what she had done but did not seem to care about rewarding anyone. When she suggested he give gift cards he said that was fine but she would have to give them and write the note and he put her on a small budget. After a year she suggested they give time off to employees but he refused saying. She realized morale was really low and he did agree and she was to come up with something. She told him to come into the next morning meeting, which employees hated, with food. He told her to get some cheap donuts from the grocery store. She started just standing up to him and said no, he needed to spend some bucks and get quality pastries or food and quality coffee boxes from the Panera Bread down the street. He delegated her to do it and to be sure it was there on time. It worked and employees liked it. She needed a totally different idea for the mid afternoon meetings. So when she saw the huge basket delivered next door with all kinds of treats for employees she was impressed and contacted the basket company, Baskets by Rita. For the same money they put together a large basket with goodies to put in the break room for everyone to enjoy. It was huge and they delivered it to her that day. The boss walked in with the Chocolate and Coffee Gift Basket and there were cheers from the once tired employees. The student made an appointment the next day with his adviser to change his thesis topic to center on the importance of appreciation and acknowledgment for employees contending that they are the most valuable long term investment.

Unusual birthday gift

  All my family know that they will get either beer, a bottle of wine or flowers I grabbed on the way to see them. It worked for a while, but now it seems to be just too expected. Looking for a totally different birthday gifts can take a lot of time. Today I went looking for my best buddy which should be easy. I know exactly what he will like so it should have been very easy. I ended up just heading to a big box store and finding a gift card. They used to have small cool wooden crate type things to put the gift card in but not anymore. So that was adequate but really boring. Last Sunday my wife was out of town and asked me to go out and get items to put in a basket for her cousin who was bringing her daughter to Colorado to start college. My wife emailed me a list of all the things to buy for the basket so I went to find it. She puts in mostly Colorado products like chocolates, chips, salsa, tortilla chips, peanuts, Colorado water, tea drink, gourmet coffee, beef jerky, cheeses, crackers, and honey sticks. First I could not find a basket in the grocery store and only a few of the merchandise. I finally threw in the towel because it was taking forever to look and be sure I had Colorado made foods. My neighbor was also shopping and I shared my irritation when she recommended just going to our downtown and going into the big home specialty store and having them help me. I did that and it was helpful but I was shocked at how much it price, including the basket. They proposed to help me put it all together in the basket and put on a nice big bow. It looked great and my wife was not shocked at the cost of buying the stuff there. She goes to 5 or 6 different places to buy all the merchandise and helps save about twenty dollars. Now that is just way too much effort. An better way is just to go online and find a gift basket shop that will do it and deliver it. My wife and I argued over the expense, so to demonstrate my point I found a several of baskets at Baskets by Rita which is a Colorado based company. They have a Colorado wooden crate that is cooler than typical baskets. Even after the delivery cost, it turned out it was cheaper than us doing it ourselves. So getting back to the birthday gift idea I saw the crate and decided to order one and have it delivered to my house so I could see how it looked. It came and was excellent. My wife and I decided that they do a much more professional job of putting it together and it looks amazing. Plus it turned out to be less expensive than doing it ourselves. They have a great selection so that is my plan from now on when buying Beer and Nut Birthday Gift Basket. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Making a great first Impression!

Making a awesome first impression is at the heart of leadership and profession skill musts. Whether you are applying for a job or managing a project it is a strategy tool that ranks among the most critical. You want to get off to a excellent start. One article suggests that within 3 seconds someone evaluates you by your appearance, your body language, you mannerisms, and the way you present yourself. We make impressions by our actions, what we say and by what others say about us. To make a great impression you must know what was said about you or how you are viewed. If it is favorable you come with a good character. If it was not you have a ability to change that impression. How you present yourself IS the impression. That first impression must be strong enough to show confidence to establish confidence. However over-confidence can destroy trust. It is a fine line. Courteous, attentive, on-time, positive, appropriateness and sincerity go a long ways. Fortunately you do not have to sign up for a course or school, but simply google making a great impression to find numerous sites with free and beneficial information. The difficulty lies in finding out what others have said about you and what information they already know. That means examining. So that takes care of the first impression. The key is keeping a good impression. Once that you have landed that deal or sold that house or secured that client your impression skills are not locked in. You must expand that impression that they made the appropriate choice and that you truly understand them. You do that in your words with a letter or note or a phone call. You do it in your behavior with making face to face timely visits when possible. And you are sure to spend a few bucks to maintain that impression. It might be with food or gifts, and not just holiday likely gifts. When you first land the sale follow up with something. My neighbor is a real estate broker and used to send a restaurant gift card to her clients after the closing. He now walks into the closing with an impressive and welcome gift basket from Baskets by Rita. He already knows the client, so whether it's a beer tub, wine gift basket, gourmet gift basket he pays the money for it to be a wow factor and make the tremendous impression as he walks through the door. He said the day he came into the room with a baby gift basket for the couple about to become parents they were so excited. Lasting impressions have perks and he says that the wow factor and the oohs and aahhhs he gets from them carry through. As they thank him as they are leaving, he mentions he would appreciate any referrals they would send his way. When they refer, he has another gift basket sent to their house. He claims this impression has definitely increased his client list. So good impressions are valuable.

Future Doctor Gift Basket

All those who are aware of scholars who are either applying to medical school or preparing to take medical licensing exams realize of how stressful they are. Just because all of us is cheering on a student does not take off the very intense pressure they sense. Whether it is the medical students entrance exam or one of licensing exams they have a lot at risk and feel their whole future is resting on that specific test. Financially each exam not passed brings on more financial burdens to them and they probably have already accumulated high loans. So whether a person is taking the MCAT the Medical College Admission Test as a med school entrance exam or the the USMLE the United States Medical Licensing Exam or FSMB Federation of State Medical Boards they all mean higher stress. No one can take the exam or go through it for them so all others can do is support them to continue the degree programs, whether it be for a Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or Doctor of Podiatric Medicine or even a masters of physician assistant program. Since so much is riding on the licensing in getting the medical degree phone calls of reassurance are encouraging but phone texts are even better since they can read them at their convenience. A med students routine is heavy and free time and rest are short. It is always good to let them know you are thinking of them and you know how hard these times are and that they have your help. You can send a card. You can order a stress and anxiety relief gift to be delivered to help them through those long study hours. University of Colorado med students have enjoyed the Med Student Care Package and Board Exam Gift from Baskets by Rita of Aurora. Located just down the street Baskets by Rita does ship across the United States so care packages are not limited to the Denver area or just Colorado. They are very adorable and come in a doctor RX box. They have also been used for doctors to send to special patients or students they have mentored or as a thank you from a med student to thank a professor/doctor. Set up as the med student care package and board exam gift for support might have been the intent but they will customize it for a patient to send to thank a doctor or even for someone to send as a get well gift with a card saying just what the doctor ordered for you to get well. Relieving stress and showing emotional support are a definite positive impact on good mental health. Treats and good wishes are always welcome and relieve stress and show thanks, concern, care, best wishes.