Trade Secret:
I've
Seen The Light... And It Shows The Blight!
Download:
Record
Keeping Guidlines (pdf) 
Related Trade Secrets:
Spring
Cleaning Fling
For more great Trade Secrets and tools, take a look in the Archives!
Whether your excuse is daylight savings time, spring cleaning or pre-holiday holiday decorating, regularly scheduled major cleaning is essential to keep your business looking its best.
Clean Out the Dirt
"You'll stay up 'til this dump shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!"
This line from the musical Annie reinforces our need for a bit
of spit & polish. There are no excuses for visible dirt and grime. Dedicate
a day to clean everything top to bottom, including the tops and bottoms
of tables, chairs, artwork, merchandising displays, etc. At the end, you
should be able to pass the white glove test.
Retire the Tired
Take a hard look at your uniforms, menus, signage, linens, smallwares,
etc. They should not only be clean, they should be free of wrinkles, tears,
chips, scratches, cracks and frayed edges. Let go of all things tired
and weary and replace them with items worthy of your image and hospitality.
To add some fun and goodwill to this housecleaning chore, hold an all-hands
Spring Cleaning Fling.
Mini Makeovers
Have you ever watched the hugely popular "Trading
Spaces" television show? A designer has two days and a thousand dollars
to re-do a room in someone's house. Due to the limited time and budget,
they must come up with all sorts of tricks to update an existing space.
Paint is often used to cover scuffed walls or re-define a space, familiar
objects are utilized in a new unique way, and simple accessories like
photographs, flowers, and candles add interest.
The Not-So-Front-of-the-House
Don't forget to work on the kitchen, bus stations, storerooms and walk-ins.
It's amazing how motivating and energizing it is to work in a clean and
organized space with up-to-date and properly working tools. It contributes
to the feeling that you are a professional when you have a professional
atmosphere. Cleaning and streamlining also increase productivity and product
quality.
To Shred or Not To Shred
I used to think that e-mail and technology would help to create a paperless
society. Research show the exact opposite has occurred. The file drawers
are fuller and the piles are higher than ever. Since office space is usually
not much more than a shoebox, it's crucial to keep on top of records management.
For Trade Secrets Members we've put together some storage
guidelines for tax and general business records. If you don't need
it, get rid of it. If you aren't sure, put it in dated boxes and put it
in storage. If you haven't touched it in a year -- toss it for good!
Dare I Say This?
Periodic employee evaluations are
also a way to retire the tired. Employees with a sloppy appearance or
attitude are just as detrimental to your success as dirty menus. Give
some tangible direction on how they can improve and set a time frame during
which you'd like to see some improvement. Be sure to document your evaluations
and recommendations in writing.