S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable (or achievable)
R = Realistic
T = Time constraint
We are still at rock-bottom of acceptable when it comes to sales per retail square feet (roughly $300/S.F., last time I checked). I believe this has to do with our bad location and our sorry-looking store.
Improve (as much as possible without spending more than we have) the physical impact of the store.
Action Step 1: The worst problem is the floors, which have already been cited by the health dept. The landlord is sticking on our signing a three-year lease AND taking twice the time to reimburse us that we’re asking. The tiles have been backordered, but staff and a volunteer have committed to doing this project. At first the board decided to do the job properly, which would require shutting down half of the store for a few days and about $9000 to 10,000. We needed help from the landlord: he repeated his desire to have a three-year lease and offered a $300 deduction from our rent for two years as a counter to our asking for a complete rent abatement for one year. (We also asked for release from the property taxes, which he refused.) Delays have been backordering of the tiles and newly discovered sources of water on the floor: a leak from a pipe and condensation from gaskets too old to make a proper seal.
Tiles are here. Jennifer returns next week. Robert and Scott are working on leaks. Both Sean F. and I have approached H & F to see if gaskets can be replaced for less than the over-$100 per gasket price of Strause. Project is now pushed into the first week of September if water sources are satisfactorily stopped.
Action Step 2: The smell: customers have complained of the mold, and I didn’t need Jeanie to tell me that this is a BIG problem. Whenever we open the basement door to close, it’s overwhelming. (Four of us are noticing we feel sick when we’re at work, and better when we’re not.)
Robert and Jennifer have made plans, but it’s Robert with his brother who will work on the gutters. Some repairs are finished. Cement areas around outside need much attention, and there are two holes one can actually see through into the basement. Rob has already fixed some of the gutters, and next week he and his brother Scott (I’m paying as contractor) will be using gutters removed from my house to fix.
So the problems requires three fixes: gutters, cement repair on outside, and mold treatment in basement. Completion gutters: mid-September? Cement, mid-October, with luck. Basement treatment, mid-October.
Action Step 3. Improve refrigerated shelving by finishing the painting we started last year. It’s held up better than expected, but the painted part only makes the unpainted part look worse. Also the bottom grid needs to be removed and cleaned, then painted also. Perhaps completed by November?
Action Step 4. Paint the produce cooler. When we dropped the bottom to comply with the health dept.’s new temperature requirement, the produce rack looks ten times worse by showing a chipped, aging back panel. Try painting, and experiment with raising produce a little.
Action Step 5. The pillars outside. We even received a complaint from a customer when the bottom panels were breaking away and were scattered on the sidewalk, nails up. Volunteer Hal and Dave Bohon are to get a start on this this very weekend, according to Dave B. (Labor Day weekend.)
Action Step 6. Lighting. Very dark areas in store are uninviting, and two corners are especially badly lit. Again, Hal, Robert, and Jennifer are the point people on this. Completion — end September? Mid- October?
Continue sales growth through better merchandising and promotions.
Action Step 1. Hire Sasha as Merchandising Manager. Done already. Gave a small raise (which I had done when she became the Co-op Deals buyer, but gave another) and a brief definition of what I expected.
Action Step 2. Transmit Jeanie’s instruction to be fearless about packages and interacting with customers about tastings, ideas for recipes, sampling at register and in store.
Action Step 3. Currently, year-to-date sales growth is17%. Aim for 20% by year’s end and put up key indicators so all staff can see how we’re doing to reach goals.
Action Step 4. Continue to participate in local efforts by Toledo Choose Local, Toledo-Lucas County Sustainability Commission, and Northwest Ohio Food Council’s efforts. Blew our chance to participate well in August’s Local Foods Week in a more meaningful way. (I had not been on the awareness.education committee.) (Jackie did have a local foods tasting on that Saturday. Investigate how to be better informed about these ahead of time and delegate more.)
Action Step 5. Staff picks for the store. Talk about how to carry out signage and picks at next staff meeting.
Increase staff morale and improve what we do to develop staff skills and opportunity.
Action Step 1. It’s a repeat, but it belongs under this heading as well: Sasha as store merchandising manager. She has been working on this anyway as it neatly falls into her skill set.
Action Step 2. Send Jackie and Sasha to the merchandising NCGA gig. Follow up with making certain we send someone to NCGA March Marketing gig.
Action Step 3. Revisit all staff job descriptions.
Action Step 4. Perform staff evaluations.
Action Step 5. Send Rob and Dakota for training in Ann Arbor, put on by the Great Lakes group. (I will attend this one also.)
Action Step 6. Monthly staff meetings.
Action Step 7. Weekly or every other week meetings. (Aiming for: haven’t hit yet.)