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Idea from Virginia Recyclers Newsletter

We’ve all sat through those very dry safety meetings. I think they are as boring for the presenter as those who have to listen! Here’s an idea our neighbors in Virginia put in their newsletter. Do the presentation in the form of a scavenger hunt! Give each employee a list, and send them on their way to find the information that is practical and useful in their daily work. Each person must find a MSDS (Material Safety Data sheet) for a product they use regularly. They then must answer a number of questions including, what are the long-term health effects of using this product? What do you do in the event of a spill? How should this product be properly stored? After questions are answered, take a few, or all, depending on the group size and go over them. Larger operations could do this in teams, or focus on one type of product at each session.

Hands on learning is always more effective than reading or just plain listening. You also can easily find out the strengths and weaknesses within your operation.

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance

An Ounce of Prevention...

As each day passes, we seem to do more things in our businesses, and in our daily lives that are directly or indirectly connected to electronic medium. We have passwords, e-mail, web addresses, in addition to the endless storehouse of numbers we must remember or have accessible to us.

When we do business via phone or net, charge account numbers, drivers license, social security, etc are exchanged to complete transactions. Often printed material in the form of invoices, title transfer papers, etc are generated. Reports from your own company often have critical data such as bank account numbers, tax resale numbers, etc., that could also be vulnerable should they fall into the wrong hands.

We all recycle paper, or should be. Some of us even use “dead sides” for internal copying. Be cautious of what you put in this stack. You have no control over where it will end up. Sometimes, it may be better to shed something with a clean side.

Get a cross cut shredder. A persistent thief CAN reassemble straight cut shreds

Review your credit file every 6 months. Contact inactive accounts and get written proof they have been deactivated.

Handling all personal information wisely – both your and your customers is the best way to prevent crime.

Who Are Your Customers?

I don’t mean their names, though you should know those, too. What is YOUR market for your business. Are you import, late model, classic, GM, Mustang, Rolls Royce?

Maybe you select a particular line because you liked them as a kid. Maybe you think “that’s what will sell best.” Whatever your initial reason, you still need to know what the customers who will buy your products want and expect. You need to know what kind of advertising will reach the greatest number of potential customers. If you are selling late model, primarily to body shops, that yellow page ad is a waste of time. Trade magazines aren’t frequented by buyers at u-pull-it yards.

Is your sales staff informed about what they sell? If the computer was down, could they still help a customer? Knowledge is power.

If you don’t have a special market, you should start reading your sales reports by models and part types, to see just who is buying what. You may be surprised. Just by what you have done above, your advertising, what your customers KNOW you have, word of mouth, will all be spelled out in your reports. You then can step back and see if that’s the direction that’s going to make the most money for your business.

You will also be able to better serve your existing customers, by being as informed as you can on what they need and expect from you. We may think it’s price, but it’s a whole lot more. The same reasons we go where we do when we shop for ourselves, except the mirror is now turned around.