Spotlight on Fly Control

We are about halfway through winter, which means fly season will be upon us before long.

Flies are disgusting! They carry dozens of diseases, lay eggs everywhere, and they’re annoying. Nobody likes it when they are buzzing about — especially customers. Let’s shine a spotlight on fly control and look at ways to get rid of this pest.

Flies require specific conditions to create an infestation. You can stop the infestation cycle by reducing or eliminating these sources:

• Light Source — a place to gather and meet up with other insects
• Warmth — a place to be able to live longer
• Food Source — a place to eat and drink
• Reproduce — a way to bring on new insects

In food and drinking establishments, fruit flies may come already inside produce containers. Once they enter a facility they go directly to sink drains where there is a food source attached to the insides. Houseflies come through entry doors and drive-thru windows. They immediately head towards a light source such as exterior windows and light fixtures.

The last thing you want for your customer is to eat with one hand while shooing away flies with the other. It’s time to take action before you lose customers.

Work Smarter

Best the Best, Not a Commodity

“Tom [Peters’] Credo: ‘Commodity’ is a state of mind — a loser’s state of mind. A-n-y-t-h-i-n-g can be significantly (dramatically?) differentiated.”
http://bit.ly/2kkycbr

Which Social Media Platforms Should Your Small Businesses Be Using?

“Social media marketing for small businesses can be a tricky game. It’s difficult to know how to allocate resources to have maximum effect when there are so many different platforms, with best practices for each.”
http://bit.ly/2jOKNRb

Seven Body Language Mistakes You Won’t Want to Make In Your Next Interview

“This graphic outlines seven different body language mistakes you won’t want to make, and how to avoid them.” Useful not just for interviews, these tips are good for sales presentations, customer service, meetings, and other interactions.
http://bit.ly/2kLE9z7

4 Follow-up Emails That’ll Backfire on You Real Fast

You get tired of waiting for someone to respond to an email, so you send a tactful follow up. “Yes, your goal of being diplomatic is coming from the right place. But if it causes you to make up fake excuses, you’re going to look worse than if you were just honest.”
http://muse.cm/2kLA660

How to Make a Sign

Seth Godin shares a good example of how to communicate clearly. It is worth taking the time to ask the kinds of questions he lists when making signs, writing memos, sending emails, even posting on social media.
http://bit.ly/2jOZdk7

Six Items That Should Never Be On Your To-Do List

“Writing a to-do list seems like a tidy little way to keep track of what you need to accomplish, but it can fall short or even derail your success... The content of your list is key to its usefulness. Here are six items that you should remove or never put on a to-do list.”
http://bit.ly/2kHSCsN

3 Things Managers Should Know About Employee Engagement

The term employee engagement refers to the degree to which employees are “fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work.” An engaged employee is more likely to embrace and promote the goals of the organization, speak positively about it, and recommend the company to prospective employees and customers.

There is no shortage of articles, books, and other resources dedicated to employee engagement; one can read about it endlessly. Three key points stand out for managers to consider when thinking about the subject.

1. EMPLOYEES DON’T THINK ABOUT ENGAGEMENT

Employee Engagement is a buzzword loved by HR directors, management consultants, and business writers. It is mostly meaningless to actual employees. You’ll never hear a worker say, “I feel highly engaged at this company,” or, “I wish my supervisor would do more to engage me.”

Franchise Anniversaries

February

• Central Oregon — 12 years
• Mid Missouri — 39 years
• North St Louis — 5 years
• Northern Indiana — 5 years
• Tampa Bay — 16 years
• Honolulu — 5 years
• East Jersey — 2 years
• Northern California — 2 years
• North Jersey — 2 years
• Northeast Maryland — 8 years

March

• San Diego — 14 years
• North Bay — 16 years
• Arizona — 11 years
• Madison County — 10 years
• Northern Virginia — 9 years
• Eastern Washington — 8 years
• North Dakota — 7 years
• Northern Rockies — 11 years

April

• Prairies — 16 years
• East Bay — 16 years
• West St. Louis — 18 years
• Long Island — 26 years