Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
February 18,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on February 2013
Enthusiastic employees out produce and out perform staff members who are not motivated to perform. Most new hires are enthusiastic when they first come on boardprepared to give it 110 percent. What happens to dampen the enthusiasm?
The boss!
The relationship usually begins with fair pay and adequate benefits that are the cornerstone of a successful company in recruiting and retaining committed workers. If you provide a living wage for your staff, you then have the luxury to implement additional motivation tools. Without the competitive compensation, you risk losing your top talent.
Once you have pay and benefits in place, then it all falls under the manager. People normally dont quit the company ¦ they quit the boss. In the past, managers predicted the most vital motivational aspect of work for people was money, although personal time and attention from the supervisor has been cited recently as most rewarding and motivational for them at work.
Feeling valued by a supervisor at work is essential to employee motivation and positive morale. Your words, body language, expression on your face telegraph your opinion of your staffs value.
Your arrival at work sets the mood daily. Smile. Walk tall and confidently. Walk around your workplace and greet people with sincere good mornings. Mornings can be the hardest part of the employees day. They are fighting off fatigue, have trouble focusing and getting excited. Offer fresh brewed coffee to help start the day. Not only will they be grateful for the caffeine, theyll be more productive throughout the day.
Ordering pizza or taking the staff out to lunch occasionally keeps spirits high. Socializing without worrying about the bill puts them in a good mood and helps them enjoy their work environment and colleagues. Get to know them. Ask about families, hobbies and interests. They will appreciate it. People are often motivated by camaraderie. People dont want to come to work to fight. It is important to understand employees basic desire to work collaboratively ¦ a fundamental goodwill.
Treat them with respect. Use simple, genuine, powerful, motivational words such as please, thank you (and hand-written thank you notes), youre doing a good job ¦ ask about their day off ¦ recognize birthdays, anniversaries and personal accomplishments to demonstrate caring and value.
Always remember a satisfied employee knows clearly what is expected from them daily. No surprises. Hold individual weekly meetings with staff to discuss progress and upcoming expectations. Consistent communication is the key. Establish employee recognition programs to acknowledge notable contributions and to incentivize others to improve.
Challenge them. Whenever you task an employee with a project, you want them to succeed. Be aware that if you only give assignments/goals where success is assured, youre hurting yourself in the long run. If your associate is not going to learn something, the assignment/expectation you gave likely wasnt robust enough. Pushing people out of their comfort zones allows them to develop new skills. Control, creativity and challenges in their work inspires motivation.
Continue training them to stay up-to-date with trends in their field. Enroll them in seminars, have them read relevant books/articles and discuss the content. Keep them fresh and inspired.
The ability of the employee to speak their mind is another key retention factor. Do you solicit ideas and provide a comfortable environment for honest feedback? Ensure that your open-door policy is meaningful. Conduct periodic employee satisfaction surveys. Be sure to address any issues you uncover promptly and thoroughly to avoid losing staff for good. The perception of fairness and equitable treatment is imperative for morale.
In short, when word of your company culture gets around, it will significantly improve retention and make it much easier to recruit the most talented workers in the job pool. HFB
February 18,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in economic news on February 19, 2013
from http://www.marketwatch.com/story/consumer-sentiment-highest-in-three-months-2013-02-15?link=MW_pulse
Led by more cheerful views on current economic conditions, a gauge of consumer sentiment rose to the highest level in three months, exceeding estimates, according to data released Friday.
The University of Michigan-Thomson Reuters consumer-sentiment gauge rose to a preliminary February reading of 76.3 - the highest level since November - from a final January reading of 73.8.
Stocks remained higher after the data.
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February 18,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Business Strategy on February 19, 2013
from http://www.tvilletimes.com/x670454419/For-sale-TFI-showroom
Thomasville Furniture Industries is selling its showroom on East Main Street in Thomasville, N.C.
TFI, a company that has spent more than 100 years in the Chair City, listed its former headquarters with Cassidy Turley Commercial Real Estate Services in Charlotte for $2.25 million. Built in 1958, the 225,000-square-foot facility sits on 7.24 acres and once was home to hundreds of jobs.
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February 18,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on February 19, 2013
Stanley Furniture unveiled a new showroom concept Monday at Furnitureland South, Jamestown, N.C.
At approximately 20,000 square feet, the new Stanley presentation on the retailer's first floor is 30 percent larger than the gallery it replaced. Furnitureland South is the first retailer to embrace this new merchandising model.
As with its newly opened corporate showroom at World Market Center Las Vegas, Stanley incorporated its new "grand hall and houses" concept into the space at Furnitureland South. Inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, the architecturally resplendent showroom features a long hallway with rooms reflecting upscale lifestyles as offshoots. The showroom is divided into "houses," each representing a unique style: Coastal, New Introductions, Traditional and Contemporary.
Our showrooms are one of the most outwardly visible expressions of our brand and a key component in how we tell the Stanley story," said Stanley Vice President of Marketing and Brand Development Randy Wells, the creative force behind the design. "Each space communicates the Stanley persona in a way that resonates with our target audience, providing a shopping experience that feels much like the well appointed homes in which they reside.
Darrell Harris, founder and CEO of Furnitureland South said: "This merchandising strategy speaks to the way people live and how they want to shop for living spaces. Each houses theme is designed to offer a total-look solution to consumers and simplifies the buying process. At over a million square feet, Furnitureland South is the single largest furniture store in the world.
February 18,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on February 19, 2013
The American Society of Furniture Designers is introducing a communication campaign geared toward the industry on all levels in an effort to raise awareness of furniture design.
"The end game of our efforts is to stimulate consumer desire with a greater appreciation for our home environments," said Dudley Moore, Jr., independent furniture designer in High Point and president of ASFD. "By celebrating the intrinsic importance of the furniture designer, we bring public awareness to the purpose of good design."
The Daly Group, a Greensboro, N.C., company in home furnishings marketing and communications is handling the re-alignment of ASFD.
"We are very excited about the image the Daly Group has created with this new logo, said John Conrad, ASFD president-elect. "The new positioning statement 'touching lives by design' is perfectly in sync with our profession. The ASFD board believes that the young designers coming into our industry will easily relate and embrace the renewed ASFD."
The association plans to roll out an updated Web site and advertising campaign in April.
Other communication tools and strategies will be revealed as the year progresses. The celebration of the year will peak with a gala presentation of the Pinnacle Awards in October.