The thumbnail version:

• Some vehicle wraps are a lot more effective than others.
• The good ones should serve as design inspiration.

The full version:

The Kraken is perhaps the most famous mythical representation of the octopus. It’s a legendary, giant sea monster that is said by some to be more of a squid than an octopus. The legend has apparently been traced to Scandinavian folklore that holds that the Kraken lives in the deep ocean off the coast of Norway  and Greenland and has been known to terrorize sailors.

Well, now it’s terrorizing Londoners as a vehicle wrap. This wrap has to be one of the most extensive and effective ever. The bus actually looks like it is being crushed. Sometimes one sees clever and artistically-appealing vehicle wraps but five minutes later the name of the product or service being promoted has been forgotten—which of course defeats the purpose of spending on the wrap in the first place.

But after seeing this bus, who is going to forget The Kraken Black Spiced Rum?

A bit of technical information was offered by the person that posted this image on LinkedIn: “Using a mix of one-way film on the windows and vehicle wrapping films on the front and sides, a fleet of 5 branded buses were printed and installed within three days leading to one of the most memorable wraps I’ve ever seen.”

Hopefully it will serve to inspire great vehicle wraps here.

You can see more of this project at this link.

The thumbnail version:

• Your market may impose pricing pressure
• Mismanaged price cutting can be a downward spiral

The full version:

Simon Sinek in his book, Start with Why, raises some interesting issues relative to price cutting. Here are some excerpts that should be considered in the context of the market in which your shop operates:

How do I get out of this downward pricing spiral?

“Many companies are reluctant to play the price game, but they do so because they know it is effective. So effective, in fact, that the temptation can sometimes be overwhelming.”

“Playing the price game, however, can come at tremendous cost and can create a significant dilemma for the company.”

“Once buyers get used to paying a lower-than-average price for a product or service, it is very hard to get them to pay more.”

“And the sellers, facing overwhelming pressure to push prices lower in order to compete, find their margins cut slimmer and slimmer. This only drives a need to sell more to compensate. And the quickest way to do that is price again. And so the downward spiral of price addiction kicks in.”

What all of this confirms is that price cutting should only be considered with the big picture in mind. It should never be a spur-of-the-moment knee-jerk reaction to a competitor. That would be playing a dangerous game with no end in sight.

The thumbnail version:

• Promoting sales is not the job of just the person with “sales” in his or her title.
• Sales is a team game.

The full version:

Everyone in the shop is on the sales team

Since the objective of the shop is to make sales, and everyone is there to help further the objective, it follows that everyone is responsible for sales.

This doesn’t mean that Roger who operates the Roland now gets the title “salesman” but Roger needs to know that he doesn’t operate in a vacuum because everything he does has an impact on sales. The quality of his work will influence customers’ future buying decisions. Also, if he gets to talk to a customer about a job, how he conducts himself will matter to the customer and will have an influence on future sales.

The same goes for Bonnie in bookkeeping. If she doesn’t handle customers politely and helpfully, she will have a negative impact on future sales. In fact, if she’s a joy to interact with and makes a good impression on customers, she could have a positive impact on future sales.

Sales aren’t just the business of the the “sales guy.” And to drive this point home, some recognition or reward for everyone based on the sales numbers is a good idea. It says, “We’re all on the sales team and we are rewarded for results.”

The thumbnail version:

• Pole banners can be effective for promoting a message
• The have to be designed to catch attention

The full version:

If a customer inquires about pole banner designing and printing, you’re obviously going to want them to go away so satisfied that not only will they become return customers but that they will also become-word-of-mouth ambassadors for your shop.

Pole banner designers highlight four key aspects to effective design:

1. The banner must have a focal point that quickly conveys the message to passers by.
2. The design and any wording used must flow. Viewer’s eyes should flow from one section to another without stutters.
3. Colour psychology applies in pole banner design as much as it does in any other banner or sign design. The use of background, base, and accent colours will contribute to visual flow.
4. The banner must be designed to grab attention; it cannot be ordinary. Attention-grabbing fonts, phrases, and images are key.

An eye-catching pole banner by mrprinter.ca . . .

The thumbnail version:

• Value-added features can consolidate customer relationships
• Information on proper care of vinyl banners is an example of added value

The full version:

Vinyl banners are said to last between two to twelve years. The vast difference between the two ends of the scale has much to do with proper care. If you make a point of advising customers on the proper care of their just-bought vinyl banner, it will be appreciated as a gesture of goodwill. It’s the kind of value-added element that helps consolidate customer relationships.

Some of your advice for your vinyl banner customer could include:

• Wrinkles can be made to disappear by about 30 minutes of sun exposure.
• Banners should be rolled for transport, not folded.
• Clean banners with a mild solution of soapy water, not with harsh chemicals.
• Don’t store banners when they are wet or dirty.
• Banners should be stored in a dry, cool place.

Advice given one-on-one would be good. But why not take it a step further . . . Why not hand over over a well-designed printed pamphlet with, say, installation and care instructions that could also serve as a promotional item. Why not include all your major products?

For example, a tri-fold pamphlet something like this . . .

The thumbnail version:

• Promptly responding to customers is important
• Uninterrupted work time is also important
• Balance is important

The full version:

I’ve often urged small business owners, including sign shops, to respond promptly to customers and prospective customers. To a customer or prospective customer (most of whom are impatient nowadays) an unduly delayed response is a prompt to take their business elsewhere.

But that said, there is also the problem of getting work done if you’re constantly interrupted to immediately respond to every phone call or email. This is  a particularly acute problem for one-person shops or shops with staff but where the owner is the only person capable of dealing with most customer inquiries.

These two conflicting demands have to be balanced. There are ways to work out a solution to balance customer impatience with your need for uninterrupted time to get work done. There could be many ways to do this in a manner that suits your shop’s circumstances; here are just a few to consider:

• Using a phone-answering service and setting times at certain intervals during the day to collect and return calls.
• An out-of-office message on your email that assures the other party that you will respond within “x” hours (and “x” shouldn’t be more than a few hours).
• Using the time between scheduled customer responses to concentrate on getting work done.

Customers will generally accept a promised response within a reasonable time and you’ll have stretches of uninterrupted work—something that’s essential if you are to be productive.

The thumbnail version:

• Competition is the challenge
• Diversification looks like an answer

The full version:

Diversification is still trending . . .

This is not the first time you’d have seen this topic raised here. And it likely won’t be the last because a lot of industry writing (magazine articles and blogs) repeatedly refers to what seems to be a trend.

The signs have been there for some time and if you don’t pay any attention to the diversification trend you may be sabotaging the future of your shop.

As Lisa Cross, Eve Padula, and Steve Urmano point out in their article, “New Avenues for Revenue Surfacing for Graphics Providers”, in Sign Media Canada’s magazine, “Increased competition has many firms looking to offer new products and services to bolster business from current customers while also attracting new ones, according to an ISA report.”

You have homework to do!

The thumbnail version:

• Feedback from the industry can be very useful
• This kind of information can influence your planning

The full version:

Survey results can teach us a lot about the industry.

Sign Media Canada reported on a Keypoint Intelligence—InfoTrends survey of over 300 companies in the sign industry. Some of the results are worth taking note of if you’re interested in where the industry is right now and where it is headed.

For instance, how does your experience square with these answers:

  Is wide printing format increasing for your shop?:

• Yes: 69%
• Staying the same: 28%
• Decreasing: 3%

What do you regard as your highly profitable applications?:

• Banners: 55%
• Vehicle graphics: 53%
• Signs: 51%
• Wallpaper/interiors: 49%
• Window graphics: 48%
• Textiles for soft signage: 39%
• Backlit displays: 37%
• Industrial products: 37%
• Floor graphics: 33%
• Sports Apparel: 27%

Are customer demands for quicker turnaround increasing?:

• Yes: 79%
• Staying the same: 19%
• Decreasing or don’t know: 2%

This the kind of information that should shape your planning and perhaps even your business model.

The thumbnail version:

• ISA is offering Expo educational session recordings
• Educational sessions by industry experts can benefit your business

The full version:

I have regularly promoted the concept of membership in trade associations. Here in Canada the obvious choice for the sign industry is the Sign Association of Canada. One of the many benefits for Class 1 members is automatic membership in the International Sign Association (ISA).

And this post is about a service offered by ISA—educational session recordings from the recent ISA Sign Expo 2021-Virtual. The recordings cover a wide range of topics pertinent to the industry and is the type of resource that shouldn’t be overlooked.

You can find out  more about it at this link.

The thumbnail version:

• A bad customer service experience should be a lesson
• This is a lesson from a major international courier company

The full version:

Over the past three weeks I’ve been dealing with a major international express courier company trying to get answers out of them about an original painting that disappeared en route to an exhibition in New York.

Aside from everything else learned from this experience there was a lesson in how not to handle customer service. The infuriating automated phone-answering voice, the difficulty finding the right person in the right department, the misinformation, the changing and contradictory explanations, an aggressive attitude, failing to make promised return phone calls, failing to keep scheduled telephone meeting commitments, and failing to respond to emails, are just some of the customer service failings of the courier company in question.

And it all followed the key failing—losing a valuable original piece of art entrusted to them for delivery.

The lesson from my experience is that you should be making  a pact with yourself to ensure that no customer of your shop is ever left feeling the way I feel about this courier company.

And remember that word of mouth is an effective and inexpensive business builder so you want customers to tell other people about your great customer service. But, word of mouth can also be a devastating business destroyer.

So what does it take from you or a customer service employee (which could be everyone in your shop who interacts with customers at any level) to deliver the type of customer service that keeps customers coming back?

Well, here’s a list of qualities needed for providing great customer service (this is just a list, you need to explore these qualities in more depth):

• Communication skills
• Good listening skills
• A thick skin
• A willingness to take ownership of customer problems
• Patience
• Empathy
• Politeness (good manners)
• Product knowledge
• Adaptability and creativity

What will people say about your shop’s customer service after trying to resolve a product issue?

The thumbnail version:

• Registration is open for the Printing United expo in October
• COVID may still be a party pooper though

The full version:

The Printing United Expo is scheduled for 6 to 8 October in Orlando, Florida in just over six weeks time. Exhibitors are encouraging attendees to visit them at the show to network, attend educational sessions, and socialize.

While I’ve always maintained that show attendance is essential if you’re going to stay in touch with developments in the industry, now may not be the ideal time to do so. Is everyone just dismissing the COVID threat? And of all places to have the expo—Florida where the COVID numbers are currently the worst in the US. And what about the risk of sitting in a plane for a few hours sharing viruses, one of which could be COVID 19?

Well, in any case, here’s the link at which you can register, but . . .

The thumbnail version:

• Pay attention to the maintenance warning messages
• Bypassing the warnings has consequences

The full version:

Roland has a money-saving tip for you—pay attention and react to the display warning message system on your Roland DG TrueVIS printer.

If you bypass the “Time for Maintenance” message by hitting the “enter” key, your machine apparently remembers this. If you continue to bypass it, the machine will compensate for the lack of a manual cleaning by doing longer and more frequent internal automatic print head cleanings. This uses more ink and therefore costs you money.

Failing to conduct scheduled manual cleanings can also result in clogged print head nozzles and poor quality prints.

So, pay attention to the “Time for Maintenance” message. It has quality and bottom line benefits.

The thumbnail version:

• Businesses re-opening can use banners to welcome customers back
• Suggesting banners to your customers could boost your bottom line

The full version:

As businesses such as boutiques, pubs, and restaurants reopen and look to put a positive spin on things after the doom-and-gloom of eighteen months of COVID, your shop has an opportunity.

Imagine your favourite pub or restaurant with a banner strung across the front entrance that says. “Welcome back! We missed you.” Wouldn’t that project a positive image? Wouldn’t it make you feel welcome? Of course it would.

Now all you have to do is convince existing and new customers of that too and  you could generate some new business.

The thumbnail version:

• It’s time for the annual industry salary survey
• The results provide useful planning information

The full version:

The deadline for participating in Sign Media Canada’s 15th annual salary survey is coming up soon on September 14th.

Why should you participate? Well, for owners, part of attracting and keeping staff is having a good understanding of the industry’s pay scale for different categories of jobs. Pay too little and you run the risk of losing the good hires to your competitors; pay too much and you run the risk of inflating your overheads and putting your shop at a competitive disadvantage.

For industry employees, knowing your worth can help ensure that you’re paid fairly.

However, in addition to any selfish reasons for participating, it just seems to be the right thing to do. Participating in an industry-wide salary survey designed to enhance all members’ understanding of their industry is surely a good thing.

You have until September 14th to log on here and complete the survey. 

The thumbnail version:

• Insight into the impact of in-store signage
• Knowing this is useful for your customers
• Knowing this can help you sell more in-store signage

The full version:

Sign Media has reported on a survey by Inmar Intelligence about the effectiveness of in-store signage. Insights like this are valuable. It can confirm what you already suspected, give you “ammunition” for selling to customers, and be useful for your customers to know; all of this can help generate revenue.

Essentially, the survey found that 69 percent of shoppers who saw an in-store advertisement browsed for the featured product and 61 percent of those actually bought it. Although 81 percent said they shopped with a list, only 11 percent of those included specific brands on the list. This would seem to suggest that shoppers are open to suggestions from in-store signage.

If your shop works proactively with customers by suggesting how they can use signage to their advantage, rather than just reactively responding to orders, then the information brought to light by this survey should be useful to you. Taking time to read the full survey could be time well invested.

Stan Presisniuk (1934 – 2021)

The principals of Stanley’s Sign and Screen Supply, Doug Presisniuk, Barb Cumby, Sandy Presisniuk, and Rob Presisniuk, regret to have to announce that an icon of the Canadian screen printing industry, their father, Stanley Presisniuk, passed away last Friday, 6^th August 2021, after a short illness.

Stan was committed to the screen printing industry for over four decades. He began his career at Sherwin-Williams Paints in 1956 where he met Cliff Beisel. Together in 1958 they were the first to bring silk screen supplies to the Alberta market when they launched Western Silk Screen Supply in Edmonton. In 1979 Stan launched Stanley’s Sign and Screen Supply where over time he introduced many new products to the industry.

Stan retired to his ranch about twenty years ago where he remained active until his passing.

The thumbnail version:

• Employees are generally more capable than we assume
• How to employ those additional capabilities?

The full version:

Hewitt Associates once published a statement of philosophy that included this piece of wisdom: “We believe that most people have capabilities beyond those they are called on to demonstrate in their jobs.” My experience would lead me to agree with this.

How often have you challenged an employee with a task they had not performed before? You may be surprised at what they know and what they can do for your shop. Think about it as buying a product, being satisfied with what it does for you, but then one day finding out that it can do a lot more. Bonus!

It could be the same with employees. And an added bonus is that the employee will likely relish the chance to demonstrate what they are capable of, and as a result feel more relevant. The employee, the business, morale, and you, will all benefit from encouraging the employee to demonstrate their capabilities beyond the immediate demands of the job.

The thumbnail version:

• Sign MFG day is coming around again
• There are a number of benefits to participating

The full version:

Future employees at Sign Manufacturing Day.

Sign MFG day is organized by International Sign Association (ISA) and is aimed at encouraging future sign industry workers by introducing them to the industry.

On October 1st this year, participating shops will invite students to visit and, by way of facility tours, demonstrations, and discussion, find out about the industry. The purpose is to address one of the industry’s biggest headaches—finding qualified workers. Sign MFG day is a first step to solving this problem.

And not only potential workers are encouraged to participate. ISA suggests that if shops were to allow participation by community members as well it would promote understanding of the industry and demonstrate its value to the economy. And then there’s always the possibility that better awareness among the community could generate new business.

Registration is the first step to participating. You can register your shop here: https://www.signs.org/mfgday/register

Footnote: All of this of course presupposes that the COVID situation at the time allows for the event to be conducted safely and that all the usual precautions will be taken.

The thumbnail version:

• You can’t be sloppy and expect to compete with the big shops.
• Improve your image and improve your competitive edge.

The full version:

It’s not the size. It’s the presentation.

The sign industry consists of printing companies large and small; some as small as one-person home-based shops. The problem for the smaller shops is that they are often competing for the same business as the bigger shops. And often the smaller shops are their own worst enemy in these situations by being sloppy about the image they put forth.

Bigger businesses tend to present polished images because they know that a “business-like” image gains them credibility with potential customers. Sadly, many smaller business just don’t get it. I’m not suggesting that you fake it by pretending that you’re big when you’re not because sooner or later you’ll be caught out and your credibility will be shot.

But there are measures you can take to present a polished image that will help to generate confidence. Nowadays a lot of people want to support smaller businesses but they don’t want to have to deal with sloppy. Here are some image-building things to which you should pay attention:

• Make sure a polite, attentive, human being answers your shop’s phone within a few rings (you, an employee, an answering service—doesn’t matter who, just make sure it is answered).
• Answer email inquiries promptly, even if it is to say you have the inquiry and will be in touch. Then follow up promptly.
• Have professionally-designed and printed stationery  (cards, letterheads, envelopes, brochures etc.)
• Dress in at least business-casual attire for meetings or customer visits.
• Have an impressive well-put together portfolio of examples of your best work.
• And of course it should go without saying that your product prices, quality, and service must be top-drawer.

You shouldn’t pretend to be big, just match big standards.

The thumbnail version:

• Dundas Street in Toronto is having a name change
• All kinds of signs are going to have to be reprinted
• This could happen near you too

The full version:

Dundas Street in Toronto is going to have a name change. This means that a lot of stationery, cards, promotional materials and, most particularly in our case, signs are going to have to be reprinted.

One would guess that this is good news for sign shops in the GTA and perhaps beyond. The more aggressive shops will be vying for a piece of the action. What are you doing about it?

The name change is happening because Toronto City Council voted in favour of renaming Dundas Street in a bid to promote inclusion of marginalized communities. Similar sentiments are gaining momentum across the country and could well result in name changes in other centers with all kinds of signs affected. If this happens where you are, someone has to print the new signs, why not your shop?

Keep an eye open and an ear to the ground.

The thumbnail version:

• Supplier and manufacturer sites have valuable information
• You can find money-saving and money-making tips by spending just a few minutes

The full version:

It has always been a good idea to occasionally visit supplier and manufacturer sites to keep up to date on new products and technology. Both the Stanley’s blog you’re reading now, the textile blog you can reach here, and manufacturers’ sites, offer helpful and often money-saving and money-making tips in addition to a host of other information to keep you in touch with the industry.

A good example is the Roland DGA site where they recently posted two tips that can help you get more out of VersaWorks 6. We don’t have the room here to share the tips in detail, but if you visit the site you’ll find a post on how to use the “Cut and Print” option and another on naming print queues and defining settings.

Getting the most out of your equipment is a way to differentiate your shop from the competition. Staying in touch online with the latest tips and other information from suppliers and manufacturers is a good way to do it.

The thumbnail version:

• A new piece of equipment can cost a lot of time and money
• Seeing it work before you commit, is a good idea.

The full version:

See the equipment work. Examine it closely

In a post earlier this year in March, “New equipment—look before you leap”,  we addressed some of the things you should consider before going shopping for an item of new equipment. Now, to take it a step further, we suggest that it’s a good idea to see the equipment in action and understand all its capabilities and limitations before you buy it.

You’re in a very competitive market so one thing your new equipment should do is give you a competitive edge. If you’re going to lay out a lot of money, does it make sense to do so just to play catch-up? Since you’re investing so much time and money into the acquisition, now would be the time to invest just that little bit more to get the maximum benefit from your purchase. That extra something that will help differentiate your shop from the competition.

One place to see equipment in action is the bigger trade shows such as, for instance, Long Beach. As we begin to emerge from the restrictions of the pandemic, you’d do well to keep an eye on the trade show calendar.

Brochures and videos are all very well but nothing beats being able to see, touch, hear, and even smell a piece of equipment being put through its paces.

Whether you decorate aluminum or are thinking of decorating aluminum, there are a few important things that Rob Day of Tonejet wants you to know.

An aluminum can not decorated by plastic label or sleeve.

His main point is that decorating, say, aluminum cans with plastic labels or shrink sleeves is not a good idea from a recycling perspective. And why so? Because aluminum is a readily recyclable material, . . .  “with over 75 % of all the aluminum ever produced still in use today.”

Apparently plastic labels and sleeves on cans cause damage and safety problems for recycling workers in addition to diluting the value of the aluminum. Some jurisdictions are beginning to ban the use of plastic labels and sleeves on aluminum cans; Quebec is one example.

Two more interesting facts about aluminum drink cans:

• • • They can be recycled and back on the store shelf in as few as 60 days.
  • It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to produce it from raw materials.

This is just some of the important information you need to know if you’re considering aluminum can decorating. You have more home work to do.

The thumbnail version:

• Successful experience is worth learning from.
• One lesson is to focus on a limited range and do it better than anyone else.

The full version:

Listen. It can be very valuable.

Sometimes it pays to take note of the experience-based wisdom that industry colleagues have to offer, particularly colleagues who speak from a position of success. Recently Roland told the story of a printer who built a successful sticker business. With eleven staff members, Ace High Printing is not a huge shop, but it’s a busy shop.

Here is the voice of experience from the owner, Rick Herbert, as reported by Roland:

• “We do it slower than other people, that’s the key. We have TrueVIS machines that we take the print speed down to 600, 900 to make really superb quality. Does it take us a bit longer? Sure! But can you see it in the details? Sure!”
• “When you put in an in with us, you’re speaking directly to me, the owner of the company. It’s not some automated bot, it’s not an email box. I will call you, email you, and if you’re here in person you’re speaking with the owner.”
• Look at what5the competition are doing. Look at their turnaround times, the quality of products they’re producing and pick a few items and do those few items really well. Don’t try to offer 50 different products. Too many people try to do that and get burned.”
• “If you start doing jobs you hate and that bore you, and you get frustrated with them, you’re not going to want to do this anymore. And when you lose your passion for this, what’s the point?”

This is just a taste of why you should check in on the Roland blog occasionally.

The thumbnail version:

• The BOCSIes entry deadline is 24th July (just over two weeks away).
• If you win, we win.

The full version:

This is your last reminder to enter the Best of Canada’s Sign Industry (BOSCI) awards to honour the top work of sign companies in 12 categories. Entries close for this year on July 24th.

We urge participation because being mentioned as a winner will give your shop a visibility boost which is bound to be good for business. Then there are staff morale benefits and half dozen other good reasons too. And from a purely selfish point of view, as one of your suppliers, Stanley’s would be able to claim bragging rights too.

So how about it? Enter before the 24th. It makes business sense.

The thumbnail version:

• Quality control is essential to delivering a good product
• But stuff happens, even to a high-profile industry magazine

The full version:

Much has been written about quality control in the shop. Often this is assumed to be the quality of the print. But what about the quality of the artwork?

The cover of the June 2021 edition of Sign Media magazine is a lesson in how errors can sneak through where you’d least expect to see them.

Sign Media is published monthly by the Sign Association of Canada and is well worth reading. Membership of the association is well worth it too. But back to the cover . . .

Can you spot the quality control lapse?  No?

How do you spell “business”?

How good is your shop’s quality control?

The thumbnail version:

• Once in a while a design stands out.
• It can then be used to inspire

The full version:

Once in a while you’ll see design work that makes you stop and take notice—a design that can inspire; it certainly happens to me from time to time. Yesterday was such an occasion.

We were at lunch in Mahone Bay when Margaret ordered cider. It was delivered in the can in the illustration. Not only did the overall design intrigue me, but when I picked up the can to take a closer look it felt good to handle because the “chain link fence” background and the name “Intrepid” were textured. I’m assuming it was screen printed.

All-in-all the design and printing of the can was as impressive as the contents apparently were.

Well done, Chain Yard Cider Inc. of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Perhaps the design and printing of this can will inspire a print shop artist or two elsewhere in Canada.

The thumbnail version:

• There are plenty of bad guys trying to get their hands on your customers’ information.
• You have an obligation to protect it.

The full version:

Protect your customers’ information from this guy

If you gather customer data—few can operate at all without doing this—you have an obligation to protect it. And in today’s digital world, that can be easier said than done. Nevertheless, it doesn’t relieve you of the obligation.

Courier recently published a good paper with various ways in which you can protect your customers’ data. We just have space for an overview here—you really need to explore the topic in more detail.

1. Understand what data you’re dealing with.
2. Understand the laws you’re subject to.
3. Secure your WiFi network and passwords.
4. Encourage use of a VPN by staff when using any kind of public WiFi.
5. Install the right anti-malware and anti-virus tools.
6. Make it someone’s responsibility to stay on top of online security.
7. Communicate to your customers what information you collect and why.
8. Educate your employees in spotting scams, password security etc.
9. Back up your data offsite.
10. Prepare for the worst in case an attack happens, have expertise on standby.
11. Keep updating your software.

Being aware of the above measures is a start. You have work to do.

The thumbnail version:

• Employees are stressed after almost a year and a half of pandemic precautions
• The end is not yet in sight
• You can help provide relief by rewarding time

The full version:

Thanks to the pandemic in particular, your employees have been dealing with elevated stress levels at work and at home. And for now, in most jurisdictions, the stress of working in masks, social distancing, and dealing with customers just as irritated as everyone else, all in increasing summer heat, is going to go on for some time.

And while some jurisdictions are rushing to lift restrictions, remember that the recent pattern has been for spikes in new COVID-19 infections to follow relaxed restrictions. This is discouraging and only compounds the stress on people.

Time . . . Your to give

So how do you deal with this and reward employees, especially when the shop’s budget is under strain and trying to recover from eighteen months of pandemic?  Time off. Time is the one commodity you have to give and it’s a commodity always appreciated.

Here are some ideas:

• Provide an extra break.
• Give the occasional two-hour lunch and perhaps order in pizza or a dessert.
• Give two-hour lunch one day a week for a month.
• Give a day off.
• Give a three-day weekend.
• In an exceptional case give a week off.

You can probably think of many more ways to use time to help your employees in the current stressful circumstances.