Here’s a Teeny Tip from Too Good to be Threw, Products for the Professional Resaler Snow still eating into your shop’s traffic?
Great!
Here’s a task you can do, on and off, until you have a finished
Policies and Procedures Manual
for your current or potential staff. As you do (or run through, in your mind, if the weather’s keeping everyone away today!) each task, write it down, step by step, in detail. Such as
- Greet incoming supplier
- Take items from her/him
- Remark on how good she/he must feel to have sorted out some underused possessions
- Verify consignor’s number. Double-check that all groupings are clearly labeled with correct number…
and so on. This is a good start on your policies and procedures manual.
Next, you might want to work on your employee manual, where you set down your expectations and duties of staff. Resources for this: Some generic information is linked on the TGtbT Links Page.
If managing, training, and overseeing staff is something you need to get proactive about, TGtbT has an amazing DOUBLE Product for the Professional Resaler to help.
Not in the mood to do this Teeny Tip? Choose another! More Teeny Tips for consignment, resale, and thrift shops. Or add YOUR Teeny Tip here by commenting!
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
OMG, I have been struggling with this for so many years. It’s so much in my head, and I keep writing it into all these documents, I have about 10 of them, all unfinished. Last year my goal was to have a rough draft before Dec. 31, 2010. Well, in December I started to write a few more things down…!!! Then I had a staff meeting on Sunday, and was completely paralyzed by my employees…telling me that I under value them, etc. AND I WAS IN SHOCK…
let me tell you, the last thing I would think is that I undervalue my employees….but you know what? It is in the absense of written expectations and documentation of how to complete a task that this all arises. I am madly writing now, and trying to get the most basic of drafts out, and continue to expand and grow the documents. New hire today, she is getting a package of handbook, training phases, wage structure, etc. I feel good.
Please, Please, Please do this before you fall into a desparate situation as I have.