Like so many people, I use the beginning of the year as a time to plan for the next 12 months. It's exciting to put goals down on paper and to review what worked and what didn't work last year. So, with no further ado, some plan and goals for Smudge Ink in 2017:
CONTINUE STAFF LUNCHES! We started this in the second half of 2016, and it was a lot of fun and a great bonding experience for the whole team.
LOOK FOR MORE WAYS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY. This includes finding alternate or additional way to store inventory and packaging supplies.
MORE PLANNING. In 2016 we started planning our Instagram posts a few weeks out and doing batch days to take lots of photos at once. It's been great! I'd like to 1) continue doing that for IG, but also apply the same idea to some other aspects of the business (planning ahead plus batch days to get it done).
OPTIMIZE OUR WORK SPACE. 2016 was a year of transition for the company and for the staff. We've done a lot of reorganization in the main office and fulfillment area, and this year we're going to tackle the print room. We're going to move a few things around, bring in some new equipment, and embrace change where it's needed.
DEVELOP A STANDARDS MANUAL. We're always in design meetings working on new card ideas and thinking about potential new products. It's a lot of fun, but it can be challenging to stay focused on our design goals and aesthetic with so many creative minds in a small space. This year we'll be putting together a standards manual to help us stay true to our design goals and to our mission as a company. I'm excited about that (even though a manual sounds a little boring)!
That's a little of what we'll be working on this year!