In today’s episode on The Render Podcast, we are moving into End of Year Planning with two focuses — the physical focus this week and the electronic focus next week. As we approach the close of 2022, we are looking deep into the different areas of our business.

To start off this mini series, we are going to go through what we are doing within our Operations Department, Sales Department, and Marketing Department in the physical aspect, and then next week we are approaching this from the electronic point of view.

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Operations Department

As the end of the year comes to a close, what can you do within your business to begin cleaning up and start fresh in the new year? We are doing this in real-time — cleaning our inventory! We take the time to look at what we have in our rental inventory with the quality of each item, and the quantity we have, and make sure it aligns with what we want to continue offering. This somewhat aligns with the electronic aspect — it is no surprise that we use GoodShuffle Pro as our online inventory management system. We cannot rave about this software enough and we highly recommend it to you! You can check it out and start your trial today by visiting our GoodShuffle Pro Link! This is where we track all of our inventory and this couples with what we showcase on our website as well. Doing this overhaul of our inventory and working on our online inventory offerings as well helps us to double check that the measurements presented online are accurate, our counts on in-stock items are up to date, and that the rental items are in the most pristine condition. Now we know this can sound daunting and overwhelming, but doing this will only set you up for success in the new year and save you so much time when it comes to your rentable inventory. 

Rental Quality Condition — at Render, we have defined this in our vocabulary and we want to make sure that our inventory pieces can be confidently (keyword) installed next to a new version of that item and you would never know that one is used and one is brand new. We want our used item to have minimal damage, a standard 10% or fewer knicks and flaws on that rentable item. We have worked hard to instill a chart within our Operations Department so that we can look at any knicks, dings, or paint chips and make sure that we are offering high-quality rentable inventory to our clients. We approach this with zero tolerance for our pieces having any rips, stains, tears, off balance, or fingerprints and any additional unacceptable imperfections. The biggest overhaul with the physical aspect of preparing for the new year is making sure that every single piece in our warehouse is aligning with the rental ready condition standard that we offer. Now, if it does not align with this, what are we doing at Render to make sure we are continuing to offer great inventory? We look at what each item may need to get it into that condition, and if it is not possible, we work to phase it out. 

Non-Rentable Inventory — just as important! The blankets we use to protect our couches and large inventory, our toolbox kits, our drills, hammers, ladders, dollies, straps, and any additional items and equipment we may need to insure that we are fully outfitted for the next year. There is nothing more frustrating than being on an install and your drill stops working, or you do not have what you need to get the job done. Working now to make sure these things are in your warehouse and working appropriately will work in your favor in the long run. 

Sales Department

For your Sales Department, figure out who you worked with this year and make sure that you are on their radar for them to want to work with you again. Do you need to gift them something, send them a card in the mail, or email them to have coffee? Think of something that will align with your brand, that also aligns with them and who they are, and thank them for their business this year. If it were not for your clients, you would not have a business. It is all about taking care of your clients and treating them in a great way! At the very least, thank them for their business throughout the year or years! 

Within this department, look at what you have accomplished this year and what you need to plan for next year. Look at how many events you have done, how many clients you have had, and surveys from booked and inquiry-only clients, and just make sure that your sales team is aligning with your goals for next year. 

Marketing Department

For marketing, there is physically not a ton for you to do because you are likely working side by side with your sales team to gift and send cards to and maybe even plan an experiential event for your clients. Making sure that you are giving back to your community and paying attention to who is supporting your company and being grateful for that!

Your Physical Space

Another way to prepare for the new year is to take a look at your office space, your warehouse, and the organization of your physical space. Even working to get rid of unnecessary papers, cleaning up your warehouse supplies and your working space is a great task to prioritize. Make sure that your space is set up in a functional and efficient way.

We hope that this has been a helpful part one of our End of Year Planning mini series and we are so excited to end this 2022 year with part two next week! As always, thank you for being here! Don’t forget to check out The Render Podcast on Apple or Spotify and we hope that you have a very Merry Christmas!

Joyfully,

Raven Scott | Podcast Manager