Topic for discussion: How to create long lasting relationships with clients and installer's

Over the years I have found that the best way to create and maintain a long lasting relationship with a client or furniture installer is to bake brownies or chocolate chip cookies!! Once I have delivered a cookie tray to a clients office or to a job site to project manage an installation, the first words out of everyone's mouth is "YEAH here comes the cookie lady!!!" It has made such a boost in my career because everyone wants some. I just recently visited a clients office and an installer that had been on a job 6 years ago with me asked "What no brownies...."

So to say the least for a little out of pocket expenses and some evening labor one can leave a really lasting impression on others! Try it sometime and you will see...people will remember you and want you back!!!

As many companies struggle with cutting costs in the workplace, we all need to live more responsibly. One way is to change from delivered bottled water to an inline water cooler since you are already paying for public water. These inline coolers have filters in them for purer drinking water. When you buy a bottle of water on the road at the local Wawa keep it and reuse it by filling up with the water cooler. This keeps large amounts of plastic out of landfills and recycling centers. It also helps to use less fossil fuels to create this plastic.

Another step that companies can take to save money is to recycle as much paper as possible in to scratch pads to sit by the phone. How many of us have copied or printed something that wasn’t right and then threw the paper in the recycling bucket. Gather this paper and cut it in to smaller pieces and use the unused side for notes or to-do lists at your desk. This way the paper has been used to its maximum before recycling it.

And lastly is batteries. Hundreds of thousands of batteries show up in landfills each year. How many companies have switched to wireless systems for keyboards and mouses? The batteries don’t last long. Buy several chargers and rechargeable batteries. You would be amazed how long you will have these batteries for use. My husband and I have been using the same batteries for our digital camera for about four years now! Talk about cost savings!

Look around you and make a game of it. You will be amazed how much money you can save and how much you can do for the environment by being responsible.