Page 6 - Demo

6| December 2021 Slippery rock Gazette
Training & Education
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Right about now, you are probably wishing the holiday season had only 12 days. Counting Saturdays and the November run-up to Turkey Day, the 2021 season is more like 45 days – and that’s if you don’t include October! Somehow, it always seems even longer.
If you’re like most fab shops, the holidays are beyond stress- ful. All the normal challenges of the rest of the year — last min- ute order changes, employee absenteeism, machine break- downs, late material deliveries, site issues that impact template and/or install — these all get compressed into about 8 weeks of chaotic activity.
Assuming we can have more traditional family gatherings next year, 2022 could be even more intense.
Ed Young
Fabricator’s Business Coach
While you probably spent too much time working IN the busi- ness this holiday season, now is the time to plan to work ON the business, like we talked about in the October 2021 Slippery Rock (see the SlipperyRockGazette.net archives for the October edition).
To help you with this, I am going to provide 12 articles over the next 12 months of 2022 to challenge you to identify and improve spe- cific aspects of your business.
I’ve run a fab shop, so I know what it’s like to be in the middle of this firefight. I also know this is the best time to start thinking
about how you can avoid the same chaos for the 2022 holiday season. I look forward to helping you on that journey.
As a fab shop owner, you deserve to have a business that makes you money and also allows you the time to enjoy it.
To find out more about how to make more money and get your life back, email the author, Ed@ FabricatorsCoach.com.
Intern Resources for Stone Companies Now Available
A15-week Internship Resource Bundle is now available in the Natural Stone University. These resources, developed by Women in Stone, are ideal for students pursuing a degree in architecture, landscape archi- tecture, or interior design. This set of tools will make it easier for stone companies to open their doors to students to help nurture an appreciation and preference for natural stone in their future projects. The turn- key templates allow assign- ments and learning outcomes to be documented throughout the program, benefiting both student and professor.
The Internship Resource Bundle includes a detailed syl- labus and templates for assign- ments, including:
• Weekly Journals
• Online Learning
through the Natural
Stone University
• One-on-One
Informational Interview
• Midterm Evaluation
• Work Samples
• Final Evaluation
Courses included in the bun- dle cover topics relevant to the stone industry, including geology, silicosis and acci- dent prevention, stone test- ing and specifying, and design
trends. This resource can also be used to onboard new employees or prequalify workers for jobs in the stone industry. To access this bundle, which is available free of charge to the industry, visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/ internship.
The Natural Stone Institute is a trade association representing every aspect of the natural stone industry. The current member- ship exceeds 2,000 members in over 50 nations. The associa- tion offers a wide array of tech- nical and training resources, professional development oppor- tunities, regulatory advocacy, and networking events. Two prominent publications—the Dimension Stone Design Manual and Building Stone Magazine— raise awareness within the nat- ural stone industry and in the design community for best prac- tices and uses of natural stone. Learn more at www.natural stoneinstitute.org.
Your Working-ON- Your-Business Plan
Change is so HARD – Why Should I
Bother?
Why Does My Shop Feel
Overloaded?
Why Am I The ONLY One Here That Can Answer
Questions?
How Much Time is Left on the Game Clock?
Whose Job Is It
Anyway?
Do We HAVE To Change?
How Do I Get Control of This
Chaos?
How Do I Feed The Beast?
How Do I Get To The Next Level?
How Do I Make This
Work?
Why Do We Have So Many Metrics?
Where Do We Go From
Here?
“So – do I, like, get a tracking number or anything?”
© MARK ANDERSON. www.andertoons.com