STL Mommy

This Christmas Planner is on sale for $14.99 shipped (Retail $22.95).

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Get organized with this Christmas Planner! Make the holiday season less stressful so you can focus on what matters most.

Keep track of your budget, to do’s, gifts, stocking stuffers, and addresses for cards. Plan out holiday activities, menus, and the schedule for Christmas day.

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Traveling with a medical condition adds an extra layer of stress. However, with precise planning and concentrated approaches, the journey doesn’t have to be an anxious one. There are lots of things you can do that will make life easier, and this guide explores the ins and outs of what you need to know. 

Planning Medication

The most important thing for anyone who needs it is to remember and organize medication. You might need to take it with you on a flight, which means sorting out a doctor’s note in advance to give to the airline. This is not something that you can run out of, so make sure you know where the local pharmacies are in your destination and have the prescription information with you for emergency situations. You never know when something might get misplaced during travel, and it is unfortunate but not uncommon to become a victim of a lost suitcase. So, this is one area where you can never be too careful. 

Having a Backup Just in Case

What is your backup plan in case things go wrong? Maybe you lose all of your prescription, or your symptoms get worse while you are away. Being in a foreign place means you are well out of your usual zone of comfort. This can be planned for, but it is important to think about what might go wrong and have a contingency lying in wait just in case the worst comes to pass. 

Consulting with Your Doctor

If you are going to travel, make sure your doctor is the first person you talk to. Going away from home with a medical condition is a complex situation, and they will be the best placed professional person to offer non-biased advice to keep you safe and healthy. 

Professional Support Avenues

Ensure that if you need it, you have researched and booked a reliable service to accompany you on your flight. Lots of medical conditions don’t need this level of intervention, but there are a few that will, and a company like Flying Angels is the best place to start this journey. It is essential that you have the right care by your side so that your health is well looked after, and any medical complications are met with professional guidance. 

Research the Medical Care at Your Destination

Find out where the closest hospitals and pharmacies are so that you have a safety net when you arrive. This will be beneficial if something goes wrong, or you can’t get in touch with your regular doctor while you are away. 

Travel Insurance Updates

Ensure that your travel insurance policy reflects your medical condition. This is important because if something does go wrong and you need to use your insurance, it will be invalidated if you have not declared the condition prior to booking. 

It is completely normal to travel for a holiday or business trip while dealing with a medical condition. For a smooth trip, ensure everything from your meds to your emergency care provision is properly organized before you go. 

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If you are at the beginning of your restaurant journey, you have yet to experience the tumult and chaos of the industry. Many entrepreneurs are theoretically aware of the challenges that await them, but the reality of running a restaurant will always subvert expectations. 

People new to the field often become overwhelmed and decide to give up too soon due to the pressure, but there are ways to make it through and enjoy tangible, lasting success. Here are some simple tips for new restaurant owners who want their business to thrive.

Your Business Plan Must Be Thorough

A business plan needs to be detailed enough to reassure potential investors that you know what you want to do and how to implement it. This means that your budget, projections, marketing strategies, competition analysis, and everything else need to be covered. You can make amendments to your business plan at a later date, but not having one at the start will compromise your chances of securing funds.

Your Restaurant Needs a Clear Identity

The identity of your restaurant is its personality. This might seem like a vague and amorphous concept, but you achieve your restaurant’s identity by considering the following questions:

• Who is your intended market?
• What type of cuisine do you want to serve?
• What will set your restaurant apart from the crowd?

Just as your business plan can be altered slightly along the way, so can your restaurant’s identity. However, if you want to make any drastic changes then you must be prepared to receive criticism from customers. Therefore, try to decide on a concept that appeals to you as soon as possible to avoid making unnecessary and potentially harmful changes further down the line.

Find Suppliers for Quality Ingredients

You can’t expect ongoing success if your ingredients aren’t of a high enough quality. Therefore, source your ingredients from trustworthy suppliers and build positive relationships with them. 

It is important to keep your restaurant’s kitchen well stocked with the basics. For example, if you need a lot of garlic for different dishes, buying bulk garlic is a sensible solution. When you make connections with suppliers, you can eventually try negotiating deals—it’s all about mutual loyalty and trust to preserve the chain.

Look for the Perfect Spot to Set Up

There are several factors that contribute to where you set up your restaurant. These include:

• Who your target market is and how accessible your restaurant will be to them;
• How much you can afford to pay in rent for the premises;
• How many direct and indirect competitors there are nearby;
• What the exterior of the building looks like and how visible it is;
• The potential and integrity of the interiors and structure;
• Levels of passing foot traffic;
• How easy it is to find for customers traveling from elsewhere.

Use these points to figure out where would be best for you to set up your restaurant.

Get to Know Your Target Market

There is little you can do to prepare for opening a restaurant if you don’t have a clear idea about what your customer base wants. Market research should include learning all you can about your target audience and how they are likely to respond to your business. 

Consider the age range you expect to attract, the income bracket, and other important details. This information will point you in the right direction towards creating a restaurant your target audience will truly love.

Hire Good People

It is tempting to rush the hiring process as a new restaurant owner. Understandably, you want to get up and running as quickly as possible, and to do this, you need a workforce to prepare dishes and serve your customers. However, don’t fall into the trap of hiring the wrong people out of desperation. Try to be patient so you can find people who are right for each role. 

The wrong employees are less likely to stay and will end up costing you more money in the long run due to training costs and re-hiring. You will need to learn how to interview people and trust your gut.

Make Use of Social Media

Social media is the ideal method of spreading your message and reaching your target audience. Using your restaurant’s identity and brand image, make your business known online and generate interest with enticing posts and engaging content. Interact with your followers and use your platform to share promotions and other relevant information about your restaurant, such as unique menu items or the date of your grand opening.

Track Your Spending

It is easy to spend too much during the early stages of setting up a new restaurant. Going over-budget is common, but that doesn’t make it excusable. Mismanaged finances is the reason so many new businesses fail, especially restaurants. Therefore, you need to learn how to budget with a list of realistic priorities.

Listen to What Customers Tell You

Customer feedback is as valuable as gold to any restaurateur worth their salt. Whether it’s positive or negative, customer feedback is crucial information that will tell you the strengths and weaknesses in your business. As long as you respond respectfully and make plans to act on recurring comments, you can use customer feedback as the practical tool it is rather than being afraid of it.

Adapt to the Unexpected

You can have a detailed plan of action but issues and problems will still arise. The key is to be prepared for the unexpected and adapt to new circumstances. If you manage your finances carefully, you will be able to weather most storms and come out the other side.

It is foolish to think that starting a restaurant from scratch will be simple, but few entrepreneurs are naive enough to believe this. However, you may not be as prepared as you think you are for the many challenges that come with creating your own restaurant business. You must accept that there will be difficult times and hard choices to make as well as frustrating periods of uncertainty. By pushing through and keeping your mind focused on your end goal, you can build a restaurant business to be proud of.

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