greek yogurt with granola for protein snack

5 Energy-Boosting Snacks To Keep In Your Office

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Falling asleep at your desk but already met your caffeine limit for the day? Try one of these energy-boosting snacks instead of going for another cup of coffee. They’re simple and can give you the energy you need to power through the rest of the workday.

1. String Cheese

If your perception of string cheese is that it’s just a snack for kids, think again. String cheese has great benefits that can keep you going. In addition to carbs from the milk, there’s a good dose of protein and calcium. There’s even a ‘light’ option that’s healthier as it has less saturated fat. You can even mix it up with some fruit or beef jerky if you’d like.

2. Trail Mix

Not just for hikers, trail mix is an excellent source of good fats, fiber, and protein and is always a good choice when it comes to snacks that give you energy. Even if you don’t like the varieties offered by snack brands, you can always make your own with the exact kinds of nuts and fruits you like.

3. Hummus and Vegetables

A Mediterranean dish that’s made from chickpeas, sesame seed paste, olive oil, and lemon juice, hummus is full of fats and protein. Combined with some vegetables, this snack is an easy and healthy way to help sustain enough energy to get you through the workday.

4. Yogurt

Yogurt–particularly Greek yogurt– is a great source of protein. You can easily add fruit, granola, or oats to keep yourself full and going longer.

5. Oatmeal

Carbs are your body’s primary source of energy. While the extra boost you get from them might not last as long as protein (since protein takes longer to break down), whole grains such as oats do last a little longer and contain B vitamins like niacin, thiamin, and folate, that work together to help metabolize energy.

3 Basic Needs For Hotel Pantry Setup

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Considering a pantry for your hotel? It’s a wise choice. As guest preferences change and become more focused on convenience, a hotel pantry is an optimal way to provide snacks and beverages that are easily accessible.

But if you currently don’t have a pantry, where do you begin? While it can seem overwhelming to have one installed, it’s really not too difficult. With some planning and an understanding of three basic needs to get started, you can have a hotel pantry up and running sooner than you think.

1. Space

Making sure you have the room to install a pantry in your hotel is the first decision to make. It doesn’t need to be huge, but large enough to accommodate the amount of snacks and beverages you will need for guests. When deciding on where to put the pantry, keep in mind that the goal is to have it in a place that is easily accessible and highly visible to attract guests to it. A pantry does no good if it’s tucked away in a dark corner where guests don’t frequently go. Right in the lobby is typically the best choice. It’s convenient for guests and easy for staff to manage.

2. Establish a Budget

There are two primary costs for managing a hotel pantry: the hardware, such as shelving and cabinets, and the products to sell. The cost for installing the shelving units cabinets will depend on the size of your pantry. Generally speaking, the millwork runs about $2,000-$2,500, while the coolers for drinks cost around $3,000 each. Most pantries will use two coolers, so the total cost will be about $9,000. (That might seem expensive, but it’s a fixed price, and with a well-managed pantry, you should make it back within the first several months.)

As for supplies, you’ll need to establish a monthly budget to purchase them. But how do you know how much product to order? There are two options here: First, you can purchase plenty of items and stock them as you run out while keeping track of your sales. Second, you can use a supply delivery service that helps you gauge how much you’ll need. Keep in mind, however, that you don’t want to limit how much you can sell based on a fixed budget. If you find the pantry consistently selling out of product, go ahead and purchase more if it means more sales…therefore more profits.

3. Designate a Manager

A pantry won’t manage itself. For it to be successful and yield profits that add value to your hotel, you need to take it seriously. Designating someone to oversee its operations is important to ensuring the pantry adds value. Develop a system to help keep track of sales and replenish empty shelves when necessary. The worst thing for a hotel pantry is empty shelves. It doesn’t look good and can become an inconvenience for guests.

With these strategies in mind, you’ll be off to a successful start when installing your hotel pantry.

comparing cost of snack delivery services

How Much Does A Snack Delivery Service Cost?

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One of the main concerns of using a snack delivery service is how much it will cost. The answer, however, isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Different factors can influence how much you’ll pay for snacks and beverages, so we’ll do our best to address them all to help you best judge what the approximate cost will be for your company.

Many office managers have come to realize the benefits of providing free snacks for employees. This office perk can help increase:

  • productivity
  • happiness
  • efficiency

But the problem most offices run into is finding a way to purchase the products. Often, an employee is tasked with going to the grocery store and/or a wholesale supplier like Costco or BJ’s to get the items desired. This approach is time-consuming and can add stress to the employee.

A snack delivery service helps eliminate those problems. But, like many other products or services, there are different options for having snack and beverage items delivered to your office, each with its own unique approach that can affect the price of the service.

What Factors Affect The Cost Of Snack Delivery Service

The two biggest factors that affect the price of a snack delivery service are:

  • Number of employees
  • Snack preferences

It’s really no surprise that the number of people that work in your office will influence how much you pay for snacks. The more employees, the higher the cost.

Additionally, the kinds of snacks your employees want will also affect the price. Some products are more expensive than others. For example, healthy snacks are in high demand, but that could mean they’re going to cost more.

The type of service you choose will also factor into the cost. Let’s discuss the types of snack delivery services available for your office.

The Different Types Of Snack Delivery Services

Subscription Box

This type of snack delivery service provides customers with a monthly order of snacks via a subscription payment. There are many different options when it comes to subscription boxes, and a lot of them tend to focus more on healthy items. For example, Healthy Surprise offers snack bars, nuts, exotic fruits, and vegetables. Others provide brands like Clif Energy Bars and Pipcorn. The cost for a subscription box varies, but generally will be between $50 for smaller offices and can run up to $250 or more for larger locations.

Grocery Delivery

Another way to get the snacks you want to be delivered to your office is through grocery delivery services. Companies like Shipt, Instacart, and Amazon Fresh are some of the more popular companies in this space. These services have become popular of late, as you’re able to select the exact items you want. With grocery delivery, an employee of the service you choose will get your list of requested items, go to the store themselves to get them, then deliver everything. Pricing varies for grocery delivery services as well, and is typically a yearly subscription. The only downside to this is that it can be difficult for shoppers to find enough individual sized bags of products.

Wholesale Product Delivery

A wholesale snack delivery service is sort of a combination of both grocery delivery and subscription boxes. It enables you to order the products you want and have them shipped to your office right from the supplier’s warehouse. Here at Supply Wizards, we connect you with a local vending operator via our online platform so you can choose all the items you want and have it delivered from a local company. The cost is only as much as the amount of items you choose to have delivered.

The Bottom Line

The cost of a snack delivery service varies. When looking for a service, it’s important to know what will influence the price and understand all your options so you can choose the best service for your office.

iced coffee vs cold brew

What’s The Difference Between Cold Brew & Iced Coffee?

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Now that summer has (unofficially) begun, it’s time to ask your office coffee service about adding some cold options to the regular mix of coffee products. But before you put in the request, do your employees prefer cold brew or iced coffee?

Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee: What’s the Difference?

The short answer is that cold brew is made without any heat at all, while iced coffee is made the same way as regular hot coffee, except that it’s cooled and then poured over ice.

But that’s just the difference in how they’re made. What makes them different from each other is the taste, which is determined by the temperature of the water while brewing the coffee.

How Temperature Affects Coffee Flavor

A regular cup of hot coffee is typically brewed between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, more acid and solubles are extracted, which gives coffee its light and floral notes. So when making iced coffee (that is, pouring regular coffee over ice), it tastes similar to hot coffee, but it’s cold.

With cold brew coffee, the acidity levels are much lower because the water isn’t hot enough to extract the same amount as a hot cup. This decrease, however, means that more grounds are needed to make the coffee taste just as good.

Two Ways Cold Brew Coffee Is Made

There are two ways cold brew coffee is made: immersion and slow drip.

  • Immersion: This process involves steeping ground beans for 12-24 hours, and is better for home brewing as it is a simpler process.
  • Slow drip: Although faster, 3-5 hours, this process is more expensive due to the equipment needed. Ice water is dripped onto ground beans then collected in a carafe underneath.

Compared to cold brew, iced coffee is a lot easier to make. The good news is that both cold brew and iced coffee should be available through your local office coffee service, so you can have it delivered right to your office. You just need to do a quick survey to determine which kind is more popular among your employees.

improve guest experience

5 Ways Hotels Can Improve Guest Experience

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The hotel industry is entirely based on customer service. That’s why it’s called hospitality. Hotel managers and staff need to provide exceptional service 100% of the time, which can seem like a daunting task some days. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated.

As competitive as the marketplace is today, hotels that offer great customer service will thrive. Those who don’t… well, they’ll likely be playing catch up. But here’s the thing: your path to improving guest experience can be done in a myriad of ways that are more subtle than you might think. If you’re in need of ideas to improve the guest experience, here are five ways to get you there.

5 Ways Hotels Can Improve Guest Experience

1. Communicate with guests BEFORE arrival

The guest experience doesn’t start once they arrive at your hotel. It begins far before they even book a reservation through your online marketing efforts. But once they do book, don’t think the work is done. Be sure to communicate with them prior to their arrival. Provide information that will be helpful for them. For example, maybe they’ll be staying during a particular event happening, or you could provide a list of restaurants they might like in the area. This effort is a great opportunity to set a friendly tone, helping your hotel be viewed as resourceful and making the guest feel valued.

2. Upgrade technology

The use of technology is pervasive in our lives. We use it for both personal and professional reasons. For this reason, access to good wifi service is a must-have for guests, especially if your hotel regularly hosts business travelers. (There’s nothing more frustrating than a slow connection!) Mobile check-in is another option that guests like, particularly if they’re returning guests. It provides a fast and convenient way to book a reservation. Staying abreast of trends is essential to success.

3. Install a hotel pantry

A hotel pantry is ideal for providing guests with easy access to food and beverages. The inherent convenience of a pantry helps make your guest’s stay a little better. Add in a pantry management service for quick easy easy delivery, and staff can spend more time focusing on guests.

4. Respond to feedback…quickly

One of the best ways to improve the guest experience is to discover what they want. Ask guests for feedback and act on it. If someone has a complaint about something that can easily be changed or fixed, make it happen. You could even take it a step further and let that person know you’ve made a change based on their suggestion, which is a great way to build trust with your guests and build brand loyalty.

5. Personalize their experience

If you’re using hotel management software, then you have the ability to collect enough data from guests to make their experience at your hotel more personal. Keep track of preferences they have, so when they return (or even during their stay) you can really show you’re listening to them. The more you know about your guests, the better you can tailor their experience.

 

Is An Office Coffee Service Right For Your Business?

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An office coffee service could be the solution you need if you’re looking to increase productivity, improve company culture, or give employee satisfaction a boost. But with all the choices out there, it can be a challenge to decide which service would be a good fit for your office. This guide will help you answer questions like:

  • Who will supply the coffee?
  • What type of coffee equipment should your office use?
  • Which flavors should you order?

As more and more people consider themselves coffee drinkers, it’s time you consider providing quality coffee in your office. Your employees will be thankful, and you’re likely to see an overall improvement in your day-to-day functions of the office.

The Benefits of An Office Coffee Service

When it comes to improving the workplace, coffee might not be the first idea that comes to mind. But study after study shows that coffee has many benefits, health-related ones aside. Here are some areas where coffee can improve your office.

Productivity

Coffee keeps you alert and helps improve mental performance. The caffeine it contains blocks a compound that causes drowsiness call adenosine. This is how coffee drinkers get an extra boost of energy in the morning, and how–during the lulls of the workday–employees can pick up the pace of their work.

Efficiency

How far is the closest coffee shop from your office? Unless you work in one, the answer is too far. Providing coffee in the office helps prevent employees from spending too much time trekking to the nearest Starbucks to get their cup o’ joe.

Office Culture

While you don’t want employees leaving the office for long stretches of time, coffee gives them a reason (and place) to gather for breaks. This might sound counterproductive, but taking short breaks are actually beneficial as they help clear your mind when working on a difficult task or give you an energy boost.

Morale

Low morale in any work environment will stifle productivity. There are a lot of ways to make employees feel valued and appreciated, and providing access to good coffee is one of them.

Different Types of Office Coffee Services

Now that you understand the value of having coffee in the office, which kind of service should you choose? The answer depends on a few factors, such as how many employees are in your office and what preferences they have. Here are some things to consider when searching for an office coffee service.

Coffee Equipment

There are endless options for coffee equipment to choose from, but they fall into one of these four categories:

  • Commercial grade
  • Consumer grade
  • Keurig machine
  • Coffee vending machine

Your particular office (the number of employees, space available, and personal preferences) will largely determine which route you should go.

Flavors

A major benefit of choosing an office coffee service is the variety. From light roast to dark roast, regular to gourmet, you can get virtually any type of coffee delivered right to your office.

So, should you hire an office coffee service? The answer is certainly yes, but it’s important to choose a service that suits your needs. Variety and timely delivery should be paramount in your search.

Avoid these mistakes with your hotel pantry

3 Hotel Pantry Mistakes That Are Costing You Sales

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When managed correctly, a hotel pantry can add significant revenue to your bottom line. Its inherent convenience attracts more guests and leads to more purchases of their favorite snack or beverage, often on a whim.

But if you don’t see your pantry for what it is–a potential powerhouse of additional income for your hotel–you’re likely to miss out on maximizing profits. You could also risk wasting money and disrupting your guests’ experience, which does not bode well for loyalty, referrals, and ultimately revenue.

Here are three common mistakes we see hotels make with their pantry…

1. Not Providing Enough Variety

Today’s consumer likes options. They don’t want to be limited in what they can do, see, purchase, or experience. And when it comes to your hotel pantry, guests don’t want to be limited in what they can eat or drink; they want the ability to choose from a near-endless array of items. If your pantry’s list of products is too shallow, you can increase the chances of guests simply ignoring the pantry altogether.

To provide variety, consider the three main groups of products:

  • Sweet
  • Salty
  • Healthy

When you purchase products for your pantry, be sure to get several options from each category. That way you can offer a full range of items that appeal to all your guests. It’s also important to consider other factors, such as the season. During the fall, for example, pumpkin spice is a popular flavor and peppermint for the holidays.

2. Not Merchandising Correctly

Let’s say you do have a nice variety of products in your hotel pantry. Are the items placed on the shelves in a logical way? Are they organized by groups to help guests easily find their particular craving?

We understand that you’re a hospitality professional, not a retail wizard. But much of the magic of increasing retail revenue lies in how the merchandise is put on the shelves. Companies like Target and Wal-Mart are successful (at least in part) because of their strategic approach to merchandising.

For your pantry, it’s important to group items appropriately. You don’t want the shelves to look like they were stocked randomly. Keep each category of products grouped together. This makes it more appealing and easier for guests to find what they want. Creating a planogram can help you with this. Additionally, proper merchandising can lead to more impulse buys.

3. Too Many Bare Shelves

How do you feel walking into a store, eager to purchase an item, only to find half the shelves empty? Does it make you feel welcomed? Comfortable? Most likely not. You probably question the management, wondering why or how they could allow their store to look so bare, and the quality of the items themselves.

The same principle applies to your hotel pantry. It’s not a welcoming sight for guests, observing what equates to a mini convenience store with bare shelves. This is why it’s important to take managing your pantry seriously.

The biggest reason, we find, for routinely empty shelves is because hotel staff is strapped for time or had a busy weekend and still has another week before their next bulk order arrives. At Supply Wizards, our platform is designed to connect you to a local supplier in your area that allows for quick deliveries. So when you run out of items, you can replenish your shelves within days (sometimes hours) versus weeks.

Choosing the best snack delivery service

What To Look For In A Quality Snack Delivery Service

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So you’ve been providing free snacks for employees in your office for a while now. And you’ve been going to the store to purchase the products yourself, but you’ve finally had it. Work’s busy and you don’t have the time, energy, or even the desire to do it anymore. Not to mention the complaints you get for not getting the super obscure drink that’s always so hard to find. What can you do?

A snack delivery service is the next logical step. Everything that everyone wants delivered right to your office. It’s a no-brainer. Except…where do you start? How does such a program work? What kind of items can you get? Most importantly, how do you choose the best service? As with any other decision, it takes a little research and planning. Below are six things to look for when choosing a snack delivery service.

6 Signs of Quality Snack Delivery Services

1. Variety

When choosing a service to use, you don’t want to sign up with one that offers half of what you were able to purchase on your own. Be sure to find out what types of products they have. Ask for a product list so you can see if what they offer aligns with the needs and wants of your employees. A company worth using should be able to offer a full range of items to please the many palates in your office.

2. Healthy Products

In that vast variety of yummy goodness full of sugar or salt that a snack delivery service provides should also be healthy items. It’s fine to indulge in a candy bar or bag of chips here and there, but every day? Not so much. Ask if the company you’re considering offers healthier products as well, including yogurt, peanuts, granola bars, or gluten free products.

3. Fast Delivery

For the most part, there will be a natural rhythm to your office’s snacking habits, and orders will be fairly routine. But what happens when there’s a big meeting (including people from outside your office) and suddenly your cabinets are empty? You don’t want to wait too long for the next order. Choose a service that can deliver quickly. At Supply Wizards, our ordering platform connects you with a local vending supplier in your area that can deliver your order within 1-2 days.

4. Lenient Ordering Policy

One of the complaints office managers have about snack delivery is having to order in bulk. This often leads to cases of product having to be stored somewhere. Being able to order by individual items versus by the case is a huge benefit for some offices. This isn’t to say a supplier will make a special trip just to deliver a few items. But once your order reaches a high enough price point, they can replenish your stock for specific items instead of having to order an entire case.

5. Online Ordering

An easy-to-use platform to place an order should always be considered. Aside from making the ordering process easier, online ordering helps in other perhaps more important ways:

  • Keeps orders right
  • Reduces human error
  • Easier to monitor expenses
  • Mobile friendly

6. Flexible

Every business or office operates a little differently from one another. In order to meet the requests of each customer, a good snack delivery service should be able to adapt and react quickly. This flexibility helps personalize your experience in using their service, which further leads to greater satisfaction.

Hotel Pantry Installation

7 Signs You Should Invest in a Hotel Pantry

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Should I have a hotel pantry installed? Many hotel managers ask themselves this question as they see many of their colleagues and competitors embrace the pantry system of providing snacks, beverages, and sundry items for guests. If you find yourself asking the same question, below are seven signs that will help guide you in the right direction.

 

7 Signs That It’s Time to Invest in a Hotel Pantry

 

1. You’re searching for ways to improve the guest experience

As the hotel and hospitality industry becomes more and more competitive, managers and executives alike need to come up with ways to enhance the guest experience. Doing so leads to loyalty, which leads to referrals, which eventually leads to more revenue. There’s no all-encompassing solution to doing this. Rather, it’s done through multiple channels, and a hotel pantry is one of them. By having wholesale products delivered to you and stocking them on shelves, it makes it easier for guests to grab a quick snack or beverage.

2. You’re trying to increase hotel revenue

It’s in every hotel manager’s best interest to find ways to generate more revenue. A pantry is a great way to increase profit. When managed and merchandised correctly, guests will purchase more product out of impulse. This is a common retail strategy used in all industries. Each of these purchases add up over time and can help increase revenue. The Supply Wizards platform is designed to get you the wholesale items you want, delivered right to your location, and help manage inventory to maximize sales.

3. Constant issues with vending machines

How many times have guests come to you about a vending machine stealing their money? Dispensing the wrong drink? Just not working in general? Probably more than you care to count. Vending machines might still have their place in the world, just not in your hotel lobby. In other words, vending machines are out. A hotel pantry helps eliminate most, if not all, of those problems. Sure, you’ll still need a cooler for drinks, or a freezer for frozen products like pizza or ice cream. But what you won’t have is a steady flow of complaints. Not when the items guests want are easy to obtain.

4. You recognize changes in consumer nature

Today’s consumer is all about personalization and convenience. Services like Amazon, Netflix, and Uber have set the bar pretty high for many businesses, including hotels. These companies and their business models have tapped into every consumer’s desire to get what they want when they want it, and with as little hassle as possible. A hotel pantry offers them a different experience altogether, one that provides ultimate convenience.

5. Guests are frequently asking for sundry items

It happens to us all: we rush out of the house to the airport, only to arrive at your destination and realize you forgot your razorblades, deodorant, medicine for a headache…or increasingly likely these days, a phone charger. How many times have guests asked for these items? There’s plenty of untapped potential in generating a nice profit by supplying these products.

6. It’s time to redesign the lobby

If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your hotel, a pantry is a surefire way to enhance the look of the lobby. When done right, the pantry can have similar qualities to an amazing kitchen with gorgeous marble countertops and an island. And the goal of every hotel should be to provide a place of comfort for guests, a home away from home.

7. You have a sneaky suspicion that you’re the only hotel without a pantry

If it feels like every other hotel has a pantry, it’s probably because many do. More and more hotels are embracing the pantry system, and it’s time for you to get on board, too! Get all the wholesale snacks, beverages, and sundry products delivered to your hotel with Supply Wizards.

office snacks for meeting

10 Snacks To Include In Your Next Office Meeting

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Holding the attention of employees throughout an office meeting can sometimes be a real challenge. No matter how hard you try you can see their minds wander and eyelids begin to droop.

One of the best ways to increase employee engagement during a meeting is to provide snacks. Food gives your body the strength and energy to stay focused. If you’re scheduling a meeting soon, consider putting some of these items on the table for employees.

10 Snacks To Offer In Business Meetings

Perks of free snacks in the workplace

  • Greek yogurt

  • Fresh fruit

  • Hardboiled eggs

  • Cheese (sticks or bites)

  • Crackers

  • Granola bars

  • Hummus and pita bread

  • Pretzels

  • Nuts

  • Trail-mix

If your company regularly holds meetings, it would be beneficial to use a snack delivery service to get these products. That way everything you need to keep everyone motivated throughout the meeting can be brought right to your office, saving you the time and hassle of doing the grocery shopping yourself.

New Vendor Partnership: Snyder Food Services of Indiana

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Our continued success in providing hotel pantry and snack delivery services wouldn’t be possible without our exceptional suppliers. These partnerships are the backbone of Supply Wizards.

We’re happy to announce a new partnership with Snyder Food Services from Indiana. Snyder brings vast experience and superior service to the Supply Wizards platform. They’re the largest family-owned refreshment and nutrition supplier in Indiana, covering Northeastern Indiana, Western Ohio, and South-Central Michigan.

Hotels and businesses in these areas can now benefit from wholesale snack and supply delivery using Supply Wizards. Hotel managers can save time, monitor sales, and increase revenue in their pantries. Office managers can also benefit from using an online ordering platform to get a full variety of snacks and other break room supplies. Our online ordering platform and quick delivery makes it easy to get all the snacks and break room supplies needed.

Office snack delivery is the new way to provide snacks for employees.

Vending Machines Are Out. Snack Delivery Is In.

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Office vending machines have been the staple of many break rooms for decades. They were a convenient way to provide employees with popular snacks and beverages, and (for the most part) vending worked well. But times have changed. As more and more companies move toward providing free snacks for employees as a workplace perk, the era of the office vending machine seems to have met its match. Office snack delivery services are on the rise.

Two Reasons The Vending Machine is Dead

1. Problems With The Equipment

We’ve all been there. Craving a candy bar or in desperate need of a caffeine kick, and upon giving the vending machine your money, the machine doesn’t hold up its end of the deal and it robs you. Even though vending companies typically do a great job at handling these types of service problems, that’s just what they are–problems. In today’s fast-paced business world, ain’t nobody got time for that.

2. Lack Of Variety

A vending machine can only hold so much. It can also only hold certain items due to the size and/or shape of the packaging. If ‘variety is the spice of life,’ then it’s also what gives an office its flavor, or, in other words, its culture.

Enter Office Snack Delivery Services

Like we said, times have changed. The workforce is more competitive and picky about where they work. As recruiting the best talent becomes more challenging, companies are looking for ways to lure in candidates. Offering free snacks as a perk has become common.

But it’s not all games and gimmicks: Managers recognize that a productive workforce is an energetic one. Without proper nutrition, productivity can wane.

The problem, however, lies in having to buy snacks for the company break room. It’s time-consuming for employees to go grocery shopping themselves. That’s where a snack delivery service comes in. You can get what you want and when you want it, without having to leave the office.

There are several different companies that deliver products right to your office. Some are a pre-set assortment of items and amounts, while others, like Supply Wizards, allows you to choose from a full variety of snacks and beverages available from a local vendor in your area…and it allows you to order just about any number of items. So if you know only a few people like a certain kind of granola bar, you don’t have to order a huge box every month. Instead, you can request just enough for those employees.

It’s a win-win situation. Managers save time and can increase productivity, while employees get to enjoy the benefits of free and delicious snacks.

5 Tips for Creating a Planogram for Your Hotel Pantry

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With hotel pantries increasing in popularity (and for good reason), it’s fallen on the shoulders of hotel managers to become merchandising experts in order to get the most out of the pantry. The right tools and knowledge can help make managing the pantry easier. One such tool is a planogram. This visual diagram helps you understand where to place certain items on the shelves to maximize revenue and make it easier for guests to find the product they’re looking for. But how do you create a one? Perhaps more importantly, what exactly is a planogram?

What is a planogram?

A planogram is a diagram of how items should be displayed on a shelf in a retail store. The purpose is for management to plan correctly, not just throw things up on the shelves. It might appear to you that retailers just stack the shelves without thinking, but it’s quite the opposite: products are very strategically shelved. The purpose is to help maximize purchases such as impulse buys. Other purposes include:

  • inventory control
  • related product positioning
  • visual appeal

In other words, there’s a lot of planning that goes into placing items on shelves.

While you’re not a retail professional, understanding and planning in this way can help you manage your hotel pantry better.

5 Tips to Help You Create a Planogram for Your Hotel Pantry

1. Use the correct product assortment.

If you’re just beginning with a hotel pantry, you might not have any history of what type of products guests like. A good place to start would be the vending machines if your property had them before. Try thinking back to what items sold the most? If you can’t recall or didn’t have vending at your hotel, start with these categories:

  • Beverages–sodas, juices, energy drinks, and water will suffice.
  • Snacks–chips, candy, granola bars, fruit cups
  • Sundries–pain relievers, bandaids, shaving items, toothbrushes, phone chargers
  • Frozen–pizzas, ice creams, tv dinners

Stick with the more popular flavors and brands to begin with. If you eventually get many requests for different or specific items, make a change. Also be sure to group items that are alike when creating your planogram. For example, keep sweets grouped together and salty items separate. You want to make it easy for guests to find what they’re in the mood for, not searching all around which can make them leave without purchasing anything.

2. Conduct research to gain more insight.

Once your pantry is established, conduct your own research to see what sort of items guests want or expect. One way you can do this is through a survey. If your hotel management software already has the capability to create a survey for guests, add a section for them to review the pantry. This way you can target guests’ desires better, increasing chances of them purchasing an item and therefore increasing revenue.

3. Create reports.

Creating a planogram isn’t just about creating a pretty picture of your pantry. It’s to help you get the most out of it. To do that, you’ll want to compare the way your current setup is to the changes you plan to make. Once changes have been made, take note of how guests use the store. Is it any different than before? How so? Are there adjustments to make to the planogram? These analytics give you the insight into how to manage your pantry better.

4. Make sure staff is in the loop.

It’s important to be consistent. If you’re not always going to be the person stocking the shelves, make sure employees who help with the pantry understand the planogram and overall strategy. A lack of consistency can result in missed opportunities and reflect negatively on the pantry.

5. Start simple.

There’s no need to make it overly complicated at first. Doing so can lead to issues down the road and cause you to burn out over it, which will result in a poorly managed pantry. As you learn more about managing your new hotel pantry, you’ll gain the confidence and knowledge to make bigger decisions that you previously thought were above your expertise.

Order office snacks and coffee online

3 Reasons You Need an Office Snack Delivery Service

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Offering free snacks in the workplace has become a standard practice. The benefits are plentiful, and it behooves any company who hasn’t begun offering free food for employees to start…now.

One of the biggest challenges, however, is purchasing the product. A lot of offices have a designated employee that will do the grocery shopping, but his approach is not exactly the most efficient. Over time, it can put a strain on productivity. Here are three reasons why your office needs a snack delivery service.

1. You’re spending too much time on grocery shopping.

It’s great that your office provides free snacks for employees, but the reality is that grocery shopping can take up a good deal of your time. That means a loss in productivity and potentially getting behind on some of your core responsibilities. By using a snack delivery service, you can save a tremendous amount of time.

2. You’re spending too much money on grocery shopping.

Grocery stores are specifically designed to encourage impulse purchases. It’s what merchandising is all about. Think about the last time you went to the store. How many items did you buy that weren’t requested by anyone in the office? Maybe it’s more than you’d care to admit. A snack delivery service can help prevent these types of purchases and save the company money.

3. Keeping track of receipts has become cumbersome.

How many times has accounting asked for the receipt from the grocery store and then you couldn’t find it? That’s definitely an issue when it comes to monitoring monthly expenses. With a snack delivery service like Supply Wizards, it’s easy to go back and see what your previous order was.

Being able to order product online, have it delivered right to your door, and keep track of purchases is the efficient way to providing free coffee and snacks for employees. Forget the lengthy trips to the grocery store. Contact us today to get started.

 

technology for hotel managers

The Digital Tools Every Office Manager Needs

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As an office manager, you’re responsible for how well the office runs. You keep everything in line. And when something breaks, you fix it. It’s not exactly a flashy job, but it’s integral to the success of any company, and requires a whole host of skills. You’re at once an expert communicator, problem solver, psychologist, and (sometimes) referee.

Just like any other job, you need the right tools to keep it all running like a fine-tuned engine in order to achieve the company’s overall goals and objectives. So what tools would those be? This list provides some of the best and most popular digital tools that you should be using.

Expenses

Managing expenses is a top priority for office managers. There are plenty of platforms to help simplify the process. Below are three of the most popular choices to keep your spending under control.

Expensify. Expense reports can suck. Unless you use Expensify, which helps simplify the expense management process.

Abacus. A real-time expense reporting system designed to reimburse employees quickly.

Concur. “When you can see all your spending, you can control all your costs.”

Productivity Tools

Keeping track of employee progress is essential to a productive office. Thankfully, there are lots of tools to use to keep up and collaborate with employees. Here are some good choices:

Google Calendar. Perhaps the most comprehensive calendar available, Google Calendar helps you manage a busy schedule and coordinate with employees.

Trello. When it comes to collaborating with employees, Trello is one of the best. Create as many boards and cards you need, and easily communicate with team members on progress.

OneNote. This tool by Microsoft syncs with outlook, making it easy to keep track of things. It allows you to create as many ‘pages’ as you need to divide up notes or checklists for a variety of tasks.

Professional Development

Udemy. This online learning platform offers more than 65,000 courses in a wide variety of categories, including business. Classes such as organization, customer services skills, and time management are helpful for even the most seasoned office managers.

General Assembly. Geared more towards web development, product management, and data science, General Assembly is great for those seeking practical technological skills.

Human Resources

Vacation. Sick leave. PTO. Managing human resources can be stressful. But if you’re using the right tool(s), it’s much more simple.

Zenefits. Manage your entire HR process with one, easy-to-use platform.

Gusto. Much like Zenefits, Gusto is a one-stop shop for everything HR, but it’s geared more towards small businesses as its user limit is 100 people.

Deputy. If you work for a larger company, a service like Deputy will be a better choice. Enterprise businesses like McDonald’s and UPS use this service.

Break Room Technology

You might not think the break room is an important part of your job. But plenty of studies show that productivity and happiness are linked to companies that offer a great culture, which includes providing free snacks.

Enplug. Digital signage that can keep your employees informed and entertained and your break room sleek and inviting.

Supply Wizards. Snack delivery software to keep your employees satisfied with their favorite snacks and beverages. Ordering is simple and delivery is quick. No more grocery shopping!

5 Management Mistakes That Kill Employee Motivation

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As most managers who’ve been around a while know, managing employees means you have to deal with all kinds of different people. Some are highly self-motivated, while many aren’t. Dealing with employees who lack motivation can be frustrating, especially when you know that they are capable of doing a better job.

Sometimes this lack of motivation is external or caused by personal issues that the employee is going through, and other times it can be work-related. Perhaps even directly related to the things you are doing as a manager, either knowingly or not. Here are five mistakes managers make that can stifle motivation.

1. Not Empowering Employees

It’s imperative managers empower their employees and give them the opportunity to make suggestions about how to be more efficient or solve a specific problem. But don’t stop there: You need to implement their suggestions. You might not be able to do this every time, or you might have to make adjustments to their ideas, but take what they say and turn it into something actionable. It will give employees confidence and make them feel more valued, which can increase motivation.

2. Not Being Transparent

Transparency is the key to developing trust between leadership and employees and helps lead to:

  • Better relationships
  • Better solutions
  • Better engagement

Managers who aren’t transparent enough ultimately erode the trust between themselves and their employees. Be open with your employees (as much as possible) on company matters.

2. Poor Communication

Bad communication skills on part of a manager can lead to misunderstandings. You need to be clear and concise in your communications with your team for it to be effective and to ensure what is being communicated is not taken the wrong way.

Listening is equally as important. Many studies show that the average person remembers only 25% to 50% of what they hear. Become an active listener to show your employees that what they say–their concerns and ideas–has value.

3. Not Providing Room for Growth

Employees perform best when the work environment is conducive to growth. This doesn’t necessarily mean advancement within the company, although that is a motivating factor for many people. There can be personal, or professional growth. As a manager, it’s important to help groom employees to become exceptional at their jobs, so when new opportunities arise, they will have the skills and confidence to pursue them.

4. Not offering recognition

7 out of 10 employees who received recognition for their good work are happy with their jobs. Employees who are happy are more engaged and motivated, so managers would be remiss not to show appreciation to their employees (especially top performers) for their work. There are many ways you can do this. Gift cards, free lunches, or a free day off are some good places to start.

5. Not Leading by Example

Personalities are infectious. You can’t possibly expect your employees to get excited about a new strategy or task the company takes if you’re not excited about it yourself. Show them your enthusiasm and they will likely follow suit.

Perks of free snacks in the workplace

Why Offering Free Snacks is a Great Perk for the Office

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A recent article in the New York Times discussed how micro-progress can help improve productivity and keep you going. The idea is this: for one task that needs to be completed, you set multiple ‘mini goals’ that you can achieve along the way to help complete the entire task. It’s an interesting approach and partly based on Newton’s 1st Law, which, in essence, means that an object in motion stays in motion.

What does this have to do with free snacks and office perks?

Well, in an effort to improve office morale, a lot of ideas are thrown around. Some of them are big (perhaps too big) and are nearly impossible carry out or too expensive. But there are smaller steps that office managers can take to help reach the ultimate goal of boosting morale. In other words, sometimes it’s the little wins that count. One such win would be offering free snacks. It’s a relatively easy perk to implement and offers a variety of benefits.

Benefits of Offering Free Snacks in the Workplace

Could improve productivity. Food gives us energy, and if employees don’t have the fuel they need to complete their tasks each day, then their productivity can be affected. That mid-morning or afternoon snack can be a real life-saver sometimes and give you enough of a boost to finish up an important task. Also, providing free snacks keeps them on-site and prevents them from wasting time having to leave the building just to find a snack.

Makes people happier. People love free stuff. What’s more is that people love free food. A recent survey found that workplaces that happiness increases among employees when free snacks are offered. Free snacks as a perk are often more important to millennials than other age groups, and with millennials now the largest group in the workforce, it’s a perk that should not be overlooked. It shows a sense of personal investment on behalf of the company in their employees, an element to workplace culture that’s so desirable by millennials that it’s essential for companies to consider.

Healthier snacks can help improve moods. Want to help prevent that afternoon slump? Offer a variety of healthier options, like yogurt, fresh fruit, or nuts. Candy and chips are nice to indulge in sometimes, but the sudden increase in sugar can leave you feeling tired. Healthy foods will keep your employees from fizzling out right when they need to power up.

Some office managers might be skeptical about this approach to their company break room. After all, offering free snacks and food to employees means someone has to purchase them. But there are plenty of snack delivery services out there to choose from that make it simple.

Hospitality Trends 2018

8 Hotel Trends to Watch in 2018

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We’re so fickle. Just when we settle into a routine of any sort, something new comes along and we all jump on it. Most times it’s just a fad, but every now and then a trend comes along that sticks.

The hotel industry is no different.

Consumer nature changes so frequently that it almost seems impossible to keep up. So what’s trending in hospitality now that will be more than a temporary fad, and be seen as progress for the industry? Here are eight trends to consider this year to help increase reservations and revenue.

8 Trends for the Hotel Industry in 2018

1. Mobile Payments

Look, it’s 2018. The iPhone has been around for an entire decade now. There’s really no need to go into detail about why mobile payments are a big deal. But what is important to note in respect to the use of mobile for your hotel goes beyond just making a payment.

Millennials, who now make up a huge demographic of travelers, expect brands to offer a full-range of benefits via mobile, beginning with their initial research. Maintaining a continuous relationship even after they make their purchase is essential to help convince them to choose your brand again. In other words, your hotel should offer mobile support with booking, on-property services, and continue to delight guests after their stay.

2. Food & Beverage

A strong food and beverage strategy for your hotel can bring in $16k in profit per day, so it’s a category hotel managers would be remiss to ignore.

In 2018, there will be a focus on simplicity and healthier food options from locally sourced suppliers, a trend likely to bring back some revenue to hotel restaurants. Additionally, retail will be a focus for many hotel brands. Pantry supplies are easier to source as a result of new pantry management services that help keep track of sales, inventory, and revenue.

3. Data & Analytics

Tired of hearing the term ‘big data’ yet? Well, it’s going to be here a while, and for good reason. Collecting information from your guests provides you with the opportunity to understand them better, which then affords you the ability to provide products and services specific to their desires.

4. Personalized Experiences

All that data you collected? That’ll help you offer a better overall experience for guests. You’re not just selling a service, in 2018 you’re selling a relationship. You need to use the data you’ve collected from guests to help you offer services that speak to them individually. Did John watch an action movie during his stay? Did Jane order a salad from room service? You can use this information to market to them even after they’ve left, and to  offer them similar experiences when they return.

5. Local Experiences

Many travelers will seek to experience where they are as ‘a local.’ That means hotels need to be knowledgeable about the best local entertainment, restaurants, or other cultural centers that are unique to that area. Tourist sites will still be popular, but guests are longing for those unique experiences that they can only get in your town or city. Provide them with all the local spots to hang out.

6. Cloud-Based Technology

Upgrading to a cloud-based property management system (PMS) makes it easier to manage everything. As Hotelogix explains: “Using a cloud-based property management system allows you to run your hotel operations, manage reservations, allot room bookings and do much more from a single dashboard. It’s easy to check data, assign duties, manage folios, run your additional Point of Sale (POS) counters and reduce time spent on manual updates.”

7. Smart Rooms

In an effort to make the guest experience as convenient as possible, many hotel brands are in various stages of making rooms more technologically advanced. Dimming the lights, turning on the TV, adjusting the temperature, and perhaps other abilities are options that will soon available to guests through their phones. Hilton uses an app for these kinds of adjustments, and Marriott is developing voice-activated technology.

8. Online Reputation Management

Consumers search for reviews online before purchasing virtually any product or service. Hotel managers need to focus on managing how their hotel is being reviewed and talked about online. Many hoteliers are using tools specifically designed to help streamline this management process. Hubspot, Salesforce, and Infusionsoft are just some of the tools out there that can help manage your relationships with your guests.

work distractions

5 Distractions That Kill Productivity at Work

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Productivity is a high priority for most businesses. Many leaders (82% of them) consider productivity to be a top indicator of financial success or failure. Why, then, is workplace productivity only mediocre in most companies? There are many factors that are attributed to a loss in productivity, among them are distractions.

As an office manager, there is perhaps nothing more frustrating for you than employees who are unable to complete their work. Especially because of unnecessary distractions. To mitigate these interruptions, you first need to identify them, then decide how (and if) you can prevent them from causing problems among staff. The list below offers a good place to start.

5 Workplace Distractions to Eliminate to Improve Productivity

1. Cell Phone Notifications

Social media, game notifications, and text messages are endless. As most people keep their cell phones on their desks, within arms reach, it’s inevitable that interruptions will occur more than once throughout the day–if only for even a second. While you don’t want to run the risk of micro managing too much, it’s well within reason to encourage employees to keep their cell phones out of reach and out of sight. Not only will it stop employees from jumping at every notification that comes through, it also prevents them from checking their phones for no reason out of habit.

2. Politics

We’re not talking office politics here. NPR previously reported on increased political tensions in workplaces for the 2016 election compared to past cycles, resulting an increase in workplace arguments and stress due to politics. As The Atlantic reported:

  • 87% read political social-media posts during the day
  • nearly 50% reported witnessing a political discussion turn into an argument
  • 29% say they’re less productive post election*

Let those stats sink in a bit.

The amount of stress and distractions accrued just from receiving a steady dose of news throughout the day can (and likely will) derail your entire workflow. Managers need to help their employees focus on work to keep productivity levels where they need to be. Encourage employees to keep political opinions to themselves to avoid any arguments.

3. Toxicity

Just about any workplace can become toxic, either in an instant (as noted above with politics) or over time. Constant drama, gossip, dysfunctional competition, and disrespect are just some of the signs of a toxic workplace. Such environments are often attributed to poor leadership. As Annie McKee, a company leadership advisor, writes in her book “How To Be Happy At Work,” such toxic conditions “result in fear, cynicism, lack of trust, anger and withholding of time, energy and talent, not to mention deep and pervasive unhappiness.” This doesn’t really set the groundwork for a productive office, does it? It’s essential that office managers recognize any and all elements that can cause a once-healthy workplace into a toxic one, then quickly provide solutions to the problems at hand.

4. Hunger

Consider this from Harvard Business Review: “Imagine a world where filling up at Mobil meant avoiding all traffic and using BP meant driving no faster than 20 miles an hour. Would you then be so cavalier about where you purchased your gas?” In context, the article suggests that fueling your body with food and getting gas for your car are not the same–what you eat impacts your productivity at work. As a manager, you should encourage employees to eat well so they can stay energized to complete their tasks. There are days, of course, when time just gets away from you. In these instances, it’s great to offer employees snack options. You can have wholesale snacks delivered right to your office, or go the more traditional route and get vending machines.

5. Not Planning

At the heart of being productive is having a plan. Coming into work on Monday morning without any vision for what needs to be accomplished that week will lead to a ‘reactive’ approach to work, where employees just respond to what’s being thrown at them. Not only should employees organize and plan their work week in advance, but they should have a plan ready for when they are inevitably interrupted throughout the day. New research shows that creating a plan for when you’re interrupted can help you easily get back on track and increase your productivity.

Questions about hotel pantry

10 Questions to Ask Before Signing Up for a Hotel Pantry Supplier

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As more and more hotels make the transition to using pantries instead of vending machines as a way to provide guests with snacks and other items, it’s becoming more clear that a strategic approach to managing the pantry is essential for its success. Without a good plan in place, hotel managers run the risk of wasting time and money. That’s why a reliable wholesale snack supplier is important.

Before signing up for a supply delivery service, you need to do proper research. The last thing you want is to jump into something only to realize it was a bad decision. Here are ten questions to ask your prospective pantry supply service before signing up for their program.

10 Questions to Ask Before Signing Up for a Hotel Pantry Delivery Service

1. How long does delivery take?

It’s be great to have a set schedule for deliveries of snacks and other supplies, but that’s just not feasible for hotels. There’s really no set standard for how many guests will stay each week. If a high school sports team stops by for the night and ransacks your pantry, will you have to wait a full week (or more) for your next delivery? A supplier that can deliver in 24-48 hours is ideal.

2. Do they use software to manage inventory?

Keeping track of sales and easily placing new orders on paper is time-consuming and the antithesis to proper pantry management. When choosing a supplier of wholesale goods for your pantry, make sure they offer an easy-to-use platform to place orders and track sales.

3. Does the software require integration with a property management system (PMS)?

The software doesn’t necessarily have to integrate into your PMS, but it should be flexible enough that it can if needed.

4. What is the extent of reporting?

A good pantry management service should be able to track all aspects of your pantry. At the property level, managers should be able to see total revenue, total cost, shrinkage, profitability, and item-level sales that show top-/least-selling products. For a national plan, corporate should have access to national, regional, and local drill-down analytics.

5. Can they provide a demo?

As with any software application, a demo provides optimal insight into the service and will show you how robust the service is.

6. How are orders billed?

Will it be monthly? Per order? Be sure to find out how the supplier will send you invoices for purchasing product.

7. What margins can they produce?

Your pantry is a source of extra revenue for your hotel, so you want to be sure you’re not just breaking even on the items you’re selling…or worse, losing money. A good pantry management service will be able to produce margins of up to 50%, depending on the item.

8. How do they reduce shrinkage?

Good pantry management software should allow managers to track inventory and shrinkage. This will give both the manager and the supplier the information they need to determine what steps should be taken to prevent shrinkage. Such steps could include security cameras or having staff more present in the area of where the pantry is located.

9. Does the supplier provide any market research?

A successful pantry is one that is managed using the latest information on trends and best practices. Ask the supplier what they can do to help make your pantry more successful. Find out if they provide expert merchandising and use planograms.

10. Ask for References

As always, find out what others think of the supplier’s services. Ask at least two or three customers so you can be confident in your decision to sign up with the supplier or not.