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Company Culture: If you can’t find it; make it!

Work culture

Culture. It may seem like a trendy word, but it is everything in the workplace. Read on to learn how you can improve yours.

What is culture?

Have you ever found yourself in a job you like, but the culture was holding you back? When you’re removed from the situation it can be hard to remember how horrible it was.

Before we jump into that however, what is it? Obviously, culture is about people, and company culture is how your work environment makes them feel. It goes without saying, but your business’s culture should make your employees feel welcome, secure, and optimized to succeed.

What benefits your employee benefits your company also. Recognizing and valuing your employee’s skill set, giving them opportunities to learn and grow, and leaving an open door for dialogue are all great ways to accomplish a positive work culture.

Pros and cons

The negatives of a poor culture are obvious. High turnover, struggling employee mental health (that ultimately impacts customer interactions), and feelings of defeat.

Being open to criticism on how you can improve is critical for improving your current work culture. It’s amazing that even in 2021 there are still books being written about things such as gender and strategizing around the workplace as it currently is. I’m just taking a stab in the dark here, but I think it may have something to do with the close-mindedness of managers in all industries.

Finally, keep in mind that the stress you feel about the direction your business is heading rubs off on your employees. It’s not easy to run a business, but it sure is rewarding. Make sure your employees can feel that too.


If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.

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Environmentally friendly options

Environment

The environment seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. Whether it’s politics, the news, social media, or word of mouth, there’s no doubt that taking care of the planet is a popular topic.

Corporations are taking note too. Laurence D. Fink, the founder of the world’s largest asset company, addressed it in his annual letter to CEO’s. Not long after the letter was released, Delta announced their plan to become carbon-neutral, Amazon announced it’s Climate Pledge to run on 100% renewable energy by 2030, and Microsoft announced it’s goal to become carbon negative by the same year.

If you care about taking care of the environment (or your customers do), check out these environmentally-friendly quilting companies and products.

Products with the environment in mind

Honeybegood is an eco-friendly fabric company that curates not just fabrics but also hard-to-find organic cotton batting, buttons, thread, and more.

Another company with the planet in mind is Organic Cotton Plus, a cotton company that started with 100% organic fabric but has since expanded their product offerings to include knits, notions, and more.

Last but not least, check out Quilters Dream Green batting, batting made 100% of recycled plastic bottles.

Little changes done every day can lead to big changes long-term. If you don’t have access to these eco-friendly options, consider buying digitally printed fabric over screen printed fabric.

In a 2018 study by the FESPA, 40 billion liters of water were saved globally by switching from screen-printed fabrics to digitally-printed fabrics. Further, fabrics printed digitally use 10% less color than screen-printed fabrics.

Check out more about this in the free digital fabric magazine included with February’s American Quilt Retailer issue.

Other ways to be eco-friendly

The best way to take care of our planet is to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Consider adding a bin to your store for customers to bring in scraps of material they never plan on using. Or add a quilt-donation box to take to shelters when customers have quilts they no longer want or need.

When in doubt, it is better to use recycled materials than to buy new. Follow the lead set by other corporations and provide more options for your customers with the environment in mind.


If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you.