Page 31 - Flathead Beacon // 12.9.15

TRANSACTIONS
WEEKLY BUSINESS BRIEFING
MURDOCH’S TO OPEN COLUMBIA FALLS LOCATION DEC. 9
Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply will open its new location in Columbia Falls on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
The building now occupies the highway interchange where U.S. Highway 2 meets Highway 40, across from the Blue Moon, at 3115 Highway 40 West.
Store manager Jason Prewitt
said the location will likely host
a grand opening celebration sometime in January or February, and until then, customers can peruse the ranch and home supply store, which also includes a sporting goods department and a “huge” cloth- ing department.
The products Murdoch’s is known for, such as livestock and pet feed and tools and hardware, are always available, Prewitt said.
In Northwest Montana, Murdoch’s also has stores in Kalispell and Polson, along with more in Montana, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyo- ming. For more information, visit www.murdochs.com.
Opening, moving or expanding a business in Northwest Montana? If you would like to be featured in “Transactions,” please email information to news@ atheadbeacon.com
Decorations at Snow Line Tree Company, Inc. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
though when asked if he ever feels sad- dened when he cuts down a tree he’s been shepherding for a decade, he just chuckles and says “no,” he doesn’t have to be sad because they just plant new trees.
“That’s why it probably never both- ered me,” he said.
And while the product might be sustainable, DeLong said the business of selling trees has been at a steady decline, likely due to the rise in popu- larity of arti cial trees.
“It’s an average year,” DeLong said of tree sales. “To try to have a really good year anymore, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Despite the decline, Little is
optimistic about this year’s sales. She said it’s been a “very good year,” and that an extra bonus of her job is work- ing with happy customers.
“Everyone is happy when they come here,” she said.
And with 99 years of Christmas tree experience among them, it seemed appropriate to ask Little, Brady, and DeLong to describe what is necessary to have the perfect tree for the holiday season. Their No. 1 answer?
The scent.
For more information on Snow Line Tree Company, visit www.snowlin- etreecompany.com. Operations shut down for the season on Dec. 15.
mpriddy@ atheadbeacon.com
BUSINESS IS PERSONAL MARK RIFFEY
DO THEY HAVE EACH OTHER’S BACK?
HOW TIGHT IS YOUR STAFF? What’s the culture of the team? Do they trust one another? Do they trust you? Do your employees know you have their back? Do they know their peers have their back?
Can everyone on your team depend on the processes, systems and people involved in your business? If you said yes, does every single person agree?
If you haven’t asked, don’t assume the answer is yes.
How Well do They Jell?
Ask your team about the qualities of the people they want to work with. Use their answers during your hiring pro- cess. You can’t allow even the smartest, best-quali ed prospect to join your team if they’ll create cultural con ict.
A few more questions to ask your team:
• Is there anyone whose call you don’t want to answer? Ask them to think about why they wouldn’t answer.
• Is there anyone whose call you will always take? Ask them to think about why they’d always answer.
• Is there anyone on the team who makes you wonder, “Why does manage- ment keep that person around?”
• Is there information about the
business that you don’t have that’s pre- venting you from doing your job to the best of your ability?
• If you’re responsible for local sales, do you know what parts of town yield the most pro t?
Those last two questions are a clue about the information your team needs to become more e ective. It’s not always about the obvious things.
Team members who are ready to grow into more responsibility will start ask- ing (if not only wondering to themselves) if the work they’re being asked to do is turning a pro t for the business. It’s crit- ical to complete the circle of communica- tions to your team about sales and prof- itability. When employees show concern about these things, feed that re. It’s a sign that they’ve matured beyond taking home a check and are interested in grow- ing their impact on pro t.
These Things Contribute to Your Culture
While some businesses will hand wave away their culture as a meaningless foo- foo thing, culture is what glues your team together. It de nes how well they work together every day (or not) and that goes directly to how well they treat your
clientele.
It’s essential that you use your culture
as a lter for deciding who has the privi- lege of joining your team.
If you don’t, you’ll likely lose people who are very di cult to replace because they’ll see right through the “culture is important, employees are important” statements you might make.
To be a place where people want to work, these things matter. To be a busi- ness people want to do business with, these things matter.
What Doesn’t Kill You...
I had an annual meeting conversation with a team this weekend. They’ve been to hell and back over the last year, busi- ness-wise. The ones who survived the worst part and stuck around have learned to depend on each other and expect great things of one another every day. They understand the importance of defending one another, covering for one another and expecting the best from everyone as the work together. They understand what’s important, what’s not and that they have to stick together and continue to work together or they will certainly die (employment-wise) separately.
they’re in, I wouldn’t suggest taking them on. After listening to them and speaking with them, it’s clear they’d take punish- ment for one another. Best of all, they understand that the best culture in the world doesn’t mean much if pro table sales, consistent delivery and service don’t happen. It takes all of these things.
And That’s Important Because?
I mention this because a trial by re will either destroy your team or bond it like few other experiences. The di er- ences between teams that get destroyed and the ones that bond include your leadership as an owner, the team’s lead- ership (implicit and explicit), who makes up your team and what they’re made of. These things de ne your team’s culture because it de nes who they are.
Which team do you lead? Do you know where the strengths and weaknesses are? Are you willing to investing in the proper hiring, training and communication to build your team into one that can take a punch?
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a strategic, operations or marketing problem? Email him at mri ey@ atheadbeacon.com.
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While I won’t mention what business DECEMBER 9, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM