CHOC-FULL OF VERY TASTY IDEAS
Dear Biz
' ÌÒ ÕAE 9½ÈÌ T½ 5Ò Ė·½ÈÌÒ½Į½·ėį ½È¦¸ personalised messages in delicious Belgian chocolate in slim boxes that fit through letterboxes.
' áÌ · ÈÕ¸¸Ò ¦¸ ćąąĎ ¸ ¦ ¤È¦Òç ¦± Ȧ Ò½ AE T½á¸Į 9ç ·Õ· Ì¸Ò · AE± that took five months to reach me. 'Ò áÌ Ò¤ ¦³AE¦Ò ¤½½³Ò á¦Ò¤¦¸ ¦Ò Ò¤Ò à · Ò¤ ¦Į
ÕȦ¸ ³½±½á¸ ½ÕÈ AEȽÕÒÌ ¤à ȳ³ç ½· ¦¸Ò½ Ò¤¦È ½á¸ Ì the perfect pick-me-up to send to Ȧ¸Ì ¸ ·¦³ç ç½Õ áÈ Õ¸³ to visit in person. People can add pictures and a personal text message on the inside of the box.
cĢà È¸Ò³ç ³Õ¸¤ ¦Ò á¤È ç½Õ ¸ ¤¦ ç½ÕÈ ¤½½³Ò message inside a treasured AE¤½Ò½ÈAE¤Į ?¸ Ò¤ ¤½½³Ò ¤Ì ¸ ¸¯½çį Ò¤ ½ae ¸ ÒÕȸ ¦¸Ò½ AE¦ÒÕÈį ̽ ¦ÒĢÌ Òá½ ¦±ç ¦ÒÌ ¦¸ ½¸Į ' ÕÈȸҳç ÈÕ¸ ³³ ÌAEÒÌ ½ Ò¤ Õ̦¸ÌÌ ·ç̳į aeAEÒ AEȽÕÒ¦½¸ ¸ AE±¦¸į ¸ 'Ģ· ±¸ Ò½ aeAE¸Į ½ ç½Õ ¤à ¸ç ঠ½¸ ¤½á Ò½ ¦¸ Ò¤Ò ¦ÈÌÒ ¤¦Èį ÌAE¦¦³³ç ¦¸ digital marketing?
Dicky Broadhurst, by email Biz replies
Nç ¦Ò ¦¸ chocolate
It’s great news that you have managed to keep going and do even more business during lockdown – and it’s very exciting that you are ready to take on your first hire. You need to think carefully exactly what the job is and what skills the person you want must have.
Think of your strengths and weaknesses – and bring someone in who will fill the gaps in your knowledge and experience to help make a real difference. It may be useful to go through an employment agency/website to help you through the process and to get the list of potential candidates down to a manageable number.
If you do this directly yourself you could find, in the current climate, you will get inundated with applications and this will take up too much of your time and stop you from running the rest of the show.
BUDGET chain Poundstretcher has sparked fears more than half its 450 stores could close.
The retailer, which has 5,500 workers, wants to slash outgoings through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).
The plan, which needs creditors’ approval, would see rents cut by up to 40% on 84 stores for three years.
Another 94 stores would be unaffected. But Poundstretcher warned the future of a further 253 shops “will depend on the commercial merits of each store with the relevant landlords’ collaboration”. Closing all those could hit 2,000 staff. A separate 23 stores could shut under plans by Poundstretcher to put the arm that owns them into administration.
Will Wright of accountancy KPMG, which is organising the CVA, said: “Poundstretcher has suffered from significant impacts to profitability on several fronts over a sustained period, which were then further exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19 on footfall.”
The move comes amid a wave of proposed job losses by big firms in recent weeks, including 2,500 by builders merchant Travis Perkins on Monday. Official data out yesterday reported that 600,000 workers had lost their jobs since March.
Elsewhere, retailer Oak Furnitureland has been rescued in a pre-pack administration. The chain, which employs nearly 1,500 staff, has been bought by hedge fund Davidson Kempner Capital Management for an undisclosed fee.
The new owner will review the firm’s 105 branches but refused to rule out job cuts and closures while negotiations with landlords and suppliers take place.
Customers with outstanding orders will not lose out and any deposits already paid will be honoured, the company said.
For daily business news and views sign up to mirror.co.uk/email