Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!
For me snow is magical…simply beautiful…
Every flake unique and precious, creating a picture perfect landscape with that wonderful sound-deadening quality that helps to silence the world and give you time to think.
I still get a huge spark of excitement when I look out the window and see the snow. As a child I used to get wrapped out and run out to have a snowball fight with my brother and friends. Today I am up early with the dog and he is as excited as I am to see the magical white stuff, and how it’s affected his world.
I know it can be disruptive and expensive for business, and I do feel terribly sorry for anyone who slips on the ice, but I also love the sense of community with everyone helping each other, picking up essentials from the shops and the way my boys help clear the neighbours drives and make sure everyone is safe and warm.
With the technology we have, many people are able to do at least some, if not all of their work cocooned at home and if you cannot do your normal day-to-day role it should give you time to think and breath, be creative and come up with ideas to improve your day to day work.
For the cosmetics industry one of the biggest problems with the snow is the supply chain, making sure everything is in the right place at the right time to ensure the products get to the shelves for consumers.
Ensuring that the workforce can get to the production lines to continue manufacture, when we all work with a just-in-time mentality. We may have the staff but no bulk, or the bottles but no caps once supplies and the transport network are severely affected.
In the UK we don’t cope well with extremes of weather. It happens so infrequently that it wouldn’t be commercially viable to cover every eventuality and have the machinery that they take for granted in other countries…so we make do and mend and get by the best we can when the snow lands.
I guess it’s like everyday business in many ways, there are those that see the positives, come up with solutions and use the time constructively, while others simply moan and groan, get crippled with negativity, seeing only problems not solutions.
Don’t waste the day…make the most of it, if your journey is not necessary stay at home and use the time wisely. Think, plan, strategise, be creative…you’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve with a positive attitude.