What is one exciting thing you plan to do this year as a result of last year’s successes? (e.g. hire, offer a new perk, etc.)
1. Increase ‘Living Well’ Spending
“We have a “Living Well” budget to be spent on in-office massages, food and fun events. Due to last year’s success, we’ve increased that budget by five times the original amount to ensure that the good times are felt by the whole team all year long.”
2. Invest in Employees’ Passions
“During our year-end employee evaluations, I asked each of my employees which lifestyle events they would like to attend. Because we are an event marketing agency, we have access to some of the largest events each year. Some popular responses are the Super Bowl, Coachella, Spring break or South By Southwest. It’s going to be my mission to get them there.”
– Vinny Antonio, Victory Marketing Agency
3. Franchise My Business
“I can’t wait to get my first franchise off the ground in February 2014, and then launch a few more after that!”
– Darrah Brustein, Finance Whiz Kids | Equitable Payments
4. Pursue an NFL License
“We recently launched our first line of Major League Baseball watches. Our goal is to enable self-expression, and few things generate more passion than the love of one’s sports team. The NFL, like MLB, is a property that stokes fan excitement. We’re excited to enable our fans to show their passions further.”
– Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches
5. Take the Team on a Retreat
“Because we recently expanded the team, and we work virtually across North America, we will be organizing a team retreat to get to know one another. This means spending time together, planning for the next few quarters and transferring knowledge, too.”
– Nathalie Lussier, Nathalie Lussier Media Inc.
6. Provide Health Benefits
“I am extremely excited to offer full health benefits, flex spending and other employee perks through our new PEO TriNet next year. Not only will our current employees benefit from this exciting new development, but also it will assist us as we recruit top talent throughout 2014.”
– Kim Kaupe, ZinePak
7. Expand Our Innovation Lab
“We started our own internal innovation lab in 2013, and it was extremely successful. We promoted a product on Kickstarter and raised more than $150,000 (more than double our goal), and it’s given us momentum to expand this part of our business in 2014.”
– Andrew Howlett, Rain
8. Add Customer Support
“We are adding more in shipping and customer service to support our customers, so I can focus more on building the brand through social media, SEO and strategic partnerships.”
– Jerry Piscitelli, Portopong LLC
9. Introduce More Holiday Delivery Services
“Last year we were the first food delivery service to introduce a white-glove Christmas tree delivery service. Whether we’re delivering food from a top ZAGAT-rated restaurant or a 9-foot Frasier Christmas tree, the same exceptional service standards must apply. Next year, we will continue to tap into our existing delivery network to offer new customer-demanded items for select holidays.”
– Phil Dumontet, DASHED
