Five/Six Weeks Out Of Ten

Well, I am now more than half way through my internship at Build-A-Bear Workshop.  I cannot believe how fast this summer is going.  It seems as though I just got home from Denver, yet so much has happened.  This internship has been a great experience so far and I am looking forward to the second half.

Below is a list of the projects I have been working on so far.  Some of these have been more involved on my part whereas others were more being a part of conference calls/meetings and offering my thoughts and suggestions.

• Updated Merchandising Assortment Guide (MAG)
• Updated and branded prospective franchisee materials
• Prepared Board of Directors PowerPoint presentation
• Compiled international store profit/loss analysis
• Analyzed seasonal global sales by country and product
• Created a “toolkit” to assist franchisees in driving sales during Quarter 4 / 2010 Holidays that involved compilation and creation of resources from across the company
• Helped plan the 2010 International Operations Summit
• Organized store information (pictures, blueprints)
• Researched 2011 International Licensing Opportunities
• Analyzed international supply chain/inventory flow and product loads by country as a tool for assessing the international franchise model
• Assisted franchisees in developing inventory forecasts, turnover, and ordering projections
• Reviewed new store proposal/design and real estate opportunities
• Offered feedback on business plans submitted by prospective franchisees
• Communicated regularly with franchisees worldwide

I have also met with, spoken on the phone, and/or emailed people in every continent except Antarctica.  I’m pretty excited about that.

As I have been developing the Holiday Toolkit, I looked for resources to use in writing introductions to each section.  One such resource is Maxine Clark’s book, “The Bear Necessities of Business: Building a Company With Heart“.  Here is one quote I would like to share:

Bosses are in charge and dictatorial.  Leaders listen to what their employees have to say and create a climate of reciprocal respect.

I have been lucky to work for leaders.  I hope that trend continues.  I am excited to see where the rest of this summer will lead…