The art of managing the festive season juggle
For some businesses festive season is a peak time, when customers loosen their purse string for big-ticket shopping
NEW DELHI :
The festive season is a time when businesses slow down as everyone is gearing up to celebrate with their families. However, for some businesses it’s peak time, when customers loosen their purse string for big-ticket shopping. For Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, founder of online jewellery store BlueStone.com, it’s an extremely hectic time. “Festive season for jewellery business is a very special occasion. It gets very tiring but it’s an exciting time," says Bengaluru-based Kushwaha.
Peak work
Of course, discussions with function heads like marketing, sales, operations begins at least six months before the festival season, to ensure that the company is well-prepared, deliveries are in place and there are no last-mile hiccups. “We try to ensure no part of the business is at a breaking point during the season," says Kushwaha. This leads to the frequency of meetings going up in the weeks leading to Diwali.
To ensure there are no glitches, everyone puts in long hours, including him. Even the factory runs 24/7, with employees working in shifts. “In the head office, we work well into midnight because customer interaction is high during this time. Everyone gets into direct customer interactions," he says.
Despite the hectic schedule, Kushwaha ensures that the festive mood in office is not relegated to the background. So, there is the customary prayer ceremony and on that day every employee is encouraged to wear festive clothes. Gifts in the form of sweets are then distributed around the office. One ritual that BlueStone.com has been following for the last five years is shipping diyas to their customers at least 20 days in advance so that it doesn’t get operationally hectic. Another tradition that has been followed at the company for the last seven years is donating clothes to various NGOs.
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