Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter
(March 6, 2011 - March 12, 2011)
 Click Here
for the
As I See It...
 
Ready for Anything  

Are you ready?

"You" could be next.

Since last fall there have been a lot of things going on in our industry.

Southern Wines and Spirits coming into the market (there is confusion out there), many wines and spirits changing wholesalers and confusing retailers as to who carries what brands (for the time being use a pencil, ink will just frustrate you), wine in grocery (it's still on the burner, although it's the back burner), Sunday sales (it's about more than just having another day off), Surly Brewery opening a restaurant owned by Surly's  (maybe Omar would like to contact Miller or Bud and see if they would like to do the same), and last ( ARE YOU READY!) our own cities and city councils.

Most every city in Minnesota elected at least one new council person during the election last November. Did it turn out how you were hoping or did a person get elected that questions municipal liquor stores and whether the city should be in that type of business?

ARE YOU READY?

Now, having someone question our operations is not a bad thing (I hope all of our councils question what we do and how we do it). What is bad is when that person speaks about it and doesn't understand what we do and how we do it. They also do not fully understand Minnesota liquor laws, what we are able to do and not do as a municipal operation, and the history of our business and industry.

ARE YOU READY?

Over the past few months I and many others in the metro area have been keeping an eye on what is happening in the City of Lakeville in regards to their municipal liquor stores. Here is a liquor operation that is the leader in sales and net profit for the past 3 or 4 years at least, and they are on the hot seat with some council members as to whether the city should be in the business or not.

ARE YOU READY?

If you are not ready, here are some things that you should be doing to get ready if the council comes knocking.

  Know your inventory control system. The more info that you can extract the better prepared you'll be. As the manager it is your responsibility to learn how to use the system (Ask for help if you don't understand something). Remember, it will not bite.

 

  Know everything that you can about your operation and our industry,(past, present and future) as it relates to your city and store/stores.

 

  Have a good working relationship with the city administration (I know this is not always easy) as they can also be an advocate.

 

  Get to know your council members and educate them as much as possible on what the liquor operation does and what it means for the city.

 

  Get involved! Go to a MMBA regional meeting, go to the MMBA spring conference, go to MMBA boot camp, go to legislative day at the capital. These are just some of the things that are going on throughout the year.

 

  Be a part of the community. Join the local rotary club, join the chamber of commerce, join a local merchants association. The more people and groups in your community you are involved with, the more they rely on your participation, making it hard for a council to eliminate your operation.

 

  Keep working to get better and learn more. Don't be afraid to change or make changes. That is what makes this job so wonderful most of the time. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. That is how we learn what works and what doesn't work.

Brenda and her staff at Lakeville Liquors do most, if not all, of these listed above. I think she's ready In fact I know she's ready.

                                          ARE YOU READY?

                                      "YOU" COULD BE NEXT!!

Steve Grausam, MMBA Director

Four Jobs Everyone Should Have
 
Jobs  

By Rachel Farrell, Special to CareerBuilder

 

Before I started working in "the real world," I had several part-time jobs. I babysat. I worked in a fast-food restaurant. I worked in retail. I worked as a waitress at a bar in my hometown.

 

And each time I came home complaining after a hard day's work, my mom would tell me that someday I would realize the value in the job I had.

 

Fast-forward some years later, and only now do I realize the meaning of her words. Every job I had taught me something, not just about work ethic, but also about life.

 

Here are four jobs that can teach you valuable life lessons:

 

1. Server

 

Everyone's been to a restaurant with bad service. You have a slow, inattentive server. Your food comes out the wrong way. And as a result, you tip the bare minimum -- or nothing at all.

 

But have you ever stopped to think that it's not always the server's fault? (I mean, sometimes it is, but not always.) He or she could have given the cook your correct order -- but the cook messed up. A colleague could have called in sick, leaving your server with all of the tables in the restaurant. Yet the server takes the blame.

 

What you'll learn: A job in food service teaches you empathy. Not only for the server, but for people in general. After all -- not everything is as it seems. Think about that the next time you want to leave a next-to-nothing tip.

 

2. Retail clerk

 

You can always tell if someone has worked in retail before. Those who haven't sometimes treat sales clerks rudely or like they are above the workers. They may act as if the associate's only job in life is to assist in their retail therapy. Those who have worked in retail tend to have a little more patience with the sales associates and are more respectful toward them.

 

What you'll learn: Just because someone's job is to help you doesn't give you the right to be rude or disrespectful. Those two virtues -- patience and respect -- will take you a long way in the way you treat other people.

 

3. Customer service

 

Think about all of the times you've called customer service, whether at an airline, a cable company, your cell phone provider or an insurance company. Chances are, you called when you were angry or had a complaint. You probably chose to take your frustrations out on the customer service rep.

 

After working in customer service -- specifically at a call center -- you'll hopefully change your behavior. You realize that whatever you're upset about is not the rep's fault. In fact, you know they want to help you.

 

What you'll learn: A job in customer service can teach you kindness and will make you think twice about the way you treat people.

 

4. Manual labor

 

It goes without saying that manual labor of any type, whether mowing lawns or construction, is hard work. Those who perform manual labor or have in the past know that the hours are long, the work is hard and you have to pay attention to everything, as safety is a large issue in most manual labor positions.

 

What you'll learn: More than anything, manual labor will teach you work ethic. There is little room for error and no matter what you're doing, you'll be working hard.

 

 
St. Pat's Drinks 
St. Pat's 
St. Patrick's Day is next week.
  
Green beer, green gear and a bunch of fun.
  
Apple Valley Job Opening 
Apple Valley 2 
  
The City of Apple Valley is looking for a Liquor Store Supervisor - Part Time.
  

Women have a higher verbal fluency than men.

 

They focus on the details and will talk about their love of a product or service to their friends.

Future Dates to Remember!!
MMBA Scholarship Deadline
 
May 1, 2011
 

 MMBA Annual
Conference

May 22-24, 2011
Arrowwood Resort

Ask A Director

Gary Buysse
Rogers
763-428-0163

Bob Leslie
 Pelican Rapids
218-863-6670

Brian Hachey
Stacy
651-462-2727

Nancy Drumsta
Delano
763-972-0578

Lara Smetana
Pine City
320-629-2020

Michael Friesen
Hawley
218-483-4747

Tom Agnes
Brooklyn Center
763-381-2349

Steve Grausam
Edina
952-903-5732

Toni Buchite
50 Lakes
218-763-2035

Michelle Olson
Sebeka
218-837-9745
E-Mail Me

Bridgitte Konrad
North Branch
651-674-8113

Paul Kaspszak
MMBA
763-572-0222
1-866-938-3925

 
Click Here For Newsletter Archives 
Join Our Mailing List
Wine 101
Wine2
A Letter From Southern Wine & Spirits CEO Harvey Chaplin
Southern

Below, please find a letter from Southern Wine and Spirits Chairman and CEO Harvey Chaplin concerning their Minnesota operation including their support of MMBA's position against Wine in Grocery and Sunday Sales legislation.
 

Click Here to View the Letter

The letter also indicates a "substantial contribution to MMBA."  

To clarify, they have become a Silver Plus member. 

It is also important to remember MMBA's endorsement policy by Clicking Here
For Sale
For Sale

The City of Verndale has the following for sale:

  
 
3'x12' 'OFF SALE' lit sign on a 20' pole. 

 

Buyer would have to take down and remove sign from property location with the purchase. BEST OFFER

 

Lozier Brand used shelving:

 
 4' sections of 21 Bottoms, 19 Backs and 91 Shelves. 

 

Click Here for Contact Information