| As I See It... |
With the Labor Day Holiday upon us I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday. It's hard to believe that in a few days the kids will all be back in school bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to learn -- or at least we hope so.
Every year as employees of municipal liquor stores we have opportunities to go "back to school" and learn how we can be better managers and better employees. In the month of May we have our annual MMBA Spring Conference, a three day event where you can network with other managers and also attend seminars relating to our business.
Coming up at the end of September and into October we have another opportunity for you to go back to school and learn by attending one of our 6 MMBA Regional Meetings. Paul has set up these meetings all over the state, so it is very doable for all of our managers to attend a meeting that is fairly close to work or home.
These meetings are a great source of information relating to what is happening in our business now and what is going to happen in the future. We talk about legislative issues we dealt with this past session and what issues will be coming up in the next session.
It's also a great way to talk with fellow managers in your own area and discuss the liquor business as it pertains to you.
The regional meetings are also a great way to get answers to your questions that others may not be able to answer. Please contact Paul and let him know soon what you want to talk about. Remember, these meetings are for you and it is our job to answer the questions you have.
This year we have added a POS training session 2 hours before the regular meeting starts. This is a great opportunity for you to learn how to run more in-depth reports and reports in general that will help you do your job better. We will also be able to help with specific questions that may only relate to your operation. Whether you use TRS or another system, we will be able to share our knowledge with you.
Information on the meetings can be found in this newsletter.
I guarantee you will walk away with information on how to improve your operation.
I look forward to seeing many of you starting September 21st in Fergus Falls.
Until then, have a great month!
Steve Grausam, MMBA Director
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| Again, It is Not About Sales, It is About Profit! | 
MMBA has been constantly stressing that especially in the current economic and competitive environment, it is not about sales, it is about gross profit and ultimately net profit. The following is a real-life example from an MMBA member: 2010 Sales YTD = $1,787,782 Gross Profit = 24.4% Net Margin = $436,171 2011 Sales YTD = $1,762,096 Gross Profit = 25.23% Net Margin = $444,587 Manipulating the overall gross profit less than one percent resulted in greater net margin dollars! Gross sales for this facility were over $25,000 dollars less from 2010 to 2011 YTD but the net margin increased by over $8,000 due to a manipulation of gross profit by only .83%! If you need help in this area, please contact the MMBA office. |
| Former Bar Owner Admits Purchasing Alcohol for Re-Sale |
From: StarTribune
A former east metro bar owner haunted by business woes pleaded guilty Thursday to buying beer from a Wisconsin retailer for resale at his White Bear Lake bar.
Michael W. Ogren, 43, admitted in Ramsey County District Court to aiding and abetting a liquor violation.
According to charges, Ogren as well as employees of the Stadium Bar, which Ogren owned at the time, purchased beer kegs and liquor from a store in Hudson, Wis. The alcohol was then resold at the bar in White Bear Lake. Charges show that he told an employee that the purchases were legal.
Stadium Bar was on a list of businesses delinquent in paying state sales taxes, meaning that wholesalers could not sell or deliver alcohol to the bar. It is also illegal for alcohol licensees to buy alcohol from another retailer for resale.
Ogren made 13 trips to the Wisconsin store to buy alcohol between October and December 2010, charges said. Ogren admitted that he had purchased from other retailers, too.
He will be sentenced Nov. 3.
Ogren is also the former owner of Maplewood's Myth nightclub. He pleaded guilty last week in Anoka County District Court to failing to give accurate information while applying for a bank loan. He is awaiting sentencing on that charge.
He was charged in Anoka County with felony theft by swindle over $35,000 for obtaining a $600,000 loan using Myth stock as security. He told the bank he had not previously pledged the stock as security, but it was later found that the stock had been pledged as security twice.
Myth closed in 2009 under Ogren and reopened under different management.
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| Man Arrested for DWI on Motorized Beer Cooler |
NOOSA, Australia -- Drunk driving is no laughing matter, no matter what country you're in.
But the way an Australian man picked up his DWI is causing a few chuckles around the globe.
Cops in the city of Noosa stopped 23-year-old Christian Ian Petrie while he rode the streets on a motorized beer cooler.
When tested, Petrie's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit.
Petrie told the judge that he ordered parts to build his motorized beer cooler off the internet, had a couple drinks while assembling it, then took it out for a test spin.
The judge ruled that the cooler indeed was a vehicle, fined Petrie $520, and suspended his license for 9 months.
By the way, the cooler has a 4-stroke engine, and can reach a top speed of 12 mph.
Click Here to See Video |
| Employees Still Distrust Management | |
Almost three years after the onset of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, employees still harbor a deep distrust of company management.
A new Maritz® Poll conducted by Maritz Research, a leader in employee satisfaction research, found that despite a slight improvement in business conditions, the American workforce remains less engaged with their employers than they did one year ago.
Poor communication, lack of perceived caring, inconsistent behavior, and perceptions of favoritism were cited by respondents as the largest contributors to their lack of trust in senior leaders.
Click Here to View the Research Highlights |
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Change is the law of life.
Those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.
--John F. Kennedy |
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| Future Dates to Remember!! |  |
2011 MMBA Regional Meetings
September 21
Fergus Falls
September 28
Bemidji
October 5
Roseville
October 12
Marshall
October 19
Duluth
October 26
Austin
Click Here for More Information
2012 MMBA Boot Camp
February 21-22, 2012 Breezy Point Resort 2012 MMBA Annual Conference May 20-22, 2012 Arrowwood Resort |
| Ask A Director |
Gary Buysse
Rogers
763-428-0163
Cathy Pletta Kasson 507-634-7618 Vicki Segerstrom Milaca 320-983-6255 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
Toni Buchite
50 Lakes
218-763-2035
Bridgitte Konrad North Branch 651-674-8113 Shelly Dillon Callaway 218-375-4691 Paul Kaspszak MMBA 763-572-0222 1-866-938-3925
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| Wine 101 |  | |
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| A Man Goes Into a Bar... |  |
A man goes into a bar and orders five shots.
The bartender gives him an odd look, but he lines the shots up on the bar.
The man downs them all quickly.
As he finishes the last one, he calls out, "Four shots, please!"
The bartender serves up four shots, and the man downs them all.
He belches loudly and orders three.
One after the other, he knocks them back.
"Two shots!" he slurs, swaying on the bench.
The bartender places two shots in front of him.
As the guy slams down the last one, he says, "One shot, bartender."
So the bartender fills the glass, and the man sits there, starting at it for a moment, trying to focus.
He then looks at the bartender and says, "You know, it's a funny thing, but the less I drink, the drunker I get." |
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