Claim Your Share

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner – it’s your opportunity to boost sales!

Did You Know …

• The average amount of money spent last Valentine’s Day per person was $142.31
• 54.9% of U.S. Adults celebrated Valentine’s Day in 2015
• $18,900,000,000 (that’s right – 18.9 BILLION) was spent during Valentine’s Day 2015
• Over 141,000,000 Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged worldwide and over 52% of people will buy cards for the holiday
• Men spend double the amount of money that women spend for the holiday (about $160 vs. $80)
• Over 2 billion dollars were spent on flowers last Valentine’s Day
• Just under that, at 1.7 billion dollars, came candies

Make sure you are thinking about adding last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts to your market within the next couple of weeks. Bring in products like themed candies, cards, stuffed animals or fresh flowers for your customers who might not have thought ahead for the big night! Claim your share of that $18.9 billion!

See more statistics on Statistic Brain and Fundivo.

Move Products Quickly

You have your market … now it’s time to sell! In order to successfully move products quickly, you need to pay attention to your market, your products, your customers, and your opportunities. How?

Follow these tips to move products quickly:

1. Know Your Customers

   What do your customers want? Pay attention to trends in your sales. When you see that one item is selling at a higher-than-average rate, use that knowledge to your advantage. Try pairing those popular items with complementary products to increase sales. (e.g. chips with salsa, bagels with orange juice, phone chargers with earbuds, etc.)
   What don’t your customers want? If a product clearly isn’t selling well, take it out of your market now!
   

2. Stock Your Market Based On Your Clientele

   Study your demographics. Who is your clientele? Increase sales, along with customer satisfaction, by adding products that appeal to your customers’ cultures.
   Do not be afraid to try new things! Add charges, cables, greeting cards, over the counter medications, or even hover boards to your market! Be creative. Remember Einstein’s definition of insanity: “doing something over and over again, but expecting different results”. Mix it up to find out what works best, to consistently intrigue your customers and to move your products.

3. Use Coupons and Promotions

   Three Square Market‘s system will allow you to set coupons to move certain products, on certain days, to avoid spoilage or simply run promotions. This will not only increase your units per transaction, but will also prompt your customers to use your market more often. For example, if you have trends of customers purchasing sandwiches and chips during lunch, you can offer “Purchase a sandwich, chips and a drink to save $1”.
   

4. Advertise Promotions

   One of Three Square Market‘s features to take advantage of is the Kiosk Message Center feature. Use this to advertise your current promotions right on the screen! Let everyone know what your market has to offer and what they should be purchasing.

There are a multitude of ways to get products moving quickly and we are here to help! At Three Square Market, we want all of our operators and markets to be successful. Take advantage of our Back End Management system – we run your back end for you and prepare you with all of the tools you will need to become a success. Seek out our training opportunities! We will answer any questions you have. Don’t have a specific question in mind? Brush up on techniques and training – Schedule an appointment with our expert staff by CLICKING HERE.

Press Release: 32M and TKC Announce Critical New Hires for Maximum Potential in 2016

HUDSON, Wis. – Jan. 20, 2016 — Three Square Market (32M) and TurnKey Corrections (TKC) announce critical new hires for the first quarter of 2016. “These incredibly important additions are a big step towards the continued growth and excellence of our companies” commented COO Patrick McMullan. “These critical hires also are going to allow our executive management team to further specialize in to aspects of our business. Todd Westby, our CEO and Founder, will work in conjunction with his brother Tim, to be Co-Chairman and work with our Board of Directors to fine tune our products and market presence to position our company for major growth in 2016 and beyond.”

Curt Giles: Curt is the new President of Three Square Market. Curt joins 32M after spending nearly the last decade working for two different vending companies in the Twin Cities area. In the past two years, he has opened and operated nearly 20 markets with Three Square Market and has been a major advocate for 32M in the vending community. Curt has a long history with the Twin Cities and Minnesota community and has a national presence as well. Born and raised in Manitoba, Canada, Curt graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and played for over a decade in the National Hockey League, primarily for the Minnesota North Stars. He was also a member of the 1992 Canadian Olympic Team. After retiring from the NHL, he built a successful warehouse operations business for a large company in the MSP area until entering the vending business with Breaktime Beverages. He built their portfolio for nearly five years until recently joining Taher where he opened the majority of his 32M locations. With his background, Curt has strong business connections in many industries and his diverse experiences will be a major asset for 32M in 2016 and beyond. “Curt is a winner in many aspects of life and it is those characteristics we want to continue to instill in our businesses – he is natural fit for our business” added McMullan.

Stewart McMullan: Stewart joined us as the new Chief Financial Officer in December of 2015. Stewart comes to us from the University of Minnesota, where he was CFO of the Medical School. Stewart spent over two decades working in Economic Development and Financial Management positions for the State of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota. “As we enter a new level of growth in our company, we needed someone who was well versed in managing large budgets for multiple initiatives” added Patrick McMullan. “We didn’t have to look beyond the family dinner table for these skills”. Stewart has a Master’s Degree from the University of St. Thomas and is well-respected in government agencies across the Midwest.

Gina Washburn: Gina joins 32M from the State of Idaho Blind Enterprise Program. Gina oversaw the growth of the visually impaired vending program in Idaho. Idaho is a nationally recognized leader in the visually impaired arena, and Gina is well known as a leader in this field. The visually impaired vending program, a part of the Randolph Shepard Act, gives visually impaired entrepreneurs priority on federal property. Most states have expanded this to include state, city and county locations. “Growing this sector of our business is a major initiative for our company – and Gina is going to lead this charge” added McMullan. “We currently serve as the tech provider for nine states, and we are the largest supplier to the visually impaired community. We intend to double if not triple in 2016 and also work with BEP operators to enter the corrections business using our TurnKey brand.”

Clint Moxey: Clint has joined 32M and TKC as the Western U.S. Regional Sales Manager. Clint is based in Reno, NV and has operated Moxey Machines for nearly a decade. He purchased an existing vending machine repair and distributor business about six years ago in addition to running a highly successful vending business. As 32M started to grow, Clint became a highly successful distributor and also become instrumental in helping TKC land accounts in Nevada. “Clint knows both companies, and we expect Clint to make a significant and fast impact in the Western U.S. for both TKC and 32M” added Patrick McMullan. Prior to opening his vending business, Clint proudly served our nation for over a decade as a pilot in the U.S. Navy.

Kurk Johnson: Kurk will be joining 32M as the Vice President of Sales starting February 1st. Kurk worked as the first official distributor of Three Square Market under the Lieberman Companies in the MSP area. Kurk has been our leading sales representative and promoter of 32M for the past three years. Having worked for years in the industry, Kurk is incredibly knowledgeable in both vending and micro market products. We are very fortunate to have Kurk heading off our sales team. “Kurk has been a major advocate for not only 32M, but micro markets as a whole. With Lieberman selling their business, we wanted to ensure that without question, Kurk remained as a critical piece for our growth plans and we are fortunate to have him on our team” added McMullan.

Jim Bergstrom: Jim has joined us as our new Purchasing Manager. Jim comes to us with a great deal of purchasing experience, having been in this line of work since 1998 for companies like Target, NAPCO, and Precision Coatings. Most recently, Jim has been a Project Manager at Floor Store, Inc. since 2011. “Jim will be working on purchasing projects for all three of our companies, 32M, Turnkey Corrections and our rapidly expanding institutional supply division, American Institutional Supply” added Patrick McMullan. “We have developed both domestic and international relationships in the production and sale of products and we felt his expertise would help improve both our acquisition costs and quality.”

These key hires will allow 32M to allow Todd Westby also to focus more on IT Development. “Technology is the cement in our foundation” added Mr. Westby. “My time needed to be spent on what I am best at, thus we made the investment in to bringing in these top quality people so that my brother, Tim, and I can ensure our company has the resources necessary to make our customers and employees successful”.

About TW Companies (TWC): TWC owns TurnKey Corrections, Three Square Market, and American Institutional Supply. 32M now has opened over 1300 markets in less than 3 years and continues to forge new relationships that will grow their brand. To learn more about Three Square Market visit their website http://www.32Market.com or follow them on social media (@32Market or http://www.facebook.com/32Market). TurnKey Corrections services jails in 26 states. Learn more about TKC by visiting http://www.TurnKeyCorrections.com or follow them on social media (@TKCKiosk or http://www.facebook.com/TurnKeyCorrections). American Institutional Supply provides products to numerous markets including vending, micro market operators, jails, prisons, YMCA’s, hotels, schools and more. Learn more about AIS by visiting Amerisup.com.

I Have A Dream

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.*We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.”* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

 

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

 

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

 

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³

________________________________________________________________

* = text within asterisks absent from the above audio but verified as originally delivered

¹ Amos 5:24 (rendered precisely in The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible)

² Isaiah 40:4-5 (King James Version of the Holy Bible). Quotation marks are excluded from part of this moment in the text because King’s rendering of Isaiah 40:4 does not precisely follow the KJV version from which he quotes (e.g., “hill” and “mountain” are reversed in the KJV). King’s rendering of Isaiah 40:5, however, is precisely quoted from the KJV.

³ At: http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/free_at_last_from.htm

Also in this database: Martin Luther King, Jr: A Time to Break Silence

Audio Source: Linked directly to: http://www.archive.org/details/MLKDream

External Link: http://www.thekingcenter.org/

U.S. Copyright Status: Text and  Audio = Restricted, seek permission. Image = Uncertain.

Copyright inquiries and permission requests may be directed to:

Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Intellectual Properties Management
One Freedom Plaza
449 Auburn Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
Fax: 404-526-8969

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Break Room Etiquette

As with any public setting, break rooms depend upon some etiquette to become the relaxing, break-worthy environment we all need (especially when “hanger” or that 2:00 feeling sets in). The rules of the break room should absolutely be common knowledge, but lets face it – common sense isn’t so common these days. So we’ll list them out!

Clean Up After Yourself. Pick up your mess. Your mother doesn’t work here so you’re on your own. Please don’t feed the dust bunnies. The microwave isn’t a war zone. This is a self-cleaning kitchen, meaning clean up after yourself. The maid is on strike … The list goes on and on. No matter how you prefer to hear it, the message is clear – clean up after yourself! It only takes one minute to wipe out the microwave or fridge and the counter tops after using them. One minute each will help keep everyone in a good mood (and might keep you from seeing passive-aggressive notes popping up everywhere).

It’s Called A Break For A Reason. Don’t bother other coworkers with work while they are on break. Don’t bother yourself with work, either! This is a time to unwind, relax, clear your mind and regather yourself before jumping back into the rest of the day.

You Empty It, You Refill It. Going to refill your water or coffee and being left with an empty cup is the worst! Don’t be the worst – if you empty something please refill it.

First Come, First Served. Everything in the break room is shared. When everyone is rushing to get to lunch at the same time it might become a little crowded. Just take a deep breath and be patient. And be courteous! Don’t take up three chairs with your stuff and your feet – if you see someone looking for a place to kick back and enjoy their moment of peace, let them.

Don’t Be A Hoarder. The refrigerator is included in that shared space. Instead of filling it up with a week’s worth of food, put your meal for the day in the fridge and then take it home with you when you leave. If the fridge is full when you get there, don’t squish someone else’s food with yours – take a minute to rearrange and find an actual space for it. Make sure to label your food with your name and the date. Although it’s nice to avoid wasting, don’t keep extra leftovers in the fridge for days or weeks at a time. Eat what you want and either bring home or throw away the rest. And for the love of all that’s good in the world, PLEASE do not steal other peoples’ food!! If you didn’t put it there, don’t take it.

Use Your Sense Of Smell. Maybe reheated seafood or burnt popcorn is your thing. Do you … at home! If you know that your food is going to smell up the break room with a long-lasting, pungent stink that will distract all of your coworkers, please save it for dinner.

Enjoy Your Break. Numerous studies have shown the major benefits of taking a break during the work day. This is your time to get away for a moment and clear your thoughts. Regrouping will make you more productive and can lead to better ideas. Most people spend a pretty significant chunk of time at work. Even if you love your work (and I hope all of you do), making time for yourself is so important! Don’t let lingering questions or thoughts take away from the time you have to recharge. Ready? Aaaaand break!

For more details, check out Food Service Warehouse.

Career Vs. Job: Passion For Your Work

What’s really the difference between having a job and having a career? It ultimately lies in your end goals. Take a look at the following characteristics:

If you have a job (or jobs), you probably:

• are simply looking to earn a paycheck
• are looking to complete routine tasks at work
• needed little to no prior education or experience
• can easily move from one to another unrelated job
• don’t have a long-term plan for your work
• are given lower-level responsibilities
• are not presented with many impactful networking opportunities
• are paid wages
• are looking for a “safe” job – stability in income
• think short-term

If you have a career, you probably:

• are looking to advance in a field that excites you
• are looking to break out of a routine – constantly improve
• need a specific educational background and experience
• strategically choose connected jobs that will add to your experience
• are frequently thinking of your long-term goals for your work
• are given higher-level responsibilities
• are given many opportunities to advance and receive promotions
• are constantly able to network with people who could potentially have a meaningful impact on your career
• are paid on a salary
• are encouraged to take thoughtful risks – might not always mean stable work
• think long-term

Why choose one over the other?

Again, this is determined by your end goals. If you aren’t interested in committing to a life-long pursuit of advancing in a career, and would rather find stability in many (sometimes more than one at a time) jobs, then choosing to stick with jobs throughout your life is the right decision for you! This is a personal decision and not everyone is going to have the same “right” path. However, for those of you who do want to find a career, you might be wondering, “How do I turn a job into a career?”

As I stated earlier, having a career means advancing in a field that excites you. To get excited about your career, you need to find passion for your work. How?

Deena Varshavskaya wrote an article for Forbes discussing “4 Practical Ways To Find Your Life’s Passion And A Career You Love”:

1. “When You Know It’s Not Working, Quit Fast”

   Often times, people know they hate their jobs but will stay there for a long time anyway. The main reason for sticking around is the fact that they don’t know what they want to do. However, nobody can find what they are passionate about, by spending all of their time doing something they are not passionate about. Leaving your current job will free you up to spend all of your time and energy on finding something new. Without any source of income, figuring out something new becomes an urgent matter. “Finding the next thing goes from optional to required.” That sense of urgency can become a powerful motivator.

2. “Follow Your Curiosity”

   “Even though you may not have a clear vision for your career, you are probably curious about things which may or may not be obvious to you.” Pursuing those interests can lead to unlocking who you are and where your creativity comes from. In order to do this, though, you can’t limit yourself. Think: “What would I do if I had a billion dollars?” Push yourself to explore your curiosities and they will lead to something great.

3. “Don’t Make Money Your Primary Consideration”

   To find a career in something you truly love, you will have to treat your finances as secondary. As soon as they become the primary concern, you limit your options. Financial struggles can be difficult, but pursuing your curiosities will, in the long term, earn you money on your own terms. “When your work fits who you are so well, you stand out as being uniquely capable and uniquely powerful. And the better you get at expressing yourself through your work, the higher your earning potential will be in that capacity.”

4. “Don’t Set An Artificial Ceiling For Yourself”

   Basically, don’t limit yourself! Your potential is set by you and nobody else. “If you want more growth, then don’t hide behind the belief that someone else needs to empower you to do what you want to do.”

In Summary:

• Figure out what your end goal is
• Spend your time and energy finding your passion
• Explore your curiosities
• Put finances secondary to passions
• Don’t limit your potential