Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, F.C. Dadson is so thankful for our AMAZING customers, employees, and friends. We're taking the day to enjoy lots of food, family, and fun. But worry not. The Diaries will be back Monday with new material for you to check out.

Until then...

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Black Friday Deals for Small Businesses

If you're a small business owner feeling the pinch of a tightening budget, listen up!

In the spirit of the endless press being given to this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals comes this USAToday.com article on how small businesses can take advantage of the shopping holiday savings both online and off. Make a list, check it twice and get ready to take advantage of deals on computers, accessories, media storage and other office equipment. (Cool bonus: the article includes previews of Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals from Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, HP and Dell!)

Are you a small business owner planning to take advantage of a Black Friday deal or two? Perhaps we'll see you in the crowds!

Hot Trend: From QSR to Fast Casual

A formidable hybrid that takes the speed of quick-service and combines it with the quality and atmosphere of casual dining, fast casual restaurants have a good thing going during this recession. Perhaps impressed by their slightly more upscale kin, we've seen a number of quick-service restaurants (QSR) add higher-quality, more sophisticated menu items (think premium burgers and lattes) while other have revamped their interiors to encourage lingering. With brands like Baskin-Robbins, Toppers Pizza, Captain D's and even McDonalds joining in the movement, "going fast casual" is turning into one hot trend.

Looking at the design side of things (as we're apt to do at the Diaries), what designates a fast casual interior from a traditional QSR? To begin, the seating is generally more comfortable and there tends to be more of it in a fast casual design. In place of vinyl-covered chairs, you'll find fabric. There may even be a "lounge" area with soft furniture and a coffee table. Cozy booths are also making a comeback.

Also, much more thought is put into and emphasis placed on the materials and finishes incorporated into the space. Less plastic and more wood tones, metallic finishes, and other natural (or at least natural-looking) materials. Recycled materials are also a hot design commodity right now.

To sum it up in a word, fast casual design puts more focus on ambiance. Which make sense because it all plays into the idea of wanting customers to stay and enjoy their food as opposed to the "in-and-out" mindset of quick-serve.

Environmentally-Conscious

Here's an interesting thought offered by Paul Glover in a recent post for Fast Company's FC Expert Blog:

"...to a great degree, everyone's actions are determined by their environment."

While a store's over all design aesthetic is incredibly important, just as important is the store's layout, or floor plan. It may not seem like there's a lot of science involved in placing displays and counters, but did you know that a store's floor plan can help facilitate the sales process and improve employee efficiency?

So, when you're thinking about what you want your store to look like, also think in terms of what you want your customers and your employees to do in your space. With that decided, an experienced designer or architect can take that information and create a space that's not only attractive, but will also help you achieve your desired results.

A Retail Designer's Challenge

If you're even remotely connected to the marketing profession, you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't regularly check out Seth Godin's blog. Lots of riffs and rants and things to make you go, "Hmm," and the best part is that more often than not, his thought for the day applies to more than just marketing. Today is one of those days.

"Here's a rule that's so inevitable that it's almost a law: As an organization grows and succeeds, it sows the seeds of its own demise by getting boring. With more to lose and more people to lose it, meetings and policies become more about avoiding risk than providing joy."

As creators of retail environments, I'd argue that our job is to give our clients the best of both worlds...as far as their retail spaces are concerned. Of course, being safe is a priority -- not just in the literal sense of keeping shoppers and store employees out of harm's way, but also that what we provide is "safe" in the sense that it fits our clients' budgets and helps them achieve their goals. But at the same time, we also strive to create environments that shoppers will find exciting and memorable, places that facilitate a "joyful" experience.

It isn't always easy to marry the two concepts together, but isn't that part of what makes a brilliant retail space so remarkable?

3 Lessons from the World Series

The Yankes win in 6. Over the course of the 6-game play-off for the worldly title, there was speculation, surprises, heroics, and everything else expected from a competition between the two "best" teams in baseball. And as the season comes to a close, The Dadson Diaries offers some takeaways for our readers beyond the "Yankees: World Series Champions" swag available for purchase. So, without further ado, here are 3 lessons we can take away from this year's World Series.

1. Superstars come in all shapes and sizes.
Cliff Lee. Mariano Rivera. Chase Utley. Hideki Matsui. Superstardom doesn't rely on a list of predetermined constructs. Do what you do best and take care to do it well. You may not garner national media exposure like these big leaguers, but people (your customers, your peers, your boss) will notice your efforts.

2. You're not out until the last out.
The Phillies could have gone down in Game 5, but they fought to bring on Game 6. Even when the odds are stacked against you, don't pack it in and head home. Inspiration can strike at any time and help propel you past that hurdle.

3. Fans, not just customers, are what to aim for.
Customers may come buy your product, but fans are the ones not only buying your products but also loving you unconditionally and spreading the word about you every day.

Thought of other lessons to add to the list? Leave 'em here.

1 Part Franchise, 1 Part Independent Business

It appears there's a new trend afoot in franchising and it involves being a little less cookie cutter and a little more unique and local. Starbucks did it with its 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea cafe in Seattle. Other big names including Marriott and Great Harvest Bread Co. are also doing it, opening new franchise locations that are designed and merchandised in a manner more befitting to their surroundings than national chains are traditionally thought to be.

Could this be the end to standard store designs and layouts as we know it? Probably not because there is a lot to be said for a recognizable look, a consistent merchandise offering, and the economies of scale national franchise brands often enjoy. But I think there can still be some room for customization. Just look at what McDonald's is doing (and finding wild success with).

What do you think? Should franchises stick with a consistent model across the board or allow franchisees the freedom to be local and unique? Or is there an opportunity for franchise systems to develop some sort of a "hybrid" that's 1 part franchise, 1 part independent business?