Warren Dietel

Retaining Your Talent Through Economic Hardships

Many believe people are a company’s greatest asset, but I believe the culture created by the people working for you is your greatest asset. Culture defines who you are and aids in making hiring decisions. With the right culture, you can cultivate skills and encourage employee loyalty, and in the end, your business will come through stronger and much more efficient than before.

Though it is impossible to guarantee that your great employees will stay through the hardships, there are some measures you can take that greatly increase your chances.

Clearly define your Mission, Vision, and Values. Make sure you have developed a picture of today, tomorrow and what governs your decisions. An employee that understands where you are, where you’re going, and why, feels much more secure in their future.

Develop an Ownership Mentality. Empower your staff to give suggestions and ideas – from part time server to the Director of Sales. When your staff walks through your building or an event, you want them to think “How can I make this better? Can we do this more efficiently?” And reward these ideas. With a little encouragement, you’d be amazed at some of the things your employees at all levels think of. 

Encourage Team Building & Communication. Send out a monthly newsletter. Announce birthdays, positive client feedback and new employees. As an off-premise caterer, many of our employees rarely step foot into the building, but they are valued too. Have your staff vote for an employee of the month, and reward that employee, even if it’s just a designated parking spot or a $20 gift card to Starbucks.

When your employees feel valued, when they feel like it’s their company too, they’ll work with you to create solutions and will understand that though things may be hard right now, they will get better.

As my good friend Simon T. Bailey says, “Losers look at what they are going through. Champions look at what we are going to do.” And it is your responsibility to create a culture of Champions.

PROFILE

Company Name: 
Puff ‘n Stuff Catering

City/State: 
Orlando, FL

Owner: Warren Dietel

Type of Company: 
Full-Service Catering & Events

Facility Description
: Puff ‘n Stuff Catering’s state of the art facility boasts 30,000 square feet of space (3,000 of which is refrigerated) and complete backup power that enables us to function no matter what mother nature dishes out. From our kitchen and bakery to our corporate office space and catwalk that holds our inventory of over 50,000 linens, our facility was designed to serve our customers faster, fresher, and better than we ever have before.

Annual Sales: $
7 million

Number of full time employees: 
20 full-time and over 200 part-time/seasonal

Awards and recognitions: 
Catering Company of the Year, 2007 Event Solutions Spotlight Award • Event Solutions Spotlight Award Finalist for Catering Company of the Year, 2009 & 2006 • Catersource ACE Award Finalist, 2009 • Central Florida Bride Five-Carat Diamond Award 2009 • Wedding Wire 2009 Bride’s Choice Award • Voted #1 Caterer, Orlando Magazine, 2008, 2007 & 2005 • Inc. 5,000 Honoree – America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies, 2008 & 2007 • The Knot Best of Weddings Pick, 2008 & 2007 • Eventective 2008 Planner’s Choice Award – Most Popular Venue – The Ballroom at Church Street • Central Florida Bride Vendor's Choice Award 2007 • Orlando Sentinel “101 Best” Winner – Caterer, 2007

Website: www.
puffnstuff.com

Company Description: 
Puff ‘n Stuff Catering has been Orlando’s premier catering and full-service event planning company for almost 30 years, and is the largest of its kind in Florida. We have achieved our status largely in part to one word: Innovation. It’s what drives our business—evidenced in everything from our Special Event Planners and expert Chefs to our state-of-the-art facility. Today, our award-winning team orchestrates thousands of events each year, and none is too big or too small. Whether your event is right next-door, or miles out of state, our commitment to quality and value shine through in everything we do.