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Putting Parents to Work
IMR, Oct. 24, 1994
Your labor pool might be larger than you think. That's what Kevin P. Kelley, CFC, branch manager of Metro Graphics Communications' Fairfax, Va., facility, discovered when faced with an unusually large and complex collating project. The order involved collating brochures and pamphlets of varying thickness into 4-inch fixed-post binders. He had to create 4,000 binders with 200 inserts that weighed 13 pounds each. Not only did he not have enough employees to complete the job in time, he didn't have space in his warehouse to lay out the two tractor-trailer loads of paper involved. Kelley solved the problem by striking a deal with the Parent-Teacher Organization of a local Catholic school.
The project involved six Metro employees and about 100 parents. Charlotte, N.C., Branch Manager Scott Van Der Linden, CFC, worked with Kelley to set up a makeshift bindery in a large activity hall of the school. Doughnuts and coffee were served in the morning; hot dogs and chips in the afternoon. Some parents even brought their older children to help. Many preferred this type of fund-raising to the traditional door-to-door raffle ticket and candy sales. Van Der Linden says the parents were "more motivated" than temps.
Metro gave $10,000 to the PTO when the project was completed. Kelley based the figure on a quote he had received from another organization. It worked out to roughly $5/hour per person, he estimates.
"It was a win/win situation for everybody," says Kelley. The customer was pleased with the binders, the PTO earned money for a new copier and repairs to the school gym, the parents enjoyed socializing with friends and neighbors, and Metro made "a nice profit."
Kelley says it's important that workers understand the "big picture" of the project, not just the small part they are responsible for. "They paid more attention to detail and the quality of the end product" when they knew how their part of the job fit into the whole order. He took time to explain things carefully. "Let people know your expectations--how much work in what time," he says.
Metro Graphics Communications President Douglas Van Der Linden, CFC, a past president of NBFA, warns distributors not to get involved in a direct hiring situation which would entail payroll taxes and other legal complications. Making a donation to charity is a "non-risk" venture, he says.
Don't forget that projects like these can be excellent public relations opportunities. Scott Van Der Linden recommends presenting a check to the charity at a special ceremony. Invite the local press to photograph the event and make a certificate to give to the head of the organization. Send the customer a picture for his own PR.