The number of companies whose employees join charity activities is systematically growing. Nobody forces them to do so – they undertake selected activities, wanting to help others, although thanks to these activities they also gain a lot. Kocot Kids supports employee volunteering: our latest initiative is participation in the popular social project Szlachetna Paczka. By offering the needy families to furnish children’s rooms, we want to make the time that the youngest spend at home more beautiful and more comfortable.

Help at the initiative of employees

Kocot Kids employees are not obliged to support any aid initiatives. They make their own decisions about getting involved in a given project, expecting, however, that they can count not only on the approval but also the enthusiasm of their superiors. This is the specificity of employee volunteering: active support for pro-social initiatives of employees without putting pressure on them to participate in a given project. Those interested work as a team, often involving friends or family to prepare the package. The help organized as part of the Noble Package, most associated with fundraising for poor families in cities and provinces, enables our employees to integrate creatively and allows them to feel the unique joy that comes from the conviction that our efforts will make it easier for those in need to cope with their difficult everyday life.

Social responsibility in business

Support for those in need, although taken for noble reasons and focused primarily on other people, is also inherently related to corporate social responsibility. In line with this, companies are to take into account social interests and care for the environment in their business strategies. A company that provides real help to those in need gains not only in the eyes of business partners, but also potential employees, who very often appreciate this initiative of employers. Therefore, we are dealing here with a situation that generates only positives. The implementation of activities undertaken as part of volunteering not only allows for the implementation of forms of assistance, on which we benefit as a society, but also contributes to a positive image of the company, and thus supports its continuous development.

Our motivations

The overriding desire is to help those in need. We want to support families in a difficult financial situation by furnishing their children’s rooms. Own space and a comfortable bed are the basis for day and night rest, so necessary to stay healthy.

One of the values ​​of our company, apart from the aforementioned support for those in need, is supporting employee initiatives. Participation in the Szlachetna Paczka event has become a joyful challenge for our employees, and their enthusiasm and creativity have exceeded all expectations. We all shared the festive atmosphere, the joy that accompanies us when we prepare a gift for an important person, joyfully imagining that it will be welcomed with a smile. The families of employees were also involved in this unique initiative – together we not only have more ideas, but also our energy resources and enthusiasm for their implementation are increasing.

Doing good inspires

Szlachetna Paczka is invariably associated with December holidays, but the need to do good accompanies our employees – and not only them – throughout the year. Satisfied with the effects of charity campaigns, they are more willing to engage in new projects, becoming initiators of more and more new ventures, which, however, share a common goal – to bring good. All this makes team cooperation more and more effective, and the attitude towards a positive end and the success achieved with the group gains exceptional strength. Charitable activities that unite the team also increase the motivation of employees who feel rightly proud of being able to help others.

Each employee is well aware of the importance of a good relationship with the employer. In addition to effective company management, he should skillfully manage a team of people employed in the company, taking care not only of their professional satisfaction, but also of safety. Kocot Kids is also among the companies that best implement work safety standards. We took the second place in the regional stage of the XXVII edition of the nationwide competition “Employer – organizer of safe work” (category: plants from 51 to 250 employees).

Long-term concern for safety

Care for compliance with work safety standards has been our priority from the very beginning of our company’s existence. When, in 2012, we founded Kocot Kids, we already had clearly defined goals: to provide our clients with solid furniture and to ensure professional working conditions of the employees. Knowing how important it is to guarantee them to employees, we gradually renovate our facilities, thanks to which the standard as well as quality and safety at work constantly increase. As part of the risk elimination strategy, we use a number of different solutions. We have installed an air purification system in the production hall, we take care of the implementation of noise-reducing technologies, and in the interest of employees’ vehicles, we have taken care of a parking lot away from freight traffic.

Many aspects of threats

We are well aware of the risks arising from the specificity of work in the furniture production process. In the absence of nuisance factors, there are those classified as harmful (among them selected physical and chemical factors) and a number of those defined as dangerous (generated, among others, by moving machines, movable elements of technical devices, manual transport work or surfaces that are conducive to falls). While minimizing the risk of all types of hazards, we remember about the necessary investments in good-quality equipment, comfortable work clothes for employees and reliable lighting in the hall. Adjusting the actions taken to the real needs maximizes the effectiveness of these projects, hence it is worth taking care of good planning.

Support for the employee

By appreciating and supporting the employees of our company, we try to show them how important their comfort and safety are to us. We do not want to create divisions that would divide the people employed in our company – on the contrary, we offer them such conditions in which we would like to work ourselves. We do everything to support employees with special needs. People with disabilities can count on the help of qualified caregivers and sanitary facilities adapted to the mobility limitations. We provide substantive support to foreigners and students. We offer first-time professional experience to people who are making their debut on the labor market.

Trust

We are proud of the trust our employees place in us. We believe that the measures we implement to promote safety at work are comprehensive. Safety is not only about minimizing the risk of accidents, but also about the care that the company can extend to employees, protecting their rights and interests. Hence our design of the electronic work time register and care for employee insurance and timely payment of wages.

For several years, the Polish e-commerce market has been defined through the prism of continuous development. In 2018, a record result of over PLN 50 billion was recorded, a year later – as indicated in the PMR report – over PLN 61 billion. The forecasts for the coming years are even more spectacular: estimated revenues are to amount to as much as PLN 80 billion. In 2018, the increase in the popularity of online shopping was influenced by the reduction of commercial Sundays, some consumers dissatisfied with this decision chose online stores, where they can place orders without restrictions, around the clock. The coronavirus pandemic will change much more.

Online transactions take over

Until a dozen or so years ago, online transactions accounted for a small percentage of consumer choices. From year to year, however, online shopping gained more and more importance to finally become one of the most important areas of trade. In 2019, more than half of Poles made at least one online purchase, while data from the Gemius report “E-commerce in Poland 2020” indicate that 73% of Internet users will benefit from online shopping. The analysis contains information that allows you to create a portrait of a model recipient based on data such as gender, age and education of consumers. Thus, there was a slight advantage of women (51%), it was found that people aged 35-49 (32%) and high school graduates (40%) most often decide to buy online. The “Global E-commerce 2020” report clearly indicates that the world’s highest increase in e-commerce sales in 2020 (21.5%) was recorded in Central and Eastern Europe. It is assumed that this value will be even higher in our country.

More and more e-shops

Stationary stores are increasingly moving to the Internet, and those that have been online for a long time, expand their offer, putting emphasis on improving communication with customers. Symptomatically: the number of stores offering groceries is increasing, so there is a clear revival in the segment so far the least popular in the area of ​​online sales. According to PMR estimates, the share of e-commerce in the food market will increase to 0.7%. A noticeable trend is also the creation of e-stores offering food products to local customers. These products are usually recommended not only fresh, but also ecological, which meets the tastes of those interested in healthy food and often wealthier consumers. As indicated by the Shoper report, which presents data on domestic online stores operating on the Shoper.pl platform, a large increase in sales was recorded in the industry offering cosmetics and supplements, followed by electronics stores and articles for children.

Forecasts

While anticipating a further increase in the popularity of the e-commerce market, the extraordinary circumstances that arose with the coronavirus pandemic were of course not taken into account. The ability to make purchases without leaving your home, and thus without the risk of contracting an infection, is a priority for many people. The e-commerce market, in constant pursuit of customer needs, will strive to maximize the simplification of online purchases, shorten delivery times and minimize their costs, and finally to implement subscription models that integrate the customer with the brand, preventing the customer from choosing taking advantage of competitive offers. The expectations of consumers are also important, as they wish the transaction to meet all security standards (also with regard to the protection of personal data) and that the possibility of returning the goods should not be subject to any restrictions. It is worth remembering that despite the spectacular growth of the e-commerce market, some consumers are still unconvinced about this form of purchasing goods. They say that the main reason for this is the lack of physical contact with the item, which may result in an unsuccessful purchase. It is very likely, however, that attractive prices for products purchased online, as well as increased security of supply and the most consumer-friendly return policy possible, could induce skeptics to buy online.

Although the term Employer Branding has been popularized quite recently, experts fully appreciated its role in the functioning and development strategy of companies. It is a series of activities presenting the company as an employer and business partner worthy of recommendation, addressed to current and future employees, other companies or clients. The branding strategy is divided into two types, distinguishing External Employer Branding and Internal Employer Branding.

External Employer Branding – get committed professionals

The strategy of acquiring new employees should be based on knowledge about their expectations and the specificity of the choices they most frequently make in the professional area. More and more jobseekers carefully assess the company in which they can find employment, and the offered financial conditions are not the only criterion for selecting a future employer. A company interested in recruiting the best employees must not only convince them to connect their professional fate with it, but also effectively recruit the most suitable candidates for its profile.

A well-thought-out brand recommendation strategy remains the key; among the various forms of promotion, its image on the Internet, including on social networks, cannot be missed.

Internal Employer Branding – dignity and empathy in the workplace

Completing a team of professionals is not the only goal included in Employer Branding. Another, equally important, is integrating them and creating a relationship of loyalty and sympathy between employees and the company. It is Internal Employer Branding, i.e. creating a positive work environment, providing employees with development opportunities, appreciating them as part of competitions organized by the company, and finally the aforementioned team integration, e.g. through joint participation in charity initiatives.

Skilful management of employees’ talents is also important, supported by interviews that allow them to define their changing needs.

Profits from taking advantage of the opportunities offered by Employer Branding

Creating a loyal and committed team – a company with a high rotation does not arouse the trust of both potential employees and business partners. Employees who feel appreciated will focus on activities supporting the company’s development, not on trying to change employers as soon as possible.

Building good business relationships – a well-coordinated team of employees who performs the entrusted tasks very well, creates a stable position of the company, which can also be noticed by potential business partners looking for experienced and reliable contractors.

Learning how to shape long-term relationships – by caring for the company’s development, through skilfully conducted recruitment processes and building strategies within the company resulting in the team’s full involvement in the tasks entrusted to it, the employer develops the skills to build long-term relationships, also useful in contacts with business partners and clients.

Between HR and marketing

Despite the obvious advantages brought by companies using the strategies carried by Employer Branding, many of them do not have a department dedicated to them, and strategies similar to the activities in the area of ​​Employer Branding are implemented by employees responsible for HR or marketing. This is not the right way – building the image of the employer requires specialists to have both knowledge of human resources management and marketing.

The online store, no matter what assortment it offers, must be properly promoted. This task is extremely important, because not only the company’s profits depend on it, but also its very existence. For owners who have just started their business, it is also difficult due to the usually expensive solutions for popularizing the company’s offer. Fortunately, the online store can also be effectively promoted when you do not have large financial resources yet. This solution requires a lot of time and effort, but there is a good chance that it will bring the expected results.

The key role of optimization

A store page cannot be lost in the depths of the Internet – if customers do not find it through a search engine, it is difficult to talk about real profits and effective sales. Hence, it is so important to optimize the store, which you can commission to professionals or try to do it yourself. The choice of the second option is associated with the preparation of original product descriptions, content containing keywords. They must appear in the text in an appropriate intensity and be included in it so that it does not lose its naturalness, is interesting and substantive. Self-optimization of the website certainly requires a lot of patience, sometimes it is carried out by trial and error. He obliges to test words or phrases, to mentally impersonate the client, which allows him to effectively predict what keywords he enters in the search engine in order to find the product he is interested in.

Blogging

If you want to effectively promote your store, you need to start a blog. Regularly posted entries that answer the questions and needs of recipients, will gain many readers, which will translate into sales success. It is worth taking care of a high level of texts and accompanying photos or graphics, and also try to add entries systematically. The blog cannot duplicate the content contained on the store’s website, but should raise issues related to the thematic area to which the assortment refers. Hence, the health food store will be associated with a blog promoting a healthy lifestyle (also in the area of ​​physical activity or relaxation techniques), and the store where wall murals and paintings are sold will be supplemented with a blog about interior design. A company blog also allows you to contact the recipients of the content contained therein, and consequently to better understand the needs and expectations of customers.

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

These extremely popular communication channels allow not only to reach a large number of recipients, but also to establish instant contact with them, made by potential customers more willingly than via a blog. Facebook and Instagram fit perfectly into the modern rush of life, based on short text information and photographs. Facebook and Instagram contests are very popular, so it is worth taking advantage of reaching all interested parties and quickly increasing the popularity of your store. Promoting the assortment through videos posted on YouTube can bring great benefits, if we only think carefully about the subject of the videos presented. Both instructional videos and interesting stories related to the product or brand will work here – in this case, the choice of subject matter depends on the type of goods offered by the store.

Valuable contacts

An effective way to reach customers is also through activity on websites and industry forums. Consistent building of the image of an expert will make recipients want to take advantage of your offer, and if they are satisfied, they will recommend the store to others. It’s also a good idea to get in touch with read bloggers who will try the product and then review it on their blogs. Some of them cooperate only on the basis of financial remuneration (the rates vary and are usually negotiable), but many people are willing to accept the barter exchange proposal, advertising your store only for the possibility of receiving a specific product or products.

The 2021 International Furniture Fair will be held on February 23-26, 2021 in Poznań. The event brings together representatives of the furniture industry from all over Central and Eastern Europe and is a great opportunity to recommend and export domestic furniture production.

Offer for publishers and visitors

The thematic scope of this year’s fair consists of 10 areas, 7 of which are devoted to furniture (respectively – residential, stylized, rattan and wicker, kitchen, bathroom, garden and tourist, as well as for public utility rooms), and the next concern issues related to design and services in furniture industry and present trade publications.

The fair attracts not only publishers but also visitors. The former present and offer the latest assortment to traders arriving from all over the world, while the latter have the opportunity to see new collections and conclude contracts with manufacturers. The International Furniture Fair is accompanied by the Home Decor fair, addressed to interior architects, DIY chains and homing galleries, as well as the prestigious Arena Design, which hosts the most popular designers not only from Europe. Lectures, exhibitions and presentations dedicated to representatives of the creative industry take place here: both designers and interior architects, as well as design enthusiasts. The fair also includes a competition for the Gold Medal of the Poznań International Fair. The awards are granted for innovative and modern products that meet the highest quality standards.

A fair of increasing importance

The event is very popular. Last year’s edition was attended by nearly 22,000 people from 69 countries. Foreign guests constituted as much as 38% of the total number of visitors, they came mainly from Germany, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. This excellent result shows that the evolution that the fair has undergone over the years has proved to be the right choice. Already 5 years ago, Jerzy Szyszka, the director of the fair, indicated that the change of their name (adding the word “Poland” to it) strengthened the image of the event. The importance of the event is also built up by the number of buyers from foreign chains, leading buyers of Polish furniture, which every year increases.

We are curious how you rate the previous editions of the fair and are you going to come to Poznań in February next year? If so, in what role – visitors or exhibitors? We would like to hear your impressions and opinions: do you think that participation in fairs can translate into benefits of participating companies?