🍺 Work, Whiskey, & Weed: The Weekly covers it all.

The Weekly from The Liquid Lunch Project, Issue No. 49 | December 23, 2022

Dec 23, 2022

Noodling. Pinball machines. 3D-printed houses; we love a good end-of-year recap. Here are some of the top stories you may have missed from 2022.

WHAT’S ON TAP THIS WEEK? 🍻

Tick-tick: Ever feel like there's more work than hours in a day? Might be time to rethink your time management skills. 🕗 That's the topic of this week's Lesson with Luigi.
I like big ~~butts~~ bookstores and I cannot lie: A B&N comeback song. 📕
But do I have to tip? 💸 The latest in drone delivery.
And on today's episode of "Rich People Buy Weird Shit," a toilet that costs more than a car. 🤨
Whiskey beats Rum. Tequilla beats Whiskey: Spirits 🍸 (and spirits 💃🏼) are looking up in the U.S.
Santa is the busiest guy this time of year, but this poinsettia ranch comes in at a close second. 🚚
Don't drop the ball before the Big Ball falls: 🗓 Read this week's Money Minute for some end-of-year advice for your small biz.
Missed our conversation with Max Gerson? If your business needs help with branding or finding clarity and focus, don't skip last week's episode of The Liquid Lunch Project podcast. 🎧
And from 🌐Around the Web: 🤑 Discounted Teslas, some surprising roadway guidance 🥴, and don't count your goals before they're scored. ⚽

THE CLASSROOM

Today's Lesson: Six Tips for Better Time Management

by Luigi Rosabianca

When it comes to running a business (or life in general, really), two things nobody ever complains about having too much of are Time and Money. We can’t imagine any scenario where someone would turn down more of either. And yet, both are far too often squandered by small business owners.

Where money is concerned, it’s easier to track. You’ve got bank statements and budgets and cold hard numbers to determine where the waste is happening. It’s all very black and white; it just takes some leg work.

Time - more specifically, effective Time Management - is a bit more nebulous. A dollar is a dollar, but what one person can do with an hour is vastly different from what the next guy can do with those same 60 minutes. People work at different paces.

That’s why it’s critical you carefully evaluate your own time management skills on a regular basis. Time is a valuable asset, and you want to ensure you’re getting the best ROI for the effort and energy you’re putting into your business.

Here are six tips for small business owners to help manage their time better.

Keep Reading

HEARD ON THE STREET

📚 The Book Biz Makes a Button Hook

The “no-one-reads-anymore” and “physical-retail-is-dying” naysayers are getting rebuked by the facts on the ground. In a reversal of a trend that’s been going on for more than a decade, Barnes & Noble is opening more stores than closing. 🙌🏼 This is a big deal for the country’s biggest bookstore chain that once struggled to compete with the one-click convenience and affordability of Amazon and the mom-and-pop authenticity of independent bookstores. The pandemic reminded everyone that books are fun, and B&N is the merrier for it.

The company prioritized improving the shopping experience to make stores the opposite of “dull, unengaging, and dispirited.” The strategy seems to be working since two of the new Barnes & Noble stores will open in locations that previously housed Amazon Books. Ouch! In some good news for your deal-hungry moms-and-pops, Burlington, TJ Maxx, and Ross Stores are among the retailers expanding their physical footprints. Big-box stores are now being more selective in choosing where to open new locations as brick-and-mortar retail rebounds from its pandemic slump.

🛒 Delivery Lite

Walmart’s DroneUp service now offers drone deliveries of up to 10 pounds for $3.99 in Arizona, Florida, and Texas. The launch in three new states fits into Walmart’s broader plan to build the capacity to deliver 1 million packages per year by drone. If you don’t mind some broken eggs with your omelet, place your order here.

🚽 Royal Flush

Kohler launched an $11.5K, Alexa-supported smart toilet with a heated seat, customizable bidet, and a lid that closes automatically. Not only that, but it’ll be easier to clean thanks to automatic misting technology and an auto-deodorizer. If you’re keen to keep up with the Joneses and order one, let us know if the warm booty is worth the loot.

🍹 Liquid Lunches Abound

Premium spirits sold at $50+ for a 750ml bottle have continued to surge, as sales of luxury spirits rose 15% in Q3 from one year ago, according to the Distilled Spirits Council’s latest Luxury Brand Index.

Sales of American whiskey, including such brands as Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s and Rémy Cointreau’s Westland, were strongest, rising 33% from last year. Tequila consumption increased by 29%, followed by Japanese whisky, up 20%. The Distilled Spirits Council launched the Luxury Brand Index in October ‘21, but it has historic data from 2017. Compared with five years ago, luxury spirits volume sold in the U.S. has nearly tripled. Over this time frame, tequila beat whiskey, growing 44% annually (compared to 43% for whiskey).

Investors shifted to wine this year as an alternative investible asset. The Liv-ex Fine Wine 1000, the broadest index of the fine wine market, is up 16.1% year over year, while the benchmark Liv-ex 100 rose 3.8%. But there are signs of a slowdown in fine wine markets after supply chain turmoil. The Liv-ex 100 recorded its first decline in 18 months in July and again in October and November; trade volume increased just 2.4% in 2022 compared with 10.4% last year.

Don’t look at us! We only condone drinking during business lunch meetings. Y’all are taking this too far.

✌🏼 Flower Power

Poinsettias are the unofficial Christmas flower. But how did they get so popular? Every year in the US, approximately 70M (yes, MILLION) poinsettias of widely cultivated varieties are sold over a six-week period. Many of these poinsettias are grown by Paul Ecke Ranch, which serves HALF the worldwide market and 70% of the US market. 🤯 This short video breaks down how poinsettias blossomed into a holiday cash cow.

THE MONEY MINUTE WITH MRM

Four Things Small Business Owners Should Address Before the End of the Year

with Matthew R. Meehan

There's only a little over a week left in 2022 🤯 which means next year will be banging down our doors here real soon. Close out the year strong and position yourself and your business for maximum growth and success in 2023:

Review financial statements: How has your business performed over the past year? Understanding your financial position will help you identify areas for improvement. Look at income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to get a better idea of where you're at.
Plan for next year: Just like you make personal New Year's Resolutions, you should make them for your business. Consider what changes need to be made to achieve these goals and create a plan.
Prepare for tax season: Start gathering all financial records, receipts, and invoices now. It's a good idea to consult with a tax professional if you have any questions about the process.
Take care of yourself: Burnout is real. And running a small business can be demanding, so give yourself a break to rest and recharge over the holiday season. Your business will be better for it in the new year.

🍻 LAST CALL WITH THE LIQUID LUNCH PROJECT PODCAST

🎧 Ep 83: A Branding Deep Dive with Max Gerson

Branding is hard work. And it’s more than just creating a shiny new logo or building a new website and expecting immediate results. It’s about narrative and storytelling and, above all else, staying curious.

On the podcast today is Max Gerson, creator of Brand Wolfe and branding guru. He’s taking us on a deep dive into what branding - effective branding - actually is and how his company is helping small and medium-sized businesses gain clarity and focus.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck or simply need some brand direction, you’ll want to tune in.

What You’ll Learn:

How his company, Brand Wolfe, can help with tension in your business
Why direction is more important than speed
How and when new and existing businesses should focus on branding
The one question you should be asking yourself about your brand
Why not every piece of marketing is for every single person
Why he believes behavior has to change in order for businesses to change
The importance of Average Customer Value and Lifetime Customer Value

Listen Here

We Got Ya!

Take Your Time Back! ⏰

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Take back your time and simplify your life with Calendly's online appointment scheduling system. It's easy to set up. It's easy to use. It's going to be your new best friend.

And now's your chance to try it for yourself! Use this link for a free 14-day trial and give it a spin. Full disclosure: Calendly may buy us a drink when you use this link. 😉

AROUND THE WEB

England did NOT bring it home, and now an overconfident businessman is left holding the bag...and that bag contains 18,000 t-shirts proclaiming the Three Lions are the 2022 World Cup champs. 🤦🏼‍♂️
Drivers in Mumbai received an unconventional bit of advice from an LED road sign that said, "smoke week every day." Officials claim it was the result of a 'technical glitch,' but we're betting 'Mary Jane' was behind it, that cheeky broad. 🚬
Double the pleasure, double the fun: Tesla Inc. is offering a $7,5000 discount on Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles delivered in the United States this month - up from $3,750. Last-minute Christmas gift, anyone? 🎁

Want more from the guys at The Liquid Lunch Project? Check them out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and brand new website. And don’t forget to sign up for our referral program and start earning free stuff!

The Weekly