In recent years, online streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have redefined the way many people consume entertainment. We’ve said goodbye to commercials every 8 minutes and no longer have to wait until next week to find out how the most recent cliffhanger resolves itself.

But what does it really mean to consume the products they offer? Or any product for that matter? For example, news surfaced that Netflix considers a viewer to have watched an episode after just two minutes of engagement. Even though you turned that movie off before the opening scene was over, you’re still counted in a record breaking release statistic.

To me it seems like the definition of consumption here is a little off. If you watched just 2 minutes of a 90 minute movie, you’d only be consuming just over 2% of the full product. Put that in terms of any purchase you make and think about what it would be like to consume that little of it.

If you made any sort of big purchase, like a new car, or a new home, or even a new TV, you'd have expectations of how life after your purchase would be. You'd look forward to better gas mileage and a service plan from the dealer. Or gatherings with friends from your new kitchen. Or being even more engrossed in your favorite TV shows with that new and improved big screen.

The point is, that when you make a big purchase, you're not just purchasing something physical. You're also purchasing the experience you expect to have with that item. Even a pair of shoes could be expected to deliver an experience post purchase. Like feet that aren't sore after standing all day, or perhaps a few compliments during your first outing,

So why would you expect anything less if you make an investment in your pharmacy?

Every week when I make the grocery list, I ask my kids if there's anything they'd like to have around the house. There's the inevitable list of snack foods, and the 20 questions designed to make sure that their favorite meals are on the list. But without fail, my anti-vegetable, doesn't like fruit unless it's smothered in peanut butter or chocolate, son also asks for bananas.

This is an easy yes. Of course you can have bananas kid.

The thing is, he doesn't really want the bananas. What he wants is the result of bananas that sat on the counter for a week and got overripe. In our house that meant he was getting banana pancakes for breakfast on Sunday morning, and would have a steady supply of banana bread to start off the week. I have to hand it to him. It took me far longer than it should have to catch onto his scheme.

What my devious little lover of banana flavored baked goods caught onto was not just an enviable ability to plan ahead, but a results driven strategy that ultimately got him where he wanted to be. Every time I said "No, I can't make banana pancakes because we don't have bananas" he started to learn that all he needed for his weekend breakfast dreams to come true was a single ingredient. And guess what's been on the counter in one state of ripeness or another ever since?

While understanding the way that my Kindergartner's brain works is next to impossible, I imagine that if I were to define the process he went through it would boil down to a few simple questions. And while the problems we face in every day life and business are more complicated than pancakes, the same questions can get you closer to your desired results.

It's that time of year again where we're all setting goals and thinking about what we could do better in the new year. In business, I wouldn't exactly call them New Years Resolutions, but that new year in front of us can't help but bring with it some expectations for change.

As you gear up for the coming year, there may be a few things that it will be helpful to have access to.

T'was the week before Christmas, and all through the halls

Everything was stirring, and RMS staff were bouncing off the walls.

The break room was stocked with cookies and sweets,

Including macarons with jalapeno jam that really brought the heat.

The phones were still ringing, just not quite as much,

Bringing end of year orders, reporting questions, and such.

Then glancing at the calendar and noting the date,

I realized that my weekly blog was going to be late!

And so in a sugar fueled clatter of keys,

I thought, "I'll write a quick poem, that should be a breeze!"

With a simple message, sent just to say

From all of us at RMS, Happy Holidays!

My kids have been asking me when Winter break starts since the day after Thanksgiving. When will their class party be? When do Uncle and Auntie arrive in town? When will there be snow on the mountain? For them, all the excitement seems to make time feel slower. How can there be another whole week of school before the holidays?

I can't help but envy them, because it definitely feels different to me. The dwindling number of days left in December seem to go by faster and faster. Leaving precious little time to finish end of year tasks.

But, with a to-do list firmly in place, I know that I'll get my most important tasks accomplished, both in the office and at home. With just a few weeks remaining until year end, I encourage you to get a few important to-do's on your schedule.

I've got a full calendar for the last few weeks of December. Dinners with friends, a trip to the zoo for the annual light festival, picking up traveling family members from the airport, and of course some extra time to bake some holiday sweets. All the usual things that make this time of year go by so fast. And that's not even including the day to day that's always busier at the end of the year.

For many of us, work days are filled with making sure that loose ends are tied up, goals are met, and plans made for the new year. Businesses will also be taking a final look at the budget and finding out if there's room left for a few last minute investments before 2019 ends.

If you do happen to have some room in your 2019 pharmacy budget, there are a few point-of-sale related investments you may want to consider.

Anyone else feel like this month has been a little weird? Black Friday and "Pre" Black Friday deals already plaster our news feeds. I haven't even pulled my Turkey out of the freezer to thaw. (I probably should do that).

While Holiday Shoppers have gotten a head start, Black Friday is still on the horizon, meaning the big shopping days are yet to come.

But outside of any deals you intend to nab for yourself, Black Friday won't likely matter too much to you from a business perspective. In fact, it might even be a bit slower than normal for retail pharmacies open on November 29th. Black Friday is a day for retail giants with huge marketing budgets and margins big enough that price slashing won't hurt their bottom line.

But black Friday isn't the be all, end all of holiday shopping. Instead, focus your efforts for making the most of the holiday shopping season on Small Business Saturday.