What a whirlwind this past week has been. I'm off to Makaibari Tea Estate next week and I've concluded you need a few days off to take a few days off! You don't realize the extent of the preparations until you get started.
For the Tea Room, I had to make sure all bills were paid, enough supplies were at hand, payroll was put in place, employees were scheduled, event signage was provided, Teas on Sale during April were selected and keys handed over. As great a staff as I have, I have responsibility for key functions, all of which had to be delegated.
For the wholesale office, preparations were even more intense. For one thing, taxes are due April 15, payroll had to be pre-arranged, all bills had to be paid, systems fine-tuned for orders and e-mails, websites pointed to different computers, promotions scheduled. Several new customers have just placed their opening orders and they all needed special hand-holding. First Flush samples have begun arriving and they need to be sampled and directed to appropriate customers.
I'm looking forward to sinking in to my seat on the airplane on Wednesday night but first, I have to find my summer clothes. I hear it is already quite warm in Makaibari. And Delhi, where I will spend one night, is 98 degrees!
