This week was another busy week with trying to decide what items we wanted next and working on the list of items for the website. I finished the lists for the new BlueSky items that we got in, PlusPlus, and Twisted X. I had already created a list for blue sky that had been uploaded to the website but we got in some new product. I started on Swan Creek Candle and have been having some issues with that so I moved on until I get some help and we get our next shipment in.

This week I worked on Benjamin Moore and Old World. Both of these brands are very popular for us, especially Old World at Christmas time. We felt it was important to get them onto the website now so our customers know we carry these brands and they can maybe start their shopping early.

This week I had some mistakes that I needed to correct in order for items to be put onto the website. They were just minor mistakes and things I had looked over when I first was working on it. Sometimes that happens when I have a huge list and I have been starting at letters and numbers all day. Luckily I have someone who looks over everything before it gets put onto the website.

After I fixed my mistakes I worked on gathering the information for the wind chimes we sell, Lacrosse boots, Willow Tree and the vinyl that we carry. These lists were not very long and did not take very long to do each one. As I have gotten more familiar with what to look for I have been able to work a little bit faster.

This week was a much better week and I felt very good about the new system and template. It was not very different than the original one I had created, we just added to it a little bit. This week I got the information for Dixie Bell, Carolina, and Tomy together for the website. I am also starting to see the items that I have been working on put onto the website.

Every Wednesday we have our weekly meeting and this week we started to talk about Fall and what we thought was important to have on sale for August, September, and October. We also discussed what items I need to start working on in order to have it ready for the website come fall.

This week was very stressful. I felt like I had taken 10 steps forward in the weeks prior just to come to a halt this week and take 5 steps back. As a team we had a meeting and there has been some miscommunication between everyone. I was very frustrated this week and had to take a step back. After meeting with the team and discussing what was missing I was able to go back and fix the changes rather than having to redo everything. We came up with a template that is easy to use and one that works for all of us. Next week is a new week and I am going to start fresh with new merchandise to load onto the website.

Today I felt very successful. Although I had to fix a couple mistake form last week, I got a lot done. I got all of the stuff for Blue Sky into a list. Blue Sky is a new line of fire pits that we have started to carry. It was important to get these onto the website because they are so new and they are popular right now with it being Summer. I also got all of the Melissa & Doug Toys that we carry into a list and the muck boots. The toys are very popular around Christmas time but we wanted to get a head start on it due to all of the Christmas stuff that we will have to put on the website. The muck boots are also going to start to pick up again here soon and I wanted to get everything together before they start to get busy.

Today I felt like I was at a little bit of a stand still. When I first started I created a template that my supervisor approved and said was good for me to use. Today I was told that it is incorrect and it needs to be changed. I felt like all the work I had put in on all of the other lists just went to waste because it would need changed. I did have to go back and move some things around and create a new template but at the close of today I had gained my confidence back and no longer felt defeated.

I am now done with the pool supplies and have been able to focus on other items that we feel are important to be put on the website. Each week we discuss what items we think should be put on next and create a list. This week I focused on the seasonings and sauces that we carry. Our grilling department is very busy and continues to grow every year. With some of our seasonings not being on the website we felt it was important to get them on as they will do very well on the website. For some of the seasonings I had to take my own pictures because the brands website did not have them available, but most of them did have pictures available.

This list was very easy to complete due to the small amount of seasonings that there are. After completing this one I feel very comfortable now with creating the lists for the website.

I also started to gather information for the EGO products that we carry. This is a new product for us but is one that is very popular on the market. EGO is the #1 rated battery platform-tool that exceed the power and performance of gas. With how popular these products are we decided to move this up on the priority list.

Today I continued to work on gathering information for the pool supplies. We carry a lot of pool supplies so it has taken me a little bit of time to work on it and this is new to me so I am still a little slow at it. I am also getting used to sitting in front of a computer all day, which has been a huge adjustment for me.  I also gathered all of the information for the seasonings and BBQ sauces that we carry. I uploaded the information into an excel sheet and will get it uploaded to our website sometime soon. I have not yet learned how to specifically upload to the website. In the mean time I am gathering all of the information that is needed for the next step.

When gathering the information I have to get the manufacture, the upc, the sku, retail price, product name, a short description, a long description, the category assignment for the website, and an image link. I can pull the upc, the sku, retail price, and the product name from our system. The other information I have to look for on the internet and that part is what can take a while. When looking for the other information I can go to the brands website or I may have to look on other websites to find the information that is needed.

I am definitely learning a lot so far and cannot wait to learn more.

Thursday, May 20, 2021 I started my internship with Farm and Home Hardware. Over the course of the summer I will be working with Farm and Home Hardware and our website coordinator. Today they showed me the basics of uploading product from our software system into excel sheets, where to find product description from, and where to get pictures from for the product. There are times when I will have to take the pictures myself but I will mainly be able to find them on the internet. I will be working closely with department heads and our website designer to put new products on our website.

I started working on gathering information for the pool supplies that we sell. This is a very big department for us and it is important that it gets put on the website soon. I will say that starting out with the pool supplies was very overwhelming due to all of the information and all of the pool products that we carry.

Just after the first day I can say that I am in a good routine and will enjoy learning more as my internship continues.