The 2011 Annual Review

Does the term “annual review” make you a little uncomfortable? Often these canned assessments are completed on some kind of corporate form and warehoused in HR. Too often they are a big chore for the reviewer and unsatisfying to the reviewee. And what is the point after all? To document progress, or lack thereof? To justify raises or the path towards termination? Don’t we really just want to celebrate our successes and learn from our experiences, to find opportunities for improvement?

I have always loved those year-in-review things they do on the news programs, though. I find it a fascinating way to experience time – you know how some of those stories seem like they happened waaay more than a few months ago? I find that to be true as I look back on the year at Vmeals. So on this last business day of 2011, let’s take a moment to review.

Vmeals grew this year – not crazy Groupon-esque growth, but a solid, steady increase in business year over year. We continued to streamline our operation, increasing efficiency and customer satisfaction (according to our most recent survey, you think we’re doing a pretty good job), lowering expenses, keeping the company on solid financial ground.

We’ve added dozens of new restaurant and catering partners in cities all around the U.S. (I’m looking forward to opening our Bermuda market one day.) We’ve added thousands of new customers, new fans, friends and followers. We’ve facilitated hundreds of thousands of meals for meetings, trainings, sales presentations, office parties, and corporate events of all types.

Being in the business of serving business, our fortunes tend to rise and fall not only with the economic tide, but in predictable patterns. We are busiest on weekdays and quiet on weekends and holidays, but this year we did have one order on Christmas day. While everyone else was home with family, one of our customers used Vmeals to send a first-class feast to the Central Union Mission in Washington DC. We were delighted to be able to help make this happen – both for the customer who wanted to share his faith and good fortune, as well as for those who need to rely on the kindness of strangers this holiday season.

We gave away a lot of stuff this year. We offer lots of free lunches in conjunction with group presentations on the benefits of using Vmeals (just give us a shout if you’d like to know more about setting up a free, no-obligation lunch and learn), but we also gave away a lot of Keep Your New Year’s Resolution goodies. (Maybe we should check back and see how everyone did with those resolutions.) We gave one lucky person an iPad for St Paddy’s Day, we gave away Back to School Bucks, and celebrated the holidays with 12 Days of Giveaways.

Oh, and VCAP! I can’t even tell you how many Target gift cards, AMEX gift cards, and Vmeals credits we awarded to our loyal customers.

We traveled to Orlando, Cape Cod, Nashville, Hampton and points in between to support and sponsor the ALA, IAAP, SHRM and APC. (We gave away some swag everywhere we went as well.) We value the relationships we have developed with these professional organizations whose members  understand the value of efficiency, simplicity, and convenience.

We welcomed new CS reps, new babies and a new CEO, and we said good bye to some old friends. The circle of life, business-style.

So it’s been a pretty great year, but if we’re honest, it isn’t all cupcakes and rainbows. We had some disappointments along the way, some frustrations, some flubs, but that will have to be a post for another day. For now, just like you, we hope to learn, grow, get better and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Have you done your own annual review? What were your highlights of 2011? What lessons did you learn?

Happy Holidays from Vmeals!

No way Santa can miss this house.

It is mighty quiet around the office this week. In a business that requires so much collaboration and interaction, it's hard to be very productive when no else is around. It does give one opportunity to do a little housekeeping - maybe clear some piles off the desk, clean up the email inbox, catch up on some reading (all work related, of course). It's a chance to reboot.

The call center will be closing early today (2pm) and closed on Monday in observance of Christmas. There is,  however, always someone on call should you have a business related food emergency - but that's not very likely, is it? You should be home with your family, kicking back, and enjoying all the festivities you've worked so hard to prepare. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you can enjoy a national day of peace, love and joy (that is, if you resolve not to turn on the news).

From all of us at Vmeals, we wish you a wonderful holiday weekend!

Vmeals Holiday Party Highlights

If there's one thing we know how to do at Vmeals, it is how to throw a party. We had our holiday party last Friday, and here are a few of our tips for making any event festive:

Start with a great venue.

We had the privilege of holding our party at the University of Virginia's McCormick Observatory. High on a hill, this was the perfect place to view both the starry sky above and the city lights below, and made for a festive gathering spot. Inside the observatory was a ginormous telescope through which we were able to view Jupiter and get a detailed look at the full moon.

Attached to the observatory is museum and classroom space filled with light boxes of celestial images. Our host had set up on the big screen(which would later be used for karaoke) a projection of the night sky. It was the perfect back drop for the bar. Dawn, our business manager, and Susan, one of our fabulous CSRs, did a beautiful job decorating with lots of lights and greenery.

Make sure there's plenty to eat and drink.

We went with beer and wine to keep costs reasonable, and heavy hors d'oeuvres to make eating and mingling easier to manage. We felt like we took a bit of you all with us by filling the dessert table goodies made with your favorite cookie recipes.

Create special traditions.

The thing I look forward to the very most is Jon's Christmas sweater. It has become our special holiday tradition. Each year he sews on a new applique or adds some extra bling. We await its arrival (and Jon's) each year on pins and needles. It is not coincidence that he is pictured here next to the fire extinguisher - HOT!

Have some ice breakers.


Party games aren't just for children. A few low pressure activities can help ease that socially awkward ramp up time before the cocktails kick in. We started with Who Am I? Everyone had the name of a celebrity on their back and had to try to guess who they were by asking only yes/no questions. (I tried this with 8 year olds - not the same  - at all.)

The big fun was when we played Pass the Present. This is kind of like musical chairs, but with a wrapped present. When the music stops, the person holding the gift gets to open it - with oven mitts on. There were many layers of ribbon, paper, and tissue that kept this interesting and hilarious.

It was a great evening with some awesome people and lots of effort by many to make it a beautiful night. We spend so much time with this work family, but it is really a treat to get away from the office and just enjoy good food, good spirits and good company.

Did your company have a holiday party? Tell us about it!

From the Vmeals family to yours, happy holidays!

Monday Motivation Quote of the Week

"Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!"


I went to the mall this weekend - didn't I see you there?


In the all the shopping, wrapping, cooking and decorating, it can be easy to forget what it all means. The holidays, no matter which ones you observe, serve a very important  purpose. They take us out of the everyday grind and give us the opportunity to think about what and who is important to us - to give thanks, to appreciate, to celebrate the blessings and, particularly, the people in our lives.


The whole Vmeals staff is happy to have you in our world - all our customers, restaurant and catering partners, business associates, friends, and supporters. That's why we are giving gifts this season, and we have a few more to go. 


Identify the quote this week in the comments on our Facebook page or here (but you'll need to email mfulton@vmeals.com so we can contact the winner) for a chance to win a Spa Finders gift card! Don't you need a little pampering after all that shopping? You've got until 5pm Tuesday to enter.


Vmeals, where food and business connect.

Holiday Cheer!

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear."~Buddy the Elf


My son recently got his first iPod for his birthday. Now, like the rest of the family, he goes around the house with his ear buds firmly in place, singing loudly for all to hear. (It's usually Katy Perry or LMFAO instead of Christmas music, however.)


I often have to remind my children that having a head full of music to which you energetically sing along sounds quite different to you than it does to those who just hear the singing along part.


What gets you in the holiday mood? Post your favorite holiday song on our Facebook page or in the comments below and be sure to email mfulton@vmeals.com so we can send one of you a $25 iTunes card as part of our 12 Days of Giveaways!


Vmeals, where food and business connect.

Tell us What You Think

I was listening to a story on NPR this morning about a woman who hopes to be the first woman to ski across Antarctica alone. There were at least 25 fascinating things about this story, but one thing she said really jumped out at me.


Inevitably the interviewer asked her why she wanted to ski across Antarctica (it's really hard!), and she said, " 'Why' is a quick question to ask, but it can take a long time to answer."


So true.


But we've tried to make it easy for you to answer the question of why you like using Vmeals (or why you think there's room for improvement). We have a short little survey we'd like you to take and tell us what you think. Many of our features and improvements have been the direct result of customer feedback - so let us have it!

View the survey here. It will only take a few minutes. Thank you!

The Winning Cookie Recipe

Selection of cookies served at the Vmeals holiday party.

We had our Vmeals holiday party last Friday evening, and it was so much fun to have a little bit of customer love with us. We made all the cookie recipes submitted in our virtual cookie exchange and the staff voted on their favorite.

And the winner is...the mint sandwich cookie submitted by Laura. (I must also mention this one was the most labor intensive as well as it required mixing, chilling, rolling, cutting, baking, cooling, frosting, and so on.) They were worth the effort. The butter cookie was, well, buttery and delicious, but not too sweet. The filling was minty butter cream. Next time, I might add a little more peppermint extract. Be sure to check out all the recipes. Any of them will make a nice addition to your holiday baking.

Thanks to all who participated! I like a recipe smack down. What should our next contest be?

Vmeals, where food and business connect.

Monday Motivation Quote of the Day

"I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love."


In a culture that always craves bigger, better, faster, shinier, we often fail to appreciate some things that are entirely worthy of a little attention, including those unsung heroes in our daily lives.


Surely you know where this quote came from. Email your answer to mfulton@vmeals.com by the end of the day on Tuesday, 12/13/11, for a chance to win a $15 Starbucks gift card!


Vmeals - where food and business connect.

Monday Motivation Quote of the Week

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" 


You matter. The job you do, the people in your life are all impacted in some way by your presence. Sometimes it's the small, seemingly insignificant moments that make the biggest difference - a difference you may never even know about. Your actions and your words often have a life beyond you. Doesn't that make you want to make the most of every moment?


I didn't attribute this quote because I think you'll be able to figure it out. Tell us where it came from to be entered in our first 12 Days of Giveaways drawing on Thursday!


Vmeals, where food and business connect.

You're Invited! The Vmeals Cookie Exchange

I think I may have mentioned yesterday that the best thing about the holidays was presents. What I meant to say was cookies. The very best thing about the holidays is cookies.

Don't you just love a good old fashioned cookie exchange? We do, so we've decided to try a virtual cookie exchange. All you have to do is post your best/favorite holiday cookie recipe in the comments section below. Maybe you'll find something new from the Vmeals community to add to your repertoire.

To make it even sweeter (and more interesting), we'll be giving a $50 Williams-Sonoma gift certificate to one lucky cookie exchange participant. We will select the winner one of two ways, depending on how many submissions we get.

1. We will try each recipe in our Vmeals test kitchen (aka my house) and bring samples for tasting and judging at the Vmeals office holiday party on Friday, December 9th.
~or~
2.  If we get more recipes than our elves can handle, we'll simply draw a name.

Get your recipe in by 5pm Wednesday, December 7th. We'll announce the winner on Monday, December 12th (Day 3 of our 12 Days of Giveaways).


Vmeals, where food and business connect.

12 Days of Giveaways!

Everyone knows that the best thing about the holidays is the spirit of peace, love, and the joy of giving - and the presents. Yeah, definitely the presents.

Vmeals is in the holiday spirit and we want to give away some gifts. These are a few of our favorite things. OK - they're not quite like Oprah's favorite things, but we don't want to make you uncomfortable with inappropriately lavish gifts. These will be tasteful, useful, and just for you - think gift cards from Starbucks, Best Buy, Amazon, Fandango and more. (Re-gifting is optional - we'll never know.)

So stay tuned. We'll start on December 8th with a special gift every business day (that means no Saturday or Sunday action) through December 23rd. All you you need to do is pay attention. Sometimes we'll ask you to leave a comment on the blog or on our Facebook page or on Twitter. We promise to keep it lively and fun. Join us!

If you want to get a head start on the first mystery giveaway waiting for some lucky person in an undisclosed location, leave a comment here, on Facebook, or use the Twitter hashtag #vmeals12. Tell us what you want Santa to bring you, and you'll be eligible for our first drawing on December 8.