Are you burnt out from working too hard in your restaurant and still not making the money your hard work deserves? Too many hours in the kitchen or on the floor? Feel like you are ALWAYS at the restaurant and missing the things that you would rather be doing with your family and friends?
It’s not an uncommon story. Independent owners are often run ragged, but it shouldn’t be that way. Many restaurant owners try to focus on the day-to-day operations of their restaurant instead of taking a step back and focusing on how they can really make more money. Doing your employees’ work means you aren’t making the income you want to generate to live the lifestyle you anticipated when becoming an entrepreneur.
The phrase “Work On It, Not Just In It” was created by Michael Gerber in his book, The E-Myth Revisited. He refers to the many entrepreneurs who build a business around their ability to get things done and end up working too hard on the wrong things.
Unfortunately, this mistake costs you dearly – because when it comes to profitability, marketing your business is the most profitable tool in any restaurant owner’s toolbox.
Increasing sales and profits is the only way to put more money in your pocket at the end of the month. And to do that, you have to stop doing the work of an hourly employee and focus on the things that make you more money.
Are You A Business Owner Or A Fireman?
If you only take one paragraph to heart, let it be this one. You know that staying organized is critical to running a successful business. Otherwise, every day you are simply running around putting out fires. And, if sales are flat, it is too late to create marketing to correct it.
Secret To Sanity Owning A Restaurant
Establish weekly systems that help keep everything in order. By dedicating specific focus time to each area, you can ensure that each aspect of your business receives the attention it deserves. Set aside focus time each day to effectively track your customer data, set sales goals, plan and create future marketing campaigns, and track the results of previous marketing. You should also block time for the other important tasks only you can do, monitor managers, review banking or accounting, and approve payments – anything you want to ensure is done accurately.
When you block this time, it’s crucial to create a closed-door policy and insist on a no-interruptions policy during these designated times to ensure maximum productivity. With these practices in place, you’ll be on your way to streamlining your business and achieving greater success in the long run.
What’s The Plan?
Create a marketing plan, working ahead of time. I suggest three months out. This creates a roadmap for the year ahead and avoids last-minute panic and sales slumps. It’s the path you will take to meet your sales goals. Think about the year in chunks. Many do it in quarters or by month – choose a timeline that works for you.
Decide the events, opportunities, and periods of traditional slow sales you’d like to eliminate in each time chunk. For each opportunity, decide the marketing required and what needs to be accomplished for it to happen. Plan your campaign goals, your target audience, what your message and offers will be, and how you will get your message out to the right people.
FREE Resources
For a more detailed plan for this, see our previous post: Making A Strategic Marketing Plan For 2023
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Give Your Staff The Tools To Succeed
A well-trained team makes all the difference in creating a stellar customer experience, which means you can step back and trust that they are doing their jobs the way you would.
By providing adequate employee training and development opportunities, you can nurture superstars who are confident in their skills and committed to providing top-notch service. Sharing responsibilities with your team and giving them room to grow can also help empower them to handle any situation with customers.
Managing instead of doing leaves room for your staff to shine. Investing in your team can pay off in a big way when it comes to your customer satisfaction and diminishing your workload.
Delegate Whenever You Can
This is another key strategy to deploy so that you can focus on the marketing tasks that will make you more money. Delegate tasks that don’t require your direct attention.
When delegating, giving clear goals, guidelines, and deadlines is essential to ensure you get the desired outcome. Once those expectations are set, you only need to hold people accountable for their work. You can maximize productivity and achieve great success as a team by delegating effectively.
When you work ON your business, you are working on tomorrow’s income.
Marketing is one of the most profitable aspects of your restaurant, especially if you want to make more money. Stay organized, leverage technology, and have a staff you trust and people you can delegate to.
Automating certain facets can make a world of difference and free up your schedule for other tasks. Taking advantage of outside help, such as outsourcing or partnering with an agency, can also relieve stress.
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Michael Thibault
Known as “The Done For You Marketing Guy for Restaurants.” International Speaker on Restaurant Marketing. Published contributing author of 4 Marketing Books. Industry expert on Google Searches and Review Sites. Recovering Independent Restaurant Owner and Caterer of over 21 years. And, all-around good guy.
