Well, here it is, my first blog title – “Knowledge Changes the Game”. One that will form a basis for this, and all my ongoing blogs. The purpose is to give you inspiration. For you to focus in areas of your business, and to enable your business to grow. So why am I starting this blog?
Well, I am sure there are a lot of people out there that either want to start a cafe, or already own a cafe, and have the desire for their venture to grow, and to be profitable. After all, you did not get into the hospitality industry to work 80 hours a week did you!!
You are a people’s person, you love to entertain, or you may have a passion for coffee, enjoy cooking and creating those recipes for all your family and friends. These are some of the reasons, people like you get into the cafe culture, and the hospitality industry.
In business you need to keep improving and growing, in order to remain profitable. If you stop you will be left behind and may become a statistic, and no one wants that to happen. You need to be constantly learning and to be consistent at it. Looking for new ways to do things and to understand and implement some concepts. In fact, successful businesses are built on Systems and Procedures, it’s as simple as that.
I am confident you will find the information in my content that will switch on a light bulb, ignite a spark, or simply give you the motivation and inspiration to implement, or change. You had the passion to enter this industry, and it is my purpose to share my years of information with you, so you can have the “Knowledge that changes the game”.
Have you set up Systems and Procedures to keep your business flowing?
For now let us get an insight.
The first concept I would like to share with you is to have an open mind, question everything, and look at problems as opportunities. There is a positive, to every negative, no matter what is happening around you.
Afterall when you first walked into your cafe as an owner, you had these dreams and aspirations, of what you wanted to create and to offer your customers. You hit the ground running with enthusiasm, and with the mantra “Build it – and they will come”. As the days, weeks, and months pass by, you suddenly realise that your time is being absorbed by having to do all these other tasks that needed to be done.
The enjoyment of your dream has drifted a little as you now have to learn and complete these required administrative responsibilities (unless of course you have a partner or friend who can do this for you). Some of these skills you require, are actually specialist job roles.
However, you are doing your best, to tick along with the knowledge you have. You may have already acquired the acumen to complete some of these perplexed roles, and some other areas are just downright boring you, so they are done half-heartedly, or even worse, neglected.
It is my primary goal to help you learn a few key things, that in time, allow you to have an awareness of what is happening in your business particularly in the areas listed below. Also allowing you to set up and observe the key matrices of each area so you can focus on managing your business effectively. Afterall, if you are always busy, there is no time to create.
Therefore, I am offering you a fresh perspective to everyday foodservice problems, and to help you build strong solid systems and procedures to implement. I have listed these additional skills below, and we will cover them together as our journey progresses.
Which of the following areas do you have/lack Knowledge?
What is your Why – your Motivation
In all the years I have owned a restaurant and cafes, I had the privileged opportunity to meet other like-minded motivated operators. It always struck me, how everyone had their own reason and drive for getting into the food service business.
Those wanting a career change, the chef or cook wanting to go it alone, the home cook whose family and friends enjoy their food. Then there are those that love entertaining and having people around, people who enjoy pleasing others and getting a smile in return. Others who are in it for a lifestyle or investment and want it managed, whilst they do other things. Operators who are niching down in specialist areas because it is their passion and they are catering for a select market.
Then there are people like you. Owners who have a little bit of everyone above, want to put their own spin on things, to satisfy the needs of the customer and market demands, but perhaps most importantly, wants to be successful.
Over the next few weeks, I am going to cover and explain the importance of knowing your numbers. Some of these numbers are important to get you heading in the right direction. You need to know these numbers and recall them in order to make, important, instant decisions.
I have an analogy of owning a cafe or small business to driving your car around. In a car you have an instrument cluster you can view whenever you need an update on what is happening on your journey. It keeps you focused and on track.
A lot of essential information is available to you like speed, fuel level, temperature, if indicators or lights are on, navigation, gps location, warning alarm lights, trip computer and a whole host of other information.
Now I hear you saying that you need to be moving for all this information to become available, and that is true. That is why your actions give you the ability to move forward. It is your actions of accelerating, using the clutch, what gear you are in, slowing using the foot brake, when to use cruise control, tuning into the radio or a podcast, and tricky manoeuvres like using the handbrake for hill starts.
Just like driving a car your actions in business will determine where you are going, and a few key matrices on your own dash board will let you know how you are going and what you should do next. Do not keep looking in the review mirror whilst driving as it is a small visual area, that is only a snapshot of where you have been. We are more interested on where we are going.
The windscreen is large so you can see all the threats and opportunities, and adapt to suit. This is the way forward. Join me on the journey where “Cafe Business Matters”.
