As a manager, you know you have it good. Your team members work hard and make customers happy. They come through for you even when things get tough. You want to encourage them to keep up the great work and to stick with your business for the long haul instead of looking for another job. … Continued
You’re proud of your business, and you know you and your team do great work. Sometimes, though, you can’t help feeling a little lost in the crowd amid all the competition. Delivering a quality product or service is only the first step to making your business stand out. Try some of these ideas to differentiate … Continued
If you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own business, you’ve probably considered the franchise option. After all, purchasing the right to open up a new location of an established, successful brand seems to be the best of all possible worlds. But how can you tell whether a franchise really is your best option? As with … Continued
Today’s restaurants don’t look like they used to. No, they’re not suddenly floating in space like a burger bar in the Jetsons. But, if they eat out on the regular, diners run a good chance of encountering a digitized POS. That would have seemed positively space age even a decade ago. Both customers and employees … Continued
Staff turnover is inevitable, especially for businesses in the food and drink industry, such as restaurants and bars. For many employers in this niche, a high turnover rate is a fact of business life. And to many managers with such revolving-door staffing needs, exit interviews might seem to be a waste of time. However, nothing … Continued
Since the advent of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores have struggled to compete. It’s no wonder: online, shoppers get to skip the lines and traffic, and they get exactly what they’re looking for, down to exact size, color, and style. They can search very specific questions and get specific answers about product quality. They even get … Continued
How to attract new customers? When you manage a service-based business, attracting new customers needs to be a priority. Even when you have a loyal core customer base, new customers grow your business. Sometimes repeat customers move away or fall on hard times and do less discretionary spending. You want to make sure your business … Continued
Oh boy. The customer who’s sought you out hasn’t even started to speak yet. But from his flushed face and clenched jaw, you can tell he’s ready to explode over something that happened to him at your business. Moments like these are among the biggest challenges you face as a manager. It’s difficult enough to … Continued
With more companies regaling employees with unlimited vacation, free beer, or bring-your-dog-to-work days, it’s no wonder company culture is a hot topic in today’s workforce. “Cool” factor aside, there are practical reasons to pay attention to your company’s collective identity. It shapes the direction of your organization as it grows, for starters: “Culture tells us … Continued
Whether you own a restaurant or manage a gym, nothing is going to win over more customers than the interactions they have with your employees. Not even your advertising, amazing product, nor scrumptious food. Customer service pays. One happy customer will rave about her experience to an average of nine other people. In a 2010 … Continued
