What's up guys and gals today I've got another business article to bring you up to speed on my development and how I've come to the answers I have concluded from experience.
Business isn't easy but i would like to add a key factor in making this work...
It's one thing to start any business or hire any amount of people to essentially "work" for you...
But being able to make this run like a "well oiled machine" and also get more out of it then money, you have to take a step back...
Put yourself in their shoes and feel like you are one of the staff.
. Delegation:-
Assigning tasks to others only goes as well as you set it up.
So learning how to slowly but surely trust people with some of the harder jobs may not be easy at first...
But if you take the time to teach them, then this can create a lot more leverage by alleviating your time on tasks usually deemed
"If you want it done right, do it yourself mentality"
This also goes over the subject of Strengths/Weaknesses:-
Take the time to learn about the people you are working with or that work for you, building those relationships can help you dramatically along the line.
By learning not only your strengths but the teams individual strengths you can form much stronger teamwork and business structures.
I have spent many years as a kitchenhand working in the back of every kitchen in town,
slowly watching each one loosing money in hidden costs slipping by because they were too stubborn and ignorant to listen to "some kid" (what would he know right?)
I was watching the bosses tearing their hair out over the budget and making cuts left, right and centre to bring overheads down... (this is backwards thinking)
little did they know, that I knew EXACTLY how they were loosing money day-by-day because I was one handling it everyday, watching it unfold.
Now i do want to say that bad employment is no joke, but people like me make the best of every bad situation and take as many lessons away from hard times as we can.
learning from other peoples mistakes can help you out alot in the long run,
especially when you don't have to dig through the same harsh learning curves and brutal lessons when your account takes a hit.
The point i want to focus on is...
through all the years of working in different places and doing my own business research,
I have gained a ridiculous!!! amount of experience in business marketing and understanding hidden costs.
But... every time I walk into a new job the boss looks me up and down and labels me a "pair of hands" nothing more, nothing less...
I have always tried to give my suggestions and feedback to improve their margins and solve their problems for them essentially,
but just get pushed into a corner and told to do the dishes,
even though I'm a fully qualified bookeeper with a marketing backround and understand more about ROI then they will ever care to dredge.
With a full understanding of the psychology behind the managers, sub managers, staff and customers.
. I understand the staff because I'm one of them
. I understand the customers because I'm one of them
. AND I understand the bosses backwards as fuck mindset because i am one of them...
NOW... This is why i have the time to write up this article and theres no hours for me at this "Job"
My current problem is this... I am working at a new kitchen for a small motel.
They have quite a lot of rooms and make good money there, and the staff are stretched a little thin but its all manageable.
Whereas the dining area is basically empty 6/7 days a week and we are lucky to have a grand total of 6 meals roll in even though we have over 50 rooms booked and 100 people staying here???
Now this made me start digging around and questioning the bosses motives.
What i had found out absolutely astounded me...
The final straw was:-
When me and the head chef are looking at each other bored out of our minds!!!!
in the middle of service, when some tennants walked past with fish and chips, even though they were given a discount for the dinner menu.
THE DOORS WERE SHUT!!!!???
It was 5:30 pm and we are prepped up ready to go, the tenants are hungry, and we just want something to do at this point to kill the boredom.
The dining room all sweet and ready to go... waitress has the bread ready for them and bookings are sorted ETC.
But we were just waiting around........ playing with our... um... carrots. XD
This is one of those small places that would walk straight past because it doesnt look like its open,
they have a nice area for signage on the main street but wont pay for it to be done?
Instead they have this tiny little A frame on the street that's blocked by the first car that parks outside the very active bakery next door.
The doors only open for service about 10 minutes to 6 as the first bookings roll in.
They open for an hour or 2 for breakfast then close, and again for lunch about 12-1:30 if its quiet, which is often.
Then dinners only for 3-4 hours...
The problem is the locals never know when its open and when the doors are shut it looks closed.
Being in the kitchen i see what gets wasted from the fridges due to "lack of usage" and because i'm given the "not-so-fun-jobs"
I can see where the time wastage is as well.
Not to mention the fact that they are selling the same thing as 4/5 places on the main street... its easy to see where everything has gone wrong.
This boss knows how to manage a hotel quite well, but somewhat lacks understanding of commercial food appeal or advanced marketing.
Unfortunately in this industry that is half the battle and being left unchecked could be a hole in their pocket slowly breaking the budget.
I know for a FACT! My input could increase profit margins by 20%, but my opinions have forever fallen on deaf ears...
Slowly but surely I have found ways to work for myself, hoping to one day run my own show.
Making a little bit here and a little bit there... opening as many passive income avenues as possible.
I live and breathe business investments... but its never about the money, I just like numbers,
its all about that percentage growth and making that just a little but more everyday can keep u motovated!!!
Some of my investments are only returning 2 cents a day... (a lot like this post hahaha =P)
This quickly becomes a lot of value over the coming 6-12 months as reinvestment takes place it begins to compound exponentially,
along with the other avenues I've opened up. (don't underestimate small fish)
TLDR: know your staff, know your clients, know your bottom line, listen to your staff... play to your strengths and THEIRS!!!
No matter how stubborn you are, listen!
Because 9/10 they know something that you don't, and just want to help.
HFGL!!! thanks for reading XD
If you have anything to ask or add please go for it!