Category: For Franchisees:

THE IMPORTANCE OF A WRITTEN BUSINESS PLAN

Posted on by Contributing Writer

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Starting a new business can be a daunting task, but it can be easier if you have a plan. A written business plan is an important tool that helps manage your company and keep you on track with your goals. It will help you determine what type of company you want to run and how best to reach those goals. A good plan should also analyze the financials, operations, and market conditions. It’s not just about writing down numbers – it’s about understanding them so that you can make informed decisions about how best to move forward!

The Importance of a Written Business Plan
By Dom Hemingway

You’ve got a great idea for a business, but you need funding. Or maybe you want to keep your company on track by establishing an established plan? Either way, no question that having a written business plan will help propel your venture forward.
A written business plan is a must-have for any new business.

The first step in starting any new business is creating a business plan. A good business plan will help you define your goals, strategies, and objectives for your company’s future. The right business plan can be a roadmap to help achieve those goals.
A written business plan is also essential to secure funding from investors or lenders! In addition, a well-written document can help convince people that you are serious about taking risks and making changes to grow their investment as quickly as possible.Starting a new business requires a lot of thought and research. A well-written business plan is an essential element that can help you reach your goals, so it’s important to give this document the attention it deserves.
The following steps will help you create an effective, comprehensive plan:

Research the market. Before committing to your idea, make sure there’s room for growth in the industry and that there are no existing competitors who could undercut you or drive away customers.

Write down all ideas for how your company will operate and how it will make money (i.e., what kind of product or service do you want to offer customers?). This section of your plan includes information about who will be running the company, where funds will come from, how much money you need to start up operations, and whether there are legal issues related to registering as an LLC or other business entity). It also includes information about what kind of employees are needed for specific tasks–and whether those people currently exist within your network!

A written document acts as a road map for your company’s future.
A business plan helps you make early decisions about the future. It also allows you to make better decisions and avoid mistakes, problems, and pitfalls.

A good plan analyzes the financials, operations, and market conditions.
A good business plan should include a financial analysis of the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. It should also include an operations analysis outlining the business’s marketing strategy, sales plan, and distribution channels. This section will help you understand how to conduct these analyses successfully.

A good plan must also analyze market conditions—what they are and how they might change over time. Understanding market size is essential to your success: If there’s not much of a market for what you’re selling, then it won’t matter how great your product or service is because no one will buy it. So, in addition to analyzing current market conditions (size), predict future trends that may affect these conditions so that you can adjust accordingly for future changes in demand for your goods or services.

The executive summary
The executive summary should introduce critical players in the venture. In addition, it should include a description of the business, the business plan, and how you will implement it.
The executive summary should be able to stand alone and give investors an overview of your company’s goals, methods, and management team.

Identify your customers
It would be best to outline who your customers are and describe your brand. What do you want your business to be known? What type of person is your catering customer? For example, what image comes to mind when someone looks at your work if you’re selling artwork? Are they buying it to hang on their wall, or are they buying it as an investment piece?
You can answer these questions by creating a brand profile that describes your qualities and those who buy from you.

You must include information on financing requests, use of funds, and exit options.
If you’re seeking funding for your business, it’s crucial that you include your financial request in your plan. The financial presentation will give potential investors an idea of how much money is needed to get the company up and running. You should also include a breakdown of where you intend to use the funds and the percentage allocated for each plan section.

Return on investment (ROI) is another aspect you will address in a written business plan. This term refers to profitability, or how much profit a company can generate after considering expenses. It’s essential for investors considering putting money into your company to know how much return they’ll receive on their investment compared with other opportunities available at the time. This information will help them make an informed decision about whether or not they should invest in yours specifically.
It should also discuss challenges and opportunities, projections, and more.

A business plan should also discuss opportunities and challenges. Then, it should explain how you plan to overcome those challenges or exploit those opportunities. Finally, the plan should also include projections—a forecast of what your company’s performance will look like in the future. If you are seeking funding, you may need to provide more detail in the financial section than you would if you were using it internally as a planning tool. A business plan differs from an investor presentation in that a business plan focuses on how your company will succeed. In contrast, an investor presentation focuses on how much money investors will make. The financials should be detailed and quantitative if you are trying to raise capital from angel investors or venture capitalists. On the other hand, if you are only trying to obtain financing from friends or family members for your startup idea, then having more of an overview may suffice.

Executive Summary
The executive summary should be able to stand alone and give investors an overview of your company’s goals, methods, and management team. The executive summary is a summary of your business plan. It should be able to stand alone and give investors an overview of your company’s goals, methods, and management team. It should not include any confidential information or data.
The executive summary should be no more than two pages in length. If more information is needed, you can expand in later sections of the plan, such as the market analysis or financial forecasts section.
It’s important not just for investors considering investing in your company but also for potential partners or employees who may read through it before deciding whether they want to work with you or invest their time (and possibly money) into helping you succeed as an entrepreneur.

Operations Explanation
You need to be able to explain how your business will operate at the most basic level to get funding and grow your company.
A written business plan is a fundamental tool that helps you to explain how your business will operate at the most basic level. The document should include: An overview of the company, its products or services, the market, and whether there are any competitors. As a new company, it’s crucial to clearly define who your customers are and how you will reach them.
A description of each part of your operations — finance, marketing, sales, operations (production) — with details on how each area supports others within the organization in achieving goals for growth and profitability.
Use of funds: How much money do you need? How long before investors get their returns? What exit options do they have? Challenges and opportunities: Is there room for growth within this industry or niche market? Projections: Financials (income statements/profitability ratios)

Conclusion
Starting a new business can be a daunting task, but it can be easier if you have a plan. A written business plan is an important tool that helps manage your company and keep you on track with your goals. It will help you determine what type of company you want to run and how best to reach those goals. A good plan should also analyze the financials, operations, and market conditions. It’s not just about writing down numbers – it’s about understanding them so that you can make informed decisions about how best to move forward!

CONTROLLING LABOR COSTS IN A RESTAURANT

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Charlie Firth on Unsplash

Controlling Labor Costs In A Restaurant
By Johnny Day

Labor costs are a critical part of the restaurant business. The labor costs in your restaurant will vary depending on how much you staff your business, what kind of benefits you offer, how large your staff is, and how much turnover there is. If your labor costs are too high, it can cause issues with profitability. However, if they’re too low, then you may not be able to meet customer demand or provide the level of service that customers expect. Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for controlling labor costs; every restaurant will have unique factors affecting its labor expenses. The best way to manage these costs effectively is by creating an action plan based on data from previous years’ budgets and actual payroll figures from those same periods. Here are a few tips as an overview to labor cost management.

Control Staffing Costs
Staffing costs are typically the most significant expense in a restaurant. Hence, it makes sense that controlling labor costs is one of your biggest priorities. You can do this by hiring the right people, ensuring you have enough staff to cover shifts and peak times, ensuring you have the right staff for the job, and keeping your team happy and engaged.

As you can see, payroll cost is one of the largest expenses in a restaurant. The good news is that they can be controlled by carefully planning how team members are scheduled according to past sales trends. In other words, if you control your staffing levels and manage employee benefits and turnover while keeping an eye on labor-related taxes, you’ll be well on keeping your payroll costs under control.

Control Employee Benefits
Employee benefit costs can be a significant part of your labor costs. Health insurance and retirement benefits are usually the most expensive. Still, you may also offer additional perks such as vacation time or sick pay. As a business owner, it’s essential to understand what is covered under each employee’s benefits package. In addition, it’s critical to keep these costs in line with your budget and ensure that employees have everything they need to perform their job well. Also important is communicating these details clearly with employees. Take the time to ensure there are no misunderstandings about what they can expect from their benefits package.

Create A Management Staff That Must Multitask
To keep labor costs low, you must have a management staff who can multitask. A manager should be able to manage multiple employees and tasks simultaneously. This means they must be able to effectively prioritize and delegate tasks, as well as address any issues that arise from the execution of those delegated tasks.
To do this effectively, managers need a solid understanding of how their business works. They need to know what positions are required for optimal performance. For example, what duties each requires and how these roles relate to the greater operation (i.e., if an employee is late or leaves early). With this information readily available, managers can quickly decide which tasks they should assign where they’re needed most—and whether or not an employee might need training before taking on new responsibilities.

Optimize Your Team Member Schedule
Optimizing your team member’s schedules is essential in controlling labor costs. Optimizing your schedule ensures that every shift has the correct number of workers and that no worker is over or underutilized. You’ll want to define the problem before starting on a solution, however, so here’s how:
Figure out how many labor hours are used for each shift in your restaurant. Then track this number each day across all shifts
Review the duties performed by each employee during their shift(es), and allocate labor costs per job type (e.g., food service or dishwashing) according to industry standards or best practices
Determine how many hours each job takes based on its nature.

Software Helps Manage Labor Costs
As a business owner, you want to ensure that your business stays profitable. One way to do this is by software designed to help you control staffing costs. Labor management software can help you accomplish this goal by keeping track of time, attendance, and scheduling in one place.
You’ll want to use the right labor management software for your business. Find one that’s easy and efficient to use so that it doesn’t create more work for yourself or your employees (who are already busy enough). It also has to be affordable and reliable to provide accurate data about when employees start and stop working each day.

Conclusion
A successful restaurant can positively impact the local economy, but not if it’s not profitable. Therefore, controlling labor costs in your restaurant is one of the most important aspects of restaurant operations. Follow these few tips and see how they improve your bottom line.

Love at First Bite: Oath Pizza Signs New Multi-Unit Franchisees to Fuel Growth in Austin

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Oath’s simple operation drives attractive labor and supply chain advantages for traditional corporate and franchise locations. Oath’s nationwide supply chain distribution network creates reliability, the brand’s adaptive menu offers customers a quick, consistent product, and the business with attractive unit economics, including longer shelf life, reduced costs, and better throughput.

Love at First Bite: Oath Pizza Signs New Multi-Unit Franchisees to Fuel Growth in Austin

By Luca Piacentini – 1851 Franchise Senior Writer
Reposted with permission

Oath Pizza has become one of the most popular brands and sought-after franchise models in less than a decade. Since opening its first seaside shop on Nantucket Island, Oath has expanded to serve its fresh, feel-good pizzas to communities across the country. This year, momentum has picked up steam with Oath Pizza signing on multiple new multi-unit franchise owners to expand to new markets like Austin, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

Dilan Karunamuni and Sham Tyagi are the new franchise partners behind the three-unit signing in Austin. The two friends come from a background in the finance and tech industries, where they first met as consultants.

“I used to work in retail at Verizon and AT&T, so I had experience working with customers,” says Tyagi. “I eventually ventured into the cell phone business and started my own company. I sold that business to one of my competitors and founded my consulting firm specializing in subscription-based systems for software companies.”

Karunamuni eventually took a job at that firm, where his long-lasting friendship with Tyagi began. While the two never considered going into business together, that changed the day they each took their first bite of Oath Pizza.

“I was visiting Philly and stopped at the Apple store,” says Tyagi. “I was hungry, so I walked next door to Oath Pizza. I knew it was a brilliant experience when I had the first bite, and I called Dilan and told him he had to try it.”

Karunamuni stopped by Oath the next time he visited the area. “We were so blown away by the food, brand, store, [and] the look,” he says. “It was so good, and I even brought some home for my family to try.”

Soon, the duo recognized the unique opportunity ahead of Oath and decided to introduce the pizza to the growing Austin market.

“We knew this would work in Austin,” says Tyagi. “There are plenty of food options, but it is an ever-expanding market, and the palette of people moving from all over is always changing,” he adds. “People here want to explore new food options, and Oath Pizza is an option that is better for you with fresh toppings, organic proteins, and limitless customization options,” he shares.

As an experienced entrepreneur and business owner, Tyagi says he could also tell Oath Pizza’s business model was positioned for success thanks to the backing of its expert team and robust support infrastructure.

“Our process started by reaching out to the Oath team,” says Tyagi. “As we learned more, we saw the leadership team was very experienced, and how every franchise and corporate team member was knowledgeable and went above and beyond,” he adds. “We instantly felt comfortable with the company and wanted to be a part of the team that would take this brand to the next level.”

Karunamuni and Tyagi visited a store to explore how each location functioned inside and out. “I had never owned a food business, which I knew could be tricky, so I was doubtful about the simplicity at first,” says Tyagi. “We saw how it operated, and it was an instant no-brainer for us. Everything is seamless, with streamlined processes, a simplified menu, and a super smart and efficient model.”

Oath’s simple operation drives attractive labor and supply chain advantages for traditional corporate and franchise locations. Oath’s nationwide supply chain distribution network creates reliability, the brand’s adaptive menu offers customers a quick, consistent product, and the business with attractive unit economics, including longer shelf life, reduced costs, and better throughput.

“Efficiency is the key word,” says Karunamuni. “I have a little experience having worked at Quiznos and Dunkin Donuts, and I’ve seen how a messy back of the house can lead to problems in the front end,” he says. “When I saw the Oath Pizza model, I was in awe — everything is thought out precisely, from ordering the products to serving the customer. There are so many advantages to joining a brand so primed on efficiency.”

Karunamuni and Tyagi hope to open their first Oath Pizza in early 2023 and the rest of their stores by the end of 2024.

“It’s the best chain pizza I’ve ever had, and it can compete with mom-and-pops everywhere,” says Tyagi. “We are excited to have people in Austin taste this product. That’s what it is all about — it’s that good.”

Karunamuni and Tyagi aren’t the only entrepreneurs recognizing the strength of Oath’s franchise model this year. Brad and Jennifer Langford, a married couple of restaurateurs and franchise industry veterans outside Seattle, signed a three-unit deal to grow Oath Pizza throughout their market.

“Being an operations-focused owner, when I read about Oath Pizza’s business model, I realized they had found a way to streamline their operations and customer service to make the numbers work,” Brad Langford shares. “You can have the best product in the world, but if you can’t take the development of a product and streamline it through prep, product, and marketing to your customer, it doesn’t matter how great it tastes,” he adds. “I was shocked at how great this product tastes, and more importantly, the bottom line adds up.”

Another recent signing comes from former Target executive Mandeep Singh and his brothers-in-law, Garish Talwar and Kulwant Jafal. They are introducing Oath Pizza to Greater Los Angeles through a three-unit deal as franchise group Brothers Empire.

“We came across an article about Oath and liked what we read, so we dug deeper and decided to reach out to their team,” says Singh. “I was immediately impressed. They are great people and walked us through every question we had. They are passionate about what they do.”

Oath Pizza’s CEO Drew Kellogg says the team is excited to find more franchisees across the country as the brand continues to emerge as a leading force in the pizza segment.

“We’re excited about our continued expansion into growing markets like Austin,” Kellogg says. “We’re looking forward to bringing on more smart, passionate entrepreneurs like Dilan and Sham to help us expand to new markets and inspire happiness in our communities every day.”

The cost to open an Oath Pizza franchise ranges from $380,000–$550,000, including a $30,000 franchise fee. For more information on franchising with Oath Pizza, visit https://www.oathpizza.com/franchise.

About Oath Pizza: Oath Pizza is the fast-growing franchise known for its award-winning avocado oil crust, fresh, organic toppings, and efficient, innovative business model. Oath started in a seaside shop on Nantucket Island. Today, it has expanded nationwide under the leadership of former Chipotle executives who have built the brand and business to scale. The Oath franchise opportunity has quickly risen to a top business consideration for its unique advantages: low cost of entry, small 800 – 1,200 sq ft footprint, flexible build-out with no Type I venting or gas requirement, reliable supply chain, innovative digital systems, and a simple operation that requires only one-to-four employees per shift. Learn more at oathpizza.com/franchise.

5 Tips To Finding A Great Location To Open Your Restaurant

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

You can have the best food, drinks, and service in town, but if you don’t have a location that gets people into your restaurant, you will not be able to make money. If your site is too far away from where people live and work, your customer base will be limited to tourists or other people who are willing to make the drive. This means that while they may be loyal customers, they are unlikely to spend as much as residents.

5 Tips To Finding A Great Location To Open Your Restaurant
By Dom Hemingway

Finding the right location for your restaurant is one of the most important decisions you will make. It will affect everything from how much money you spend to what kind of traffic you get and even how much revenue your restaurant generates. In this article, we’ll help break down the steps to finding an excellent location for your business so that you can open with confidence.

You can’t change location unless you have a big budget, so take your time to find a good location.
While the location is the most critical decision in opening your restaurant, finding a good one can be challenging. If you can afford to pay rent and not make money for a few months while your business finds its footing, then it’s great to have this option. But if you don’t have that kind of budget and need cash flow from day one, finding that perfect spot may be harder than anticipated. If you have enough capital for a few months of rent and no income during that period, then go ahead and explore some areas where there aren’t many other restaurants nearby. You could be surprised by how much traffic is coming into these locations—ask yourself: “Where do people go when they want to eat out?”

If there are many restaurants nearby, you’ll need to compete vigorously for customers. So explore those spots, if your food isn’t unique, chances are it won’t stand out in such a competitive environment.

Site Selection is the most important step, so it is vital that you get it right.
You can have the best food, drinks, and service in town, but if you don’t have a location that gets people into your restaurant, you will not be able to make money. If your site is too far away from where people live and work, your customer base will be limited to tourists or other people who are willing to make the drive. This means that while they may be loyal customers, they are unlikely to spend as much as residents.

When looking for a location, consider:
* How close is my proposed location compared with competitors?
* Will it give me an advantage over them?
* Can I increase foot traffic by opening near other businesses (like coffee shops)?
* Is there enough parking available at my proposed location? In some areas, this might mean building more parking spaces than you need because those spaces will likely remain empty during most hours of operation.

Think about your customers. Where do they live? What type of neighborhood? Will they drive? Will they bike? What kind of plaza or strip mall will they want to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Look at the location in terms of your customers. Think about where they live and where they will drive, bike, or walk. What kind of plaza or strip mall would be most appealing to them?
What kind of stores do they like? What stores do you want to bhave as neighbors? Are any businesses at the site struggling or close to failing? If so, you might consider whether that’s a location where people are still shopping—or if it’s one where customers might have moved on.

Make sure there are no significant competitors nearby.
While choosing a location with a lot of foot traffic might seem like a good idea, this can be risky. If there are other restaurants nearby that do well or poorly, they’ll have an impact on your own business. For example: If you’re opening up your new restaurant in the same space as an old one that closed down, customers may not want to try something new immediately because they associate that space with the previous restaurant’s failures (or successes).

Evaluate Competition
Before you sign up for anything, know all the financial details and look at the best and worst-case scenarios. Make sure you feel comfortable with both before signing a lease.

Ensure that the location is near your target market (i.e., people who will buy your product).
If possible, avoid sites that have too many other restaurants nearby. You don’t want competition from other businesses in your area.

Finding the right location will help ensure your restaurant’s success.
A restaurant’s location is one of the most critical factors for success. The first thing customers see when they come to your restaurant is its location, which can affect their perception of the quality of food and service. The site affects how many people come through your doors, what they order, and how much they spend there. It also affects rent costs.
A real estate agent in Little Italy, Toronto, once said: “There are three things that will make or break a business – location, location, and location!” A good restaurant owner should always know what kind of customers frequent his restaurant and where his competition does business. Be mindful of how these factors affect sales volume at each location.

Conclusion
So, there are five simple tips to help you find an excellent location for your restaurant. Remember, your site is one of the most critical factors in determining whether or not your business succeeds! It doesn’t matter how much money and time you spend on advertising if no one can find your restaurant. So take these tips to heart—and then go out and find that perfect spot for yourself!

Mindset Over Muscle – Building A Solid Business

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Andreas Klassen on Unsplash

As you can see, the mindset will get you to the top. It’s not about the muscle. While you may need some physical strength to push through a rough patch, your mindset will ultimately determine whether or not you succeed.

Mindset Over Muscle – Building A Solid Business
By Dom Hemingway

The world is changing, and you should also change… But if you’re looking for a way to stay relevant, you first need to change how you think. It’s not enough to go with the flow anymore; that can get your business stuck. Instead, it’s time for you to take charge of your future and start thinking like an entrepreneur. This means learning to build a solid business from scratch by developing the right mindset and skillset. This blog post will explore how changing your mindset can help grow your business by overcoming challenges and taking charge of your destiny as an entrepreneur!

The Growth Mindset
Mindset is the driving force behind your success. So if you want to build a solid business, you need to be able to think in ways that will help you succeed.
A strong belief that you can develop your mindset through dedication and mindset practice is called the “Growth Mindset” and is based on three core ideas:

* Your talents and intelligence can grow with effort

* You can develop skills through practice and instruction.

* The brain is like a muscle; it gets stronger with use.

The best way to improve is to stretch yourself and work on challenges slightly beyond your current abilities. The Growth Mindset is about continually expanding your capacity to be more effective in whatever you do and achieve more of the desired results.

Mental Mastery
Mental Mastery is the ability to control your thoughts and emotions. It’s the key to success in any area of life because it allows you to remain calm and focused. Mental Mastery works even when things don’t go your way, or others are trying to distract you from your goals.

The more you practice Mental Mastery, the better you will become at it—and there are many ways to do so: meditation, affirmations, reading self-help books, and journaling. But here’s a straightforward exercise you can do anywhere. First, close your eyes and imagine yourself having already achieved whatever you want (e.g., being a successful entrepreneur). Then describe what it looks like in as much detail as possible (i.e., how does your business look? How do you feel about yourself?).
This exercise will help you visualize your future and activate the Law of Attraction. Plus, it’s fun!

Mental Mastery is the ability to control your thoughts and emotions. It’s the key to success in any area of life. Mental Mastery allows you to remain calm and focused, even when things don’t go your way or when others are trying to distract you from your goals. The more you practice Mental Mastery, the better you will become at it—and there are many ways to do so: meditation, affirmations, reading self-help books, and journaling. Here’s a straightforward exercise you can do: close your eyes and imagine yourself having already achieved whatever you want (e.g., being a successful entrepreneur). Then describe what that looks like in as much detail as possible. Selling is an Attitude, Not a Skill Selling is an attitude, not a skill.
The more you sell, the better you will get.

I remember sitting in my office on my first work day at a small company. I was nervous but excited to start my new career as a salesperson! I remember thinking: “If they only knew how bad I was at selling!” However, it didn’t matter how good or bad a salesperson you were; what mattered was whether or not your attitude towards selling was positive or negative. It is all about mindset and being determined to succeed no matter what obstacles appear in front of you along the way!

The first day of work was a little nerve-wracking. I was very nervous and had no idea what to expect. I remember walking into the office that morning and being introduced to my manager and other salespeople in my territory. Everyone seemed much older than me, making me feel a little out of place at first. But after talking with them for some time, I realized that we had more in common than not—we all liked sports, cars, travel, and meeting new people!

The Law of Abundance
The Law of Abundance says that the universe is abundant and infinite, and you are a part of it. The energy of your thoughts creates your reality. The more you think about money, the more likely you will attract more money into your life.
The Law of Abundance works because when we focus on what we want in life (for example, wealth), we put ourselves in a positive mindset. It attracts things like opportunities, good luck, or others who share similar goals. So if you want to attract abundance into your life, start thinking about everything related to making money!

The Law of Attraction
The Law of Attraction is a theory that states you attract circumstances, events, and relationships into your life based on your thoughts. This isn’t new information, but it has gained popularity in recent years thanks to the book The Voice of Your Soul.
It’s not magic. It doesn’t mean that if you wish for something hard enough and it happens without any work on your part (other than wishing), then it’s The Secret at work. There are still steps to take for your wish to come true!

The Voice of Your Soul teaches us three steps:
1. Ask – Ask yourself what you want. What do I need? Think about what would improve my life and long-term goals that could benefit me now or down the road.
2. Next, believe – Believe that this will happen or already has happened, even though there may be no evidence.
3. Finally, receive – Be patient while waiting for the manifestation of what we asked for–it may take a while depending on how big of an issue we’re dealing with–and celebrate when something finally happens!

The Secret is a great way to interpret what is happening in your life. If you’re not getting what you want, ask yourself how you can change your thoughts to attract the right circumstances into your life. It may take some time before anything happens, but if it doesn’t, change your wish one more time until you get exactly what you want!
mindset, leadership, the law of attraction, entrepreneur Mindset, leadership, and the law of attraction are three things every successful entrepreneur has in common. These elements can be learned and mastered by anyone. Understanding these concepts will help you to build a solid franchise business.

The challenge for most people is that their minds have been programmed for years by teachers, parents, friends, or society. For example: “Don’t think about it too much; just do it!” “Be practical! You can’t change the world!” Or my favorite one: “How could you possibly make money doing what you’re doing? It’s not realistic!”

These messages may seem harmless enough, but they keep us stuck and prevent us from taking action on our goals because they make us feel like we cannot achieve them. They also create fear around our capabilities which stops us from trying new things and having fun in life – all potent tools for success!

If this sounds familiar, then take some time today to create new beliefs around your ability to achieve whatever goals you set yourself this year. Whether they’re small or big, you must start somewhere.
You can do it! Take one step at a time, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Follow your dream, and don’t allow anyone to steal it!

Conclusion
As you can see, the mindset will get you to the top. It’s not about the muscle. While you may need some physical strength to push through a rough patch, your mindset will ultimately determine whether or not you succeed.

Maximizing Employee Retention

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Desola Lanre-Ologun on Unsplash

Maximizing Employee Retention
By Johnny Day

An engaged employee contributes to the organization and feels valued by it. In addition, an engaged employee can be more productive, loyal, and energetic than a disengaged one. And when employees are happy at work, they tend to stay longer with their employer. For this reason, companies are increasingly focusing on improving employee retention rates. However, not all companies have the same needs or resources, and there are no simple solutions that apply across industries or countries. So here we will look at some strategies for maximizing your company’s retention rates:

Stop focusing on the costs of retention.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to focus on the costs of retaining employees. The price may be slightly higher than recruitment, but it’s a good investment for your business.
Retention rates are typically 20% higher than recruitment costs, so if you can retain just one good worker for an extra year, you’ll have saved more money than you spent on hiring that person in the first place!
Retention can lead to increased productivity and morale within your company, which helps ensure everyone stays motivated at work. It also means less turnover and improved efficiency during work hours because everyone knows what they’re doing now.
The reasons above don’t even include all the additional benefits of employee engagement when people like their jobs.

Create a retention strategy
The first step in creating a retention strategy is ensuring it aligns with your overall business strategy. A solid retention plan should be implemented at all levels of the organization, from executives down to frontline employees. Additionally, it should use data related to turnover rates and reasons for leaving—to shape its strategies and methods. Once you have decided on how you want to approach employee retention (and are ready for action), several tools can help:
Surveys are great tools for gathering information from employees about their work environment, including areas where they feel happy and satisfied and where they see room for improvement. You can use them to determine why employees choose one company over another when deciding between job offers. This information will give you insight into what matters most when making offers yourself!

Exit interviews: Though exit interviews don’t always happen before an employee leaves a company (sometimes managers ask them after someone has already left), they’re still valuable because they provide feedback directly from former employees who have new insights into what made them decide to leave their old jobs or departments within their organizations.*
If you can’t think of anything else to do, then focus on improving the employee experience. You want to ensure that your employees are happy with their work environment, coworkers, and tasks.Exit interviews allow you to find out what employees liked best about their work. They will also help you understand why they chose to leave; they also help you identify ways to improve your current practices or create new ones. These interviews can be conducted face-to-face or over the phone; some companies even use an online survey tool to gather information from departing employees.

Audit your human resources workflows. The first step in improving your retention is determining where you fall short and how. You can do this through an audit of your HR workflows, which will allow you to identify areas where there are gaps, bottlenecks, or redundancies. To do this, ask yourself:
* Are our new hires being onboarded properly? Are there any areas that need improvement (e.g., training) or opportunities for streamlining (e.g., documentation)?
* Do we have an effective method for recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions? Is it efficient enough that we won’t lose valuable employees because they don’t feel appreciated quickly enough?
* How does our performance management process work from end to end? Does it provide timely feedback so employees can improve their performance and stay engaged?

Speak with your employees
To retain employees, you need to listen. Your employees are the experts on their well-being, so invite them into the conversation about how the work environment can improve things at work. Ask what they like about their jobs and what they would change if given a chance. Ask if they are happy where they are in their careers and whether or not they feel successful in their roles. Ask them if there is anything that the company could do differently to improve morale or make life easier for them at work. If someone feels valued at a company, they will happily recommend it to others who might also benefit from working there.

Retaining good workers can save you time and money as long as you care for them.
Retaining good workers can save time and money in today’s competitive business world. Here are a few tips to help you keep your employees happy and productive:

Appreciate them! Giving praise and showing appreciation for their work shows that you value their contributions, encouraging them to continue doing great things for your company.
Please give them the tools they need to succeed! If an employee is struggling with something they’re working on, helping them out or getting different technology might be enough to get them back on track again. If not, having a dedicated mentor on hand may be helpful too!

Encourage team bonding activities like group lunches or outings (always keeping safety in mind).
How do we measure and evaluate our employees’ performance? Is it timely enough to make an impact on their career development? How do we ensure that all employees receive regular feedback on their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? If you can answer these questions effectively, you can create an HR strategy that keeps your best talent. Many happy companies have taken to social media to understand their customers better. They are listening and responding to the needs of their audience. If you want your employees to feel valued, you should do the same thing. Ask them what they like about working for your company and what changes could be made to improve things even more. These questions will help your employees feel closer to each other and their workplace, which may encourage them to stick around longer. Offer growth opportunities! If an employee has been with you for a while, consider giving them more responsibility or training on something new to expand their skill set.

Conclusion
We hope this guide has been helpful for you and that it’s helped you think about employee retention in a new way. While most HR professionals know retention is essential, many don’t spend enough time planning for it or taking action to improve their retention strategies. But by following our tips here—and making sure your own company is prepared to do its part—you can help ensure that your employees feel valued and appreciated at work, which will lead them to stay longer with your organization. And if all else fails? Try giving out some nice bonuses!

Macro Methods To Control Food Costs In A Restaurant And Maximize Profits

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Tim Toomey on Unsplash

One way to get better-quality products is by buying local ingredients or those grown locally (naturally). This helps reduce transportation costs, which can lower food cost due to fuel prices—and it also reduces waste since you wouldn’t be shipping food across country lines when there are local farms nearby!

Macro Methods To Control Food Costs In A Restaurant And Maximize Profits
By Gary Occhiogrosso – Managing Partner, Franchise Growth Solutions.

Restaurant owners, chefs, and managers know the value of controlling food costs. But understanding how to manage your restaurant’s food costs can be tricky. This is because so many factors determine what goes on your menu and how much it should cost, from food and labor costs to waste management. Here ais a quick overview on how you can manage your restaurant’s food cost:

Food Cost Percentage
Food cost percentage is the amount of money spent on food divided by total sales. It’s a measure of how much of your sales are going toward the cost of goods, which is used to calculate your profitability.
In addition to being an overall measure of profit margin, food cost percentage also allows you to track discrepancies between weeks and months regarding budgeting. For example, if one month shows a high percentage while another shows a low one, some shifts in staffing or inventory may need addressing before they become problems later on down the line.

Keep Track of Inventory
You must keep track of your inventory. This is the first and most crucial step in controlling food cost. You must know your inventory, its location, and how much has been used or sold. There are several ways to keep track of your supply inventory: a spreadsheet (like Microsoft Excel) or a software program (like QuickBooks or Restaurant 365). You could also use cloud-based inventory management systems such as Restaurant Manager Pro or Inventory Doctor that automatically sync with your POS system.
The benefits of using an automated system include: tracking a cost per item; recording sales by SKU; producing purchase orders based on demand; monitoring stock levels; receiving alerts when stock gets low; comparing product costs against competitors’ prices via price comparison reports; sending out notifications when ordering needs to be done soon because inventory will quickly run out (or vice versa—notifying suppliers that there is excess capacity).

Quality Products
Regarding food costs, the quality of your products is one of the most critical factors. You may be able to save money by buying less expensive ingredients and products, but if they’re not good quality, then you will have wasted your time and money because they won’t taste as good. One way to get better-quality products is by buying local ingredients or those grown locally (naturally). This helps reduce transportation costs, which can lower food cost due to fuel prices—and it also reduces waste since you wouldn’t be shipping food across country lines when there are local farms nearby! Also, local farms tend to use safer pesticides than big corporations because they want their customers happy; nothing makes people mad like finding out that pesticides are used on their food without them knowing about it!

Avoid Waste
Reduce food waste, Recycle food waste.
Recycling programs allow you to turn your leftover food into an asset by turning it into compost or animal feed or donating it to those in need. You can also use recyclable materials and packaging for other items in the restaurant or kitchen, such as cutting boards, aprons, and dish towels. Donate food waste to charity organizations such as homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and food pantries, where it will be used as an ingredient for meals served to those who need them most in our communities. This is helpful from a cost-saving point of view and helps promote community values through charitable giving while helping reduce hunger in America overall! The key is to find a system that meets your needs. For example, if you are a small business owner without an IT department, then a cloud-based solution might be the best choice for you. However, if you have an IT team and can afford software like QuickBooks or Sage 50 US Accounts Plus, then, by all means, use that instead. In addition, you should consider buying local ingredients and products to save money on food costs. They tend to be of better quality because they are grown in the area where people live. This also helps reduce waste since there is no need for shipping across country lines when local farms are nearby!

Use Technology to Manage Inventory and Recipes
The second key to controlling food costs in your restaurant is using technology to manage your inventory and recipes. You can use technology to manage inventory by using a POS system. A POS system tracks sales, manages orders, records customer information, and orders supplies. If you don’t already have one in place at your restaurant, consider getting one before the end of summer because they are beneficial when it comes time for peak season in October (Halloween), November (Thanksgiving), and December (Christmas). Use technology as well when it comes to managing recipes at your restaurant. Recipe management systems allow you to access each recipe anytime via an app or web browser. These programs work on any device with internet access, such as tablets or laptops located in the kitchen area where WiFi connects all these devices. They work together seamlessly even if multiple users operate them simultaneously without slowing down their performance, which means efficiency ratings go up. In contrast, labor costs go down since they no longer need any additional cooks hired just for this task alone since now everyone knows exactly what needs to be cooked next, so no more wasted time spent looking things up!
To restate the top ways to manage the Cost of Goods.

Know your food cost percentage: This should be considered the most important. The food cost percentage is a measurement of how much it costs to make and sell your food (expressed as a percentage). It includes all direct ingredients, packaging materials, labor, overhead, and other expenses associated with preparing ingredients for sale at retail. If your food costs exceed 30 percent of sales, you’re probably losing money on every dollar of revenue generated by your business.

Keep track of supply inventory: Make sure you have accurate records of what you have on hand at any given time to avoid running out unexpectedly and losing customers because they can’t get what they want when they want it! You also don’t want to overstock supplies or make more than necessary if demand is low; that’ll waste money! Please ensure everyone in the kitchen or warehouse knows their responsibilities regarding stocking shelves with new products. In addition, make sure there’s always someone available who understands inventory management software programs (like this one!) so that even if someone leaves unexpectedly due to not knowing how these programs work, there will still be an easy way.

Use compostable materials: Compostable materials are made from organic material that can be decomposed by microorganisms and turned into compost, which can then be used as fertilizer for gardens and farms. Using compostable utensils, plates, and cups at your restaurant or event venue will reduce landfill waste each year to get things done.

Conclusion
As I mentioned up tpo, this is a overview. There are numerous resources on the internet as well as restaurant consultants that assess and recommend a variety of ways to save on food cost and increase profits. While it is difficult to control food cost in a restaurant these simple ways that have proven successful.

The first step is to determine the percentage of your total sales that should go toward food costs. This will give you an idea of how much money you need every month or year to operate at a given profit level.

Next, keep track of supply inventory to keep up with demand and avoid waste by ordering more when needed.

Quality products are also crucial because they will save time (and money) during preparation while providing better flavor profiles at lower prices than similar items sold elsewhere!

Finally, use technology like software platforms to manage recipes and inventory levels without overspending on supplies like employees who take care too long between tasks like chopping vegetables or preparing meatballs.

THE ADVANTAGES OF OWNING MULTIPLE FRANCHISED UNITS – Part 1

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Eiliv-Sonas Aceron on Unsplash

In an already established franchise system, it is easier to find staff that is competent and trustworthy. Instead of hiring new staff from a company you are unfamiliar with, the odds are greater, in a multi-unit franchise, that they have worked in your orbit. In this sense, the ability to hire

THE ADVANTAGES OF OWNING MULTIPLE FRANCHISED UNITS
By Gary Occhiogrosso, Managing Partner of Franchise Growth Solutions.

The advantages of a franchisee owning multiple units are simple and plentiful. First off, the more locations that someone has, the more money they have a chance to make. Buying multiple franchise units may be an initial risk, but once you make the decision to pursue that path, it is advantageous. Because of the large network of administrative staff and resources one has at their disposal, one is able to use the same resources in one location as in any other. This means that you get more growth despite using less resources.

In addition, one can use existing overhead at multiple locations. Because not all the cost goes into one location, it’s easier to spread the risk, as sometimes one location may have a better performance than another. Because a franchise is a network of locations within one company, it is simple to spread the resources around to multiple different locations.
According to the 2016 franchise report by the British Franchise Association (bfa) and NatWest, approximately 29 percent of all British franchisees now own more than one single franchise unit.

“The bigger you get, the more of an opportunity you have to grow and strengthen your bench team, and our bench team is built to take on additional locations and grow,” said Mike Sartwell. Sartwell owns the development rights to the entire state of North Dakota and Montana. His plan is to open three Slim Chickens locations every year until his company’s portfolio reaches 18 units.
I love it, ” Sartwell said about being a multi-unit and multi-brand owner. “It’s fun and exciting, even though it can get a little overwhelming at times. It’s for those reasons that I feel very fortunate to represent two great food brands that offer plenty of support and guidance. Slim Chickens has a southern hospitality way about it and it puts its people, its guests, and its employees first. That’s the kind of brand we want to grow with.”

In an already established franchise system, it is easier to find staff that is competent and trustworthy. Instead of hiring new staff from a company you are unfamiliar with, the odds are greater, in a multi-unit franchise, that they have worked in your orbit. In this sense, the ability to hire “in house” becomes easier when “in house” is more than one physical location.

Most simply put, the knowledge, expertise and resources you get from starting a multi-unit franchise build on one another. Chances of success and competency greatly improve with the more units you have. It is in your best interest, as a franchisee to seek out multiple locations if at all possible.

Stay tuned for part two of this article were we discuss other reasons why owning multiple franchised units is a modern day method of empire building.

PRESS RELEASE – ASIAN CHICKEN AND RICE CONCEPT, ROOSTER & RICE, SIGNS FIRST FRANCHISE

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Rooster & Rice plans to expand its restaurant business model from 12 locations in 2022 to 16 to 20 locations by 2023. Franchisees benefit from ongoing coaching and company support on everything from site selection, protected territories, third party financing, training, and marketing. Rooster & Rice franchises are currently available in California, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and soon to be offered in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2021
CONTACT: Gary Occhiogrosso
917.991.2465
[email protected]

CHEF-DRIVEN, ASIAN CHICKEN AND RICE CONCEPT,
ROOSTER & RICE, SIGNS FIRST FRANCHISE

San Francisco, California, June 21, 2022 – San Francisco-based, fast-casual restaurant concept, Rooster & Rice, signed its first franchisee, Gore Song.
Song’s plan is to develop at least three Rooster & Rice units in Orange County California.

Built around a simple Thai food favorite, Khao Mun Ghai, Rooster & Rice (with 11 owned and operated locations throughout California and 1 location in Houston, Texas) and its chicken and rice-based menu is redefining the Asian QSR market in the US. Created by chef Tommy Charoen and experienced restaurateur, Bryan Lew, and with backing from the Aroi Hospitality Group (AHG), which includes two founders of Caviar, Rooster & Rice offers a simple, healthy, and easy to execute menu bringing simple and comforting Asian tastes to American consumers.

Gore Song, Rooster & Rice’s first franchisee, was a fan first. “When I lived in San Francisco,” Song reports, “ I would eat at Rooster & Rice all the time. “Rooster & Rice is a satisfying meal anytime of the day, from breakfast, lunch and dinner to a late night snack. I love the menu and the business model and look forward to offering more opportunity for Californians to sample authentic Thai chicken and rice dishes.” In fact, Song adds, ‘the opportunity and scalability of the Rooster & Rice concept had so much potential that we signed on with a multi-unit franchise.”

“Most restaurant brands grow because they have an explosively popular offering or an air-tight operational model that makes them easy and inexpensive to scale. Rooster & Rice is one of very few brands that has both.” Says Bryan Lew, co-founder and CEO. “That winning combination has allowed us to grow rapidly throughout the Bay Area, and we’re finding increasing demand from neighboring markets. Franchising will allow us to meet this growing demand like never before while introducing our fresh, high-quality dishes to new customers across the country.”

Rooster & Rice recently expanded its operation from California to Texas. Their Houston location opened in June 2022. According to Rooster & Rice CFO, Min Park, “Rooster & Rice picked the Houston market for its evolving food scene and community energy.”

7-YEAR-OLD ROOSTER & RICE ASSEMBLES FRANCHISE TEAM

In addition to an already existing team of entrepreneurs with a long track record of success, the company engaged the services of well-known franchise industry experts, Gary Occhiogrosso and Fred Kirvan. They are charged with bringing Rooster & Rice’s simple, low cost and easy-to-model franchise concept to the California and Texas (Houston) markets and eventually franchising nationwide.

“The time is right to bring Rooster & Rice’s category-defining concept to more people.” Says Occhiogrosso. “Rooster & Rice’s mom-inspired, simple but delicious menu proved its worth during the pandemic. Their low overhead comfort-food concept continued to be successful as others fell by the wayside.” He adds. “Rooster & Rice has a proven business model and turnkey system that will allow franchisees to bring a one-of-a-kind concept to their neighborhoods at a time when budgets are top of mind and guests demand good-for-you and flavorful food at a great price.”

FRANCHISES AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE STATES

Rooster & Rice plans to expand its restaurant business model from 12 locations in 2022 to 16 to 20 locations by 2023. Franchisees benefit from ongoing coaching and company support on everything from site selection, protected territories, third party financing, training, and marketing. Rooster & Rice franchises are currently available in California, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and soon to be offered in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

For more information on the Rooster & Rice restaurant concept, please visit ownaroosterandrice.com. For information on owning your own Rooster & Rice franchise, please contact Gary Occhiogrosso at 917.991.2465 or via email at [email protected].
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ABOUT ROOSTER & RICE Rooster & Rice is a fast-casual concept originated from the San Francisco Bay Area and specializing in Khao Mun Gai or Organic Thai-Style Chicken Rice. Veteran restaurateur Bryan Lew & Chef Thomas Charoen founded Rooster & Rice. Regularly requested by Tommy Charoen’s fellow chefs after a long day’s work in the luxury kitchens of Las Vegas, Khao Mun Gai began life as a simple comfort dish from Thailand. Though today the dish is available in many different mouthwatering variations, Chef Charoen’s version is a clear standout––the result of years of fine-tuning, inspired by a recipe from his very own mom. Khao Mun Gai has since become the signature offering at Rooster & Rice, a charming, no-frills restaurant concept developed by Chef Charoen and co-founder Bryan Lew. The dish represents the best of Asian street food culture, proving good meals can indeed come in humble packages. Once you try our take on this delectable combination of fragrant rice, poached chicken, and homemade soybean sauce you won’t ever be the same. In 2018, Rooster & Rice teamed up with two former founders of the food delivery app Caviar (which sold to Square in 2016 and now part of Doordash) to expand from the Bay Area into developing a model fit for franchising efforts.

Modern Tech Can Give Restaurants An Edge

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

It is much more likely that franchisors, with resources already on hand, will be able to promote system-wide improvements for all franchisees in their systems.

Modern Tech Can Give Restaurant Businesses An Edge
By Jeremy Einbinder

Restaurants are continuing to use newer technologies that have the potential to optimize the experience both for the consumer and the business. Anything that improve customer experience and reduce labor costs- which is very important in a tight market- is a win-win.

Franchised Restaurants Set Themselves Apart

All of these innovations are especially important for franchised restaurants and allows them to set themselves apart from other restaurants. For entrepreneurs looking to open restaurant locations, it can be difficult to gather all the technological resources available to improve operations. It is much more likely that franchisors, with resources already on hand, will be able to promote system-wide improvements for all franchisees in their systems. These technological enhancements are wide-ranging and could set off a franchise restaurant boom.

For instance, instead of third-party delivery apps, many customers report a preference for ordering directly from the restaurant itself. It would be beneficial, if possible, for a company to have their own internal delivery app. In addition to building brand recognition, this also helps businesses avoid paying exorbitant fees.

Fred Kirvan, Founder and CEO of Kirvan Consulting, a New Jersey based restaurant optimization and consulting firm said: “At this year’s National Restaurant Show, we observed some notable improvements in tech-driven kitchen equipment aimed at providing a more consistent product to its end-user but much of the new tech seemed to be aimed at employee retention.”

Look But Don’t Touch

Payment technologies which allow for no-contact money transfer can also prove to be crucial, especially since the pandemic. In keeping with no-touch technology, it is becoming commonplace for customers to also access only menus and order without contact, allowing for a much safer environment for everybody. The cost reduction for restaurants can be substantial.

There are also tech payment options for employee payroll. Kirvan noted: “Companies offering early pay options and incentives were the noticeable standouts for me. Employee retention is key when you can consider all the software available for taking orders, you’re going to need people to prepare those orders.

Reservation applications like Eat App, Tablein, or OpenTable allow customers to see available time slots, and book their times at their convenience. In such apps, users simply view the time slots available with the number of seats needed and select one. This takes away any awkward interaction with staff of someone calling the restaurant and asking for a specific time for a reservation, only to realize it’s not available. For the business, it allows much greater flexibility in managing waitlists as well as customer loyalty.

Reducing Friction for the Front and Back of House

For streamlining customer orders, Kitchen Display Systems are very efficient, allowing both customers and kitchen staff to seamlessly log orders, instantly displaying them on screen according to priority. This also makes accommodating dietary restrictions much easier.

Radwan Masri, a 30 year veteran in the hospitality industry and a leading international culinary consultant and franchise expert with Ayy Karamba Hospitality added “The other side of food service tech driven business is FOH & BOH automation. Labor shortage in the service business combined with an increase demand for delivered food has impacted how food orders is being processed from start to end. Self-Serve ordering stations, QR codes scanning procedures. Your order nowadays through a drive through window is not the same as it used to be. i.e. I order in Chicago via a drive through window while my order is being processed by a mom sitting at home in Atlanta GA!”

This type of innovation is incredibly valuable and can easily cut down on unnecessary laborious tasks for employees. In addition, artificial intelligence technologies like Winnow reduce food waste. Using a camera, Winnow “learns” to recognize different foods being thrown away. It then calculates the financial and environmental cost of this discarded food to commercial kitchens. This in turn saves company’s money.

In Conclusion

If franchisees and independent restauranteurs expect to stay relevant and competitive they need to take advantage of these burgeoning technologies. The guest expectation has risen as a result of the pandemic and most guests will give a restaurant one, perhaps two chances to meet or exceed their exceptions. When it comes to the the overall guest experience, using these technologies gives operators a better chance to succeed.