Tag: restaurant

FUNDAMENTAL RESTAURANT MARKETING

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash

You want to create a loyal customer base because these people will tell all their friends about your restaurant and bring them in to eat. Customers are often the best marketers for a business because they love what you do so much that they want to share it with others.

Fundamental Restaurant Marketing
By Gary Occhiogrosso – Managing Partner,Franchise Growth Solutions.

Introduction
Restaurant marketing is a topic often in business classes and career fairs. It’s a common question: “How do you market your restaurant?” The answer to this question can be pretty straightforward, but the process can be challenging. To make sure that your restaurant can attract new customers and keep them coming back, it’s essential that you have an effective plan for promoting your business.

The most successful restaurants are the best marketers.
To be one of those restaurants, you must learn about marketing. Marketing is not a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing process that must be done on a regular and scheduled basis if you want your business to succeed.
The first step in effective marketing is understanding what it’s not: it’s not advertising alone; instead, it’s everything you do to connect with your customers and get them talking about their experiences with your brand. For example, marketing could include social media posts on Facebook or Twitter (that are funny/cute/interesting enough), sharing photos of how great everything looks on Instagram (including food shots), posting videos explaining how something works on YouTube (like how a new dish gets made), offering special promotions such as “buy one entrée at regular price and get another free.
Social media is great for getting the word out about your restaurant. You can use social media to promote your restaurant and get customers to come in, or you can also use social media to get feedback from your customers.

Make sure that every employee is a marketer for your restaurant.
They may not be able to explain the nuance of the menu, but they can tell people about themselves and their experience at your establishment.If you have a host or waitperson, they can talk about how they enjoy working there because it’s such a nice place. If someone asks them if there are any vegan options on the menu or if one of your dishes can be made gluten-free, they can tell them about it without sounding like an advertisement (although most people in this situation probably won’t care).

Make your restaurant an active community member.
As you create your restaurant, it’s important to consider how you want to be perceived in the community. Do you want to be the new hot spot for a specific type of person? Or are you aiming for a more diverse crowd? Will your restaurant have an identity as a family-friendly place or something more upscale and exclusive? The answer will help determine some of the best marketing strategies for you. For example, if you’re looking to attract families with young kids, consider sponsoring local youth sports teams or offering free food at community events like Little League games and PTA meetings. On the other hand, if your target clientele is more on the younger end (say college students), sponsoring an art gallery opening might be right up your alley!
Regardless of who makes up your ideal demographic, make sure they know where they can find good food in town—and make sure those other businesses know about yours too!

Engage with your customers through social media and online reviews.
Social media can be a great way to engage with your customers and hear what they say. In addition, you can use social media as a platform for interacting with other businesses in the community.
Here are some tips for responding to what your customers are saying online:
* Respond quickly if someone has posted an unfavorable review of your restaurant on Facebook or Yelp. Be sure to thank them for their feedback and explain how you will use it to improve the experience in future visits.
* Respond quickly if someone has posted a positive review about their visit to your restaurant – especially if there’s an opportunity for follow-up questions or inquiries about the experience (i.e., “What was your favorite dish?”). Use this opportunity to connect with customers who’ve enjoyed their visit!
*Listen to your customers’ feedback online and in person.
* Respond to customers’ comments.
* Be transparent with your customers.
* Be honest, even if it’s difficult for you or the company, because honesty is the best policy for maintaining a good reputation as a business that cares about its community and its employees.

You may not always agree with every comment made by every customer. Still, it’s vital that you engage in conversations where both parties are listening respectfully instead of arguing back and forth about what is right or wrong.

Creating a loyal customer base is a great way to grow your business.
You want to create a loyal customer base because these people will tell all their friends about your restaurant and bring them in to eat. Customers are often the best marketers for a business because they love what you do so much that they want to share it with others. The more loyal customers you have, the more people will want to come to your restaurant and spend money on food and drinks there—and that’s good news for your bottom line! If you keep giving them what they want (like delicious food at affordable prices), those same loyal customers will keep coming back again and again—and bringing friends along with them.
The key here is ensuring those loyal customers feel appreciated by rewarding them with something special now and then—like free meals or exclusive coupons only available through their email address or phone number.

Conclusion
As you can see, restaurant marketing is more than just putting up a few ads and hoping for the best. It would be best if you were willing to invest in your business, ask for customer feedback, and engage with them online. The most successful restaurants are the ones that put their heart and soul into their marketing efforts.

MANAGING PART-TIME EMPLOYEE SCHEDULES

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash

There are several reasons why shift scheduling is a critical part of managing your workforce. For one thing, if you have part-time employees who aren’t able to work every day that you need them, it’s vital that you have some system for organizing their schedules. In addition, consistency will help make things easier for everyone involved.

Managing Part-Time Employee Schedules
By Dom Hemingway

If you’re managing a part-time employee schedule, you know how important it is to be organized and prepared. Managing a part-time employee’s schedule can be tricky because you must keep your team member’s other priorities in mind and ensure that their work hours fit into those priorities accordingly. These priorities may include school, taking care of children or an elderly parent, and another part-time job. It’s essential that your employees can balance multiple aspects of their lives while still working for your company successfully!
Here are a few tips to consider:

Know Your Labor Needs In Advance
First, consider the business’s needs and how many employees you will need to cover the shifts. Next, consider how many shifts you need to cover each week and month (not just in specific time slots). Finally, be sure that all your available times are covered.

An excellent place to start is by creating standard templates for when employees will be working each week (e.g., every Monday afternoon). In addition, these templates should include what shifts are available and any special days off that might change weekly (such as holidays). Once set up, these templates let employees know their schedule via phone or other digital notification so they can plan accordingly!

Use A Scheduling Tool
A scheduling tool can help you organize your employees’ schedules, set up shift swaps, and more. There are numerous scheduling tools used by companies like Google, Red Bull, Spotify, and LinkedIn. Using A Scheduling Tool Is Simple. First, set up templates for days off and specific shifts (like the weekend). Next,use those templates as needed by dragging them onto the calendar view. Templates allow you to see your schedule at a glance so that you don’t have any surprises when it comes time for each person’s next shift. Include Shift Swaps. Shift swaps allow employees to trade shifts with each other. Swapping a shift is a great way to balance work and personal life, prevent burnout, and get the days off you want. If you have an employee self-scheduling system, it will also help avoid turnover by allowing employees to pick their schedules.

Managing Days Off
The first step in creating an employee schedule is to set up templates for each day off. You can do this by setting up a template that applies a specific day off for each employee. If you have more than one part-timer working simultaneously, ensure their days out are consistent, so they don’t conflict. Also, when setting up their days off, consider their work schedule and personal life—not only will this make things easier for them overall, but it’ll also ensure that they can attend family events or plan fun activities outside of work! Finally, if an employee is sick or needs time off during the week, consider how long they’ve been working before approving any requests. This flexibility will help ensure they get enough time away from work while still staying productive at home without having too much downtime.

Let Employees Select Their Shifts
It may be a good idea to allow employees to select their shifts. Self scheduling gives them the freedom to choose when they want to or can work, which can help them be more productive at work and happier overall. Many part-time employees also have multiple jobs and might need a schedule that works with another. For example, let’s say you have an employee who is also a freelance writer; he might need his schedule to include Friday off, so he has time to write articles for other publications. Allowing him to switch shifts with other employees in your organization makes it possible for him (and others) who may need this flexibility to have multiple jobs simultaneously! To ensure your part-time employees are scheduling themselves most efficiently, it’s important to know your needs before you begin.

Employee self-scheduling is a great way to reduce employee turnover and keep employees accountable for their schedules.
Employees pick their shifts based on availability and job needs with self-scheduling. This method also allows you to see how many hours each employee works, which can help you track attendance and make sure they’re adhering to policies regarding overtime or sick days.

Create Weekly Schedules At Least A Week In Advance
The weekly schedule prepared in advance is the best way to track employee hours and manage payroll. It also helps you plan by clearly showing the shifts to be covered according to sales and other projects.
Employees can quickly see how much time off they have next week, making planning life events easier (and more likely).
Managers can see what projects are due around the same time or when an employee will be out sick or on vacation. They can also use this information to choose who should help cover each other’s shifts if someone suddenly needs time off unexpectedly.

A Consistent Scheduling Process Is Critical
There are several reasons why shift scheduling is a critical part of managing your workforce. For one thing, if you have part-time employees who aren’t able to work every day that you need them, it’s vital that you have some system for organizing their schedules. In addition,consistency will help make things easier for everyone involved. For example, employees can plan their personal life around this schedule. In addition, employers can ensure that they always have enough employees working during each shift.You will also be in a better position to manage labor costs by scheduling team members in advance and according to projected sales for the week.

Additionally, if your company has full-time employees with varying schedules—such as those on-call or night shifts—it’s important to keep track of how many people you schedule during any given time. For example, suppose one employee misses two days in a row due to illness. In that case, it might be necessary for another coworker with flexible hours to cover those shifts instead, so nothing falls through the cracks!

Conclusion
Finally, an organized schedule will make things easier for everyone involved in ensuring there aren’t any scheduling conflicts within teams or departments because everything has been planned out ahead of time rather than being handled on an ad hoc basis.”

When managing part-time employees, it’s essential to consider their needs in advance. After all, they’ll be working with you regularly. Hence, you want them to feel comfortable and empowered in their work environment.

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.

11 Qualities That Contribute to the Success of a Franchisee

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Gerd Altmann: https://www.pexels.com/photo/success-text-21696/

Franchises are the number one way new entrepreneurs start a business. A franchisee can take advantage of a proven system, brand recognition, and access to capital. But, in return, they must spend time learning about their industry, develop relationships with suppliers and customers, as well as adhere to strict standards set by the franchisor.

What Qualities Contribute to the Success of a Franchisee
By Gary Occhiogrosso – Managing Partner, FranGrow

I get asked this question often. Of course, many factors go into the formula. Yes, it’s true: not every franchise owner is cut from the same cloth. It seems that we have an entrepreneur for every niche and industry. That’s why franchising has no one-size-fits-all approach; what works for one person might not work for another!

What brings success to one franchisee may not necessarily be what brings success to someone else. But, of course, there are some common traits among successful franchisees. Successful franchisees come in all shapes and sizes, but having the right qualities will help them succeed. Successful franchisees are not afraid of failure. They understand that it is an inevitable part of the journey and know how to deal with it. They also realize that there are no shortcuts to success; if you want something, you have to work hard for it every day. These Qualities and Skills include:

Experience
A clear advantage of being a franchisee is the knowledge and experience you can gain from your franchisor. While it’s not always possible to have previous business experience, there are ways to be sure that you are prepared for this new venture.
For example, many people find that an apprenticeship helps them learn about their chosen industry. If you don’t have professional experience similar to what the franchise offers, taking a class at a local college or university may be just what you need before diving into your new venture. An apprenticeship program allows students to learn on the job while receiving regular feedback from their employers or instructors while earning money. The best part? Apprenticeships can often lead to full-time work after graduation! Considering becoming a franchisee, believe many things before signing on the dotted line. For example, you should be sure that the franchisor is experienced and has a good reputation in the industry. You should also ensure that they offer training classes for new franchisees and ongoing support for your business once it’s up and running.

A Relentless Work Ethic
In the world of franchising, work ethic is a combination of hard work and passion for your business. You need to be able to put in long hours to get things done, handle stress and conflict within your staff, and know when you need help with something. In addition, a relentless work ethic means being smart enough to know when you don’t have all the answers.
The best franchisees are constantly learning, not just about their business but also about the industry and how it works. As a result, they don’t rely on others to do their jobs; they take responsibility for their success or failure.

Motivation
Motivation comes in many forms, but motivation is not a fixed attribute of a person. Instead, it is an emotion that comes when you’re starting to do something and keeps you going as you finish the task.
Motivation can come from within or without. Some people are naturally motivated to achieve goals. In contrast, others need external incentives (such as money) to complete something. While some people have both types of motivation, others may only be motivated by extrinsic or internal factors. The trick is figuring out how each person uses their unique style of inspiration so that they will succeed with your franchise business model and continue achieving. The goal for every franchisor is to find ways for their franchisees to stay motivated after opening up shop. This way, franchisees remain fired about what they’re doing, as do all their employees! The best way to keep your franchisees motivated after opening is by letting them know that you’re still there for them. Being available for your franchisees doesn’t mean calling them every day; it means making sure that when they need help with something, you’re able to provide it. Depending on your franchise’s business model, this could be anything from giving marketing tips or advice on how to run a successful business.

They are Innovative
An innovative franchisee will be able to think of ways to make their business stand out from the competition. They may also develop ways to improve efficiency or help attract more customers. An idea can be as simple as a new advertising campaign, or it could be something like a product that is better than what’s currently offered in your industry.
To get innovative ideas, you must begin by following the basic steps of brainstorming: define an issue and gather information on it, generate ideas on how to solve it, evaluate those ideas against one another and others’ opinions, then choose which ones are best suited for implementation. Once you’ve decided on an approach (or several), you’ll need input from trusted advisors before implementing them into your business plan so that they’re practical and professionally sound. When you’re ready to move forward with your idea, it’s crucial to have a plan for what steps you’ll need to take next. A plan will ensure that you don’t waste time or money on something that won’t work or that isn’t feasible within your budget.

They are Tireless
Tireless is a word that describes someone who works hard but doesn’t get tired. Being tireless is essential in any business because you will most likely fail if you don’t work hard enough and stay on top of things. Here are some examples of what it means to be tireless: Don’t stop working until the job is done. If an area of your business could use improvement, take the time to improve it even if it takes longer than expected or seems like more work than intended at first glance. The only way for your franchise to succeed is for every part to run smoothly and efficiently, so never let up on improving yourself as an owner—even if you already feel like everything is perfect!

They Always Follow The System Set Up by the Franchisor.
Following the franchise system ensures that all franchisees follow a standardized set of rules which prevents one location from being treated differently than another just because they don’t quite know how things work yet (and this makes them less likely to succeed). It also ensures consistency across all sites, so no matter where customers go, they’ll receive similar experiences every time – which helps build trust between them and their favorite brands. Don’t take shortcuts or do things the company doesn’t want you to do. The system should be designed to ensure success and prevent mistakes. If there’s a way to do something more efficiently or effectively than what’s laid out in your franchise’s system, then make sure you’re not doing it. When you’re a franchisee, you are part of the system. You must follow the rules and regulations set forth by your parent company. If you’re not willing to do that, then it’s probably not a good idea for someone like you to become a franchisee in the first place. Franchisees must be able to work with others; they cannot function as lone wolves who have no regard for other people or their feelings. Instead, a successful franchisee can take direction from those above them and guide those below them in the hierarchy of any given company. A successful franchisee is someone who can work well with others. They are not lone wolves, and they have no disregard for other people or their feelings. Instead, a successful franchisee can take direction from those above them and guide those below them in the hierarchy of any given company.

Successful Franchisees Know When and How To Ask For Help.
A good franchisee is always looking for ways to improve their business. Sometimes, this means asking for help from other franchisees or the franchisor. By recognizing that there are people out there who have more experience than you do, you’ll be able to grow your business faster and become a better leader in the process.
Working with your peers: Franchisees often feel alone in their respective territories when starting on their own without the support of corporate office staff. Having other franchisees nearby gives them a sense of community, making starting up easier. It also allows them to play off each others’ strengths—for example, one may specialize in sales while another excels at marketing—so they can complement each other’s skillsets much like employees would in an office setting.
. The franchisor will likely have a community of franchisees where you may draw information. However, it’s still up to you and other franchisees to get together and make connections.

They Engage With Their Community.
Being able to help out and be part of your community doesn’t just make you look good; it also helps build trust and goodwill with your customers and strengthen your position in the market over time. It’s not just about being charitable – although charity sponsorships have their rewards – it’s about contributing something meaningful to local events or causes, whether they be arts-related or sports related. It may even come down to simply getting involved in things like recycling programs, helping keep your neighborhood clean and safe through litter pick-ups, or volunteering at schools or civic buildings around town.
The important thing is that you are a community member, not just an employee. If you can show people that you care about where they live, chances are they’ll care more about where they buy their coffee too.

They Understand How Advertising and Marketing Work.
Marketing is a critical component of any business, whether a franchise or not. A good marketing strategy can help you to stand out from the competition and increase sales. However, it should be based on the needs of your local market, so it’s vital that you understand how advertising and marketing work and how to promote your local franchise to stand out in the marketplace.
You may need to create an effective marketing plan if your franchisor doesn’t provide one for you. Still, many will give you templates from which to work or provide some guidance on developing an effective plan for your business model. If this isn’t possible, there are many online resources where you can find advice about what makes for successful marketing campaigns based on different industries. When developing your marketing plan, the first thing to consider is what type of franchise you are running. How does it differ from other businesses in the same category? If your business is a franchise, then there will be some elements set by the franchisor and others that you can decide for yourself. You can also look at how competitors market their franchises to get ideas.

Successful Franchisees Also Enjoy Being The Boss and Seeing Their Businesses Grow Over Time.
They like the independence that comes with owning a business. Still, they know what they are getting into before signing on as a franchisee. You have to be willing to work long hours for your business to succeed. This can sometimes mean missing out on time spent with friends or family members who don’t understand why some things need doing now rather than later!
However, if you are a person who enjoys being their boss and having a successful business to show for all of your hard work, then becoming a franchisee might be the perfect opportunity for you. If this sounds like something that could interest you, contact our team today for more information about how we can help!

And Lastly, They Have The Proper Capital
Capital is the amount of money you need to start your business. Of course, as a franchisee, some capital will be required to get started, but there are other ways of raising capital. For example, you can approach investors or apply for loans from banks or financial institutions like credit unions.

* Where do I find capital?
* How much do I need?
* How do I raise money?

The amount of capital you need will depend on the type of business you want to start. For example, suppose you’re planning on opening a small retail store or restaurant. In that case, you may only need $10,000 or less in startup capital. On the other hand, if your idea is more complex and requires additional equipment or facilities, you may need between $50,000 and $500,000.

Conclusion

When you sign up with a franchise, they expect you to be committed long-term. Not only does this mean investing money upfront (between $50K-$150K depending on what type of business), but also sticking with it through periods when profits might not come quickly. Such as during the startup phase when everything seems chaotic before systems are correctly implemented or when dealing with setbacks like natural disasters or poor economic conditions affecting customers’ ability to afford products/services being offered by competitors too! If you aren’t willing to put in the hard work upfront, don’t try a startup business because failure rates are high among new entrepreneurs who jump into entrepreneurship without knowing what they are doing.

Franchises are the number one way new entrepreneurs start a business. A franchisee can take advantage of a proven system, brand recognition, and access to capital. But, in return, they must spend time learning about their industry, develop relationships with suppliers and customers, as well as adhere to strict standards set by the franchisor. These requirements differ from starting your own company from scratch but offer many benefits, making them attractive options for businesses seeking growth.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SUCCESS IN THE FRANCHISING INDUSTRY CLICK HERE WWW.FRANGROW.COM

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.

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.

SIX TECH TRENDS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY BORNE OUT OF THE PANDEMIC

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Technology and innovation have helped and in some instances saved restaurants as they changed their way of thinking about the overall guest experience. Many thrived by staying connecting and engaged with their customers with this new worldwide operating model and mindset.

SIX TECH TRENDS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY BORNE OUT OF THE PANDEMIC
By: Gary Occhiogrosso – Managing Partner Franchise Growth Solutions, LLC.

As a New Yorker in the restaurant and franchise business, I’ve seen the industry go through difficult times over the last two years. From total closure to outdoor dining in the wintertime to mandated “proof of vaccination” rules imposed on citizens. Some moves made by the restaurant industry in response to the pandemic and the government orders resulted in numerous changes.

From an optimistic viewpoint, there have been innovative changes that will remain in place. The good news is we are nearing the end of the pandemic and learning to live in a mostly vaccinated society as guest are returning to restaurants in droves. One of the more forward thinking initiatives is the restaurant industry’s embrace of technology in a way that many restaurateurs had not considered or even shunned before the global pandemic. There is no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic forced many industries to shift to digital mode. The restaurant industry is no exception as it steered toward the use of technology by introducing digital menus and online ordering options to keep its business alive, just to name a few.

Technology and innovation have helped and in some instances saved restaurants as they changed their way of thinking about the overall guest experience. Many thrived by staying connecting and engaged with their customers with this new worldwide operating model and mindset. Everything from online orders to self-checkout, contactless payment methods, and home delivery, the restaurant industry could not afford to ignore the latest trends set in the food industry if they were to remain relevant and competitive.

Here are six tech trends in the restaurant industry borne out of the pandemic. I believe they are here to stay:

Online Ordering
Before the pandemic hit the world, many restaurants were waiting for the right time to introduce online ordering options for their customers. However, the strict lockdown forced the restaurant industry across the globe to close their cafes, QSR’s as well as dine-in services and shift to the digital medium of ordering, payment adn pick-up.

Many online platforms helped the restaurant industry to continue their business by collaborating with them. A study reveals that almost one in three Americans use online food ordering systems once a week. They introduced digital menus for the customers to check what the restaurants are offering.

Contactless Payment
Another mainstream trend in the food industry is contactless payment. It is not only about placing online orders but also about receiving payments through smartcards, smartphones, and smartwatches. Contactless payment originally gained momentum slowly with the global food industry. However, the pandemic gave it a big push to accelerate the concept industry wide.

Ready Contactless Dining
Logo for Ready Contactless Dining app with QR code and text reading Pay Here visible, at a restaurant in the Silicon Valley, San Jose, California, December 18, 2021. Photo courtesy Tech Trends. (Photo by Gado/Getty Images)GADO VIA GETTY IMAGES

It is a more hygienic and safer means of placing an order with no personal interaction and no cash handling. Moreover, it is a quick and convenient way of receiving payment from customers for the orders placed. Restaurants wishing to stay competitive in the handheld device era must design plans that create digital payment methods for a better experience.

Restaurant Reservation Software
For the full service space, automating restaurant reservation schedules, not only increases efficiency in a time of ongoing labor challenges, it also conveys an updated image to your diners. Moreover, it reduces the chances of over or double booking. Short staffed restaurant with extra busy staffers often make mistakes disrupting a great guest experience. Therefore, the reservation software reduces or eliminates the need to attend calls to reserve tables or assign employees to handle the customers.

Drone Food Delivery Systems
With the high cost of third party delivery services, restaurateurs are seeking alternatives. Drone delivery in certain parts of the country are beginning to become popular. Automating the delivery process may eventually lead to some restaurants doing away with the delivery person’s existence entirely. With the advancement of technology, drones soon may completely replace drivers to ensure contactless, timely delivery. Moreover, they can also film the surroundings and offer many avenues for marketing initatives. Having food delivered through drones would eliminate the cost of hiring delivery people and reduce the environmental effects caused by the vehicles while at the same time lessen the need for expensive third party servies.

Chatbots
A newer trend taking hold in the food industry is the use of website Chatbots. Restaurants can easily create chatbots. They do not require much investment and can easily integrate with different communication mediums. While interacting with customers, a chatbox may:

* recommend dishes
* suggest food
* pair drink options
* process payments
*ask for feedback
*offer promotions
*announce events
*and even crack jokes

Air purification:
To increase health security, air quality and purification enters the minds of some guests. As a result, restaurants are focusing on upgrading air purification systems to improve air quality inside their restaurants. Some restaurants opt for filter systems that trap pollutants and neutralize contaminants in the air. Although these concepts are still emerging in the restaurant industry, they are becoming an integral part of safety measure and you can expect to see more of it as we continue to learn to live with the threat of viruses. These air purification measures are in addition to customers expectations that the staff sanitize the restaurant regularly and thoroughly before serving meals.

My “Take Away”
As technology changes everything from the guest experience to the ordering process to the functionality of the kitchens, restaurants must continue to evolve, innovate and monitor consumer trends if they expect to survive and thrive. Embracing the use of technology and digital solutions as a way remain competitive is undoubtedly here today and the future of our business.

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.

5 TOP ITEMS YOUR SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS ON ITS CYBERSECURITY TO-DO LIST

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

No matter the size of your business, you can take practical steps to help defend against cyberattacks, which will save your company time, effort and money in the long term.

5 top items your small business needs on its cybersecurity to-do list

(BPT) – If you run a small to medium-sized business, you may think your risk of cyberattacks is slim to none. But just because your business is smaller and you have your data stored on-premises does not exempt you from risk. According to the Ninth Annual Cost of Cybercrime Study by Accenture, 43% of cyberattacks are now aimed at small businesses — but only 14% of those businesses are prepared to defend themselves. Since the pandemic, cybercrime has increased by 600%, according to Embroker.com. And the cost of cyberattacks — from business disruption and lost data to system downtime, damage to your company’s reputation and even legal liability — is higher than ever. Cyber defense needs to be a major component of your business strategy.

What can your business do to help prevent these attacks in the first place?

Types of cyberattacks

It helps to understand where cybercriminals are most likely to strike, which is at most companies’ biggest point of vulnerability — the human factor. The Ponemon Institute’s State of Cybersecurity Report has identified the most common types of cyberattacks on small businesses:

  • Social Engineering/Phishing (57%): This can take the form of an email that appears to be from a trusted source, like a co-worker or supervisor, asking for help and requesting you click a link or download something.
  • Compromised/Stolen Devices (33%): Devices without sufficient security safeguards in place can be vulnerable.
  • Credential Theft (30%): Hackers obtain usernames and passwords to access accounts. Having strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication to access accounts can help prevent unauthorized access.

Strategies to safeguard your business

No matter the size of your business, you can take practical steps to help defend against cyberattacks, which will save your company time, effort and money in the long term.

Here are 5 tactics that should be on your cyber defense checklist:

1. Educate your employees about security best practices

Make sure everyone in your business understands common cyberthreats, and is well trained on how to identify typical phishing and social engineering scams. In addition, help remote employees secure their home networks by offering training on setting up secure Wi-Fi.

2. Keep business and personal devices separate

Especially as many employees continue working remotely all or part of the time, reduce security risks by emphasizing the importance of everyone in your organization using only company devices for work purposes.

3. Beef up security measures for employee accounts and network access

Require only strong, unique passwords for employee access, as well as implementing multi-factor authentication practices for an extra layer of protection.

4. Get a unified software platform for security and patch management

Make sure your entire system is more secure by using a single, effective software platform that can manage identity, access and devices in the cloud — as well as managing security upgrades and patching. For example, JumpCloud offers IT admins at any business the ability to control and manage a wide variety of configurations with Zero Trust security to secure your organization.

JumpCloud provides an easy, frictionless solution for small to medium-sized business requirements to hedge against increasing cyberthreats, with several security features to help your business improve its security posture, including:

  • Multi-Factor Authentication
  • Single Sign-On
  • Device Management
  • Zero-Trust
  • Patch Management

Even better, JumpCloud lets customers use all premium features for free, for up to 10 users and 10 devices.

“Any business owner today needs to be aware of and take active measures to protect against cyberattacks,” said Benjamin Garrison, technical evangelist at JumpCloud. “For any size business, JumpCloud provides an effective solution, all in one place.”

5. Monitor for security breaches

In case of a cyberattack, your business will recover and overcome the loss much more quickly the earlier you can detect the problem. Set up a system for frequent monitoring of your network for any potential breaches, and keep working to defend against them with regular updates and trainings for all staff.

Don’t wait until a security breach happens to get serious about cyber defense. Being proactive about the security of your business will be well worth it to defend everything you’ve created.

JumpCloud gives IT admins a single cloud directory platform to secure all their users in any device environment, wherever work happens. Visit JumpCloud.com to learn more.