How to Manage Local Eateries Business

Maintain open two-way communication. A good manager will communicate regularly with staff. You need to know what they are observing in the business, how they feel about their jobs, and whether any problems are brewing. It also helps for the staff to hear from you and know, in advance, if any changes are coming or anything else that will affect their work. Regular communication can resolve many problems before they even start. Depending on the size of the business and your position as a manager, you may communicate through any or all of the following:

• Regularly scheduled staff meetings.
• Written newsletter or other bulletins.
• Regular informal email communications.
• A company bulletin board (either a real physical bulletin board or an online virtual site).
• A shared calendar of events.

Establish an accounting system. If you are not trained in accounting, you may need to hire a bookkeeper or at least consult with a trained accountant. You need to choose an accounting system for operating your business. Different systems exist, with a variety of strengths and weaknesses, depending on your kind of business.

• Cash method. This is generally better for small businesses. You will count your cash as an asset when you actually receive it. Similarly, you measure your expenses when you actually pay them.
• Accrual method. Larger business tend to prefer this method, which works more on an invoicing system. You count the asset when a sale is made, whether or not you actually receive payment at that time. You will measure expenses when you receive the item, not at the time of actual payment.
  

  Local Eateries

Keep good financial records. Whether you use software programs, electronic cash registers, or keep old-fashioned records on hand-written receipts, you need a system for recording sales and expenses. Whatever system you select, you must use it consistently and correctly. Mistakes in record-keeping can lead to serious problems for any business.Some currently popular accounting software programs include:

• QuickBooks or QuickBooks Online
• PeachTree Accounting
• Sage Live
• NetSuite
• Zoho Books

Reconcile your accounts regularly. At least once a month, you should compare your bank accounts with your accounting statements. If you are not comfortable with reconciling accounts, you may need to consult with a bookkeeper or accountant. Your actual balances should match the balances reported in your accounting statements. You may need to make slight variations for any invoices that have been issued but not yet paid.

• If your accounts do not reconcile, you need to examine your accounting system more closely and discover the error. If you do this monthly, you can often catch mistakes while they are small and can be corrected. If not, your business can face big problems.
  

  Local Eateries

Generate some growth ideas. Any business manager may want to do more business, but you need some ideas. Work with your staff to develop areas for growth. Try to identify what you can do to expand the business. Some specific considerations might include:

• Reach out to a new customer base.
• Expand your hours of service.
• Increase manufacturing and sales.
• Change your advertising schemes.
• Hire more staff.

Create a marketing plan. Before just launching into a new area for your business, you need to plan. A good marketing plan defines your objectives, details your finances, describes staffing needs, and helps you plan for the changes you anticipate. If you write a strong marketing plan and then follow it, your growth is more likely to succeed.

• For help with specifically writing a marketing plan, check out Create a Marketing Plan.

Plan a budget. Expansion costs money, and as the manager you will need to know where it comes from. As part of your marketing plan, you should develop a budget. You should determine if you can finance growth from the company’s own revenues or if you need to borrow. If you decide to borrow, you need a plan for repayment over time, to keep the business profitable.

Local Eateries

Implement your changes. Putting your plan into action can be the most exciting part of managing a business. Follow your marketing plan and make the changes that you laid out. If you need to increase staff, advertise and interview. If you are increasing manufacturing capacity, this is the time to purchase and install the new equipment. Whatever you set out to do, follow your plan and guide the process through.

Monitor your plan. As you implement the changes to your company, keep reviewing your marketing plan to stay on track. If your marketing plan contained a good budget, then you should stick to it. Follow the design that you set out. Even after your changes have been implemented, return to the marketing plan periodically to check your growth. Is your company moving in the direction you wanted? At least once a year, you and any other members of your management team should review the marketing plan and consider any changes you might need.

Local Eateries

Manage staff problems. This can often mean resolving conflicts. Ideally, your employee handbook should address any problem situation, and open communication should identify problems early. Even so, sometimes, things may rise to a level that requires you to intervene. You should try to be as impartial as possible and use your best judgment to resolve the situation.

• If an employee raises a complaint or concern, you should listen carefully to the problem. If another employee is involved, you should then give that person an opportunity to speak to you. Refer to the employee handbook, if that can help address the situation.
• You may not be able to satisfy everyone involved. At least be fair and reach a conclusion that is best for the company as a whole.

Deal with customer disputes. If your business has regular customers, you are likely to run into complaints at some point. Handle these as respectfully as possible. Let the customer know that you respect their business and you are sorry for the problem (even if you don’t believe you are at fault). If the customer is someone with an open contract with you, then refer to the terms of the contract to see if that will provide a solution. In the end, you should balance whether possibly losing the customer’s business is worth the cost of addressing the complaint.

• For example, suppose your business supplies personalized stationery to other offices, and a customer refuses to pay for a shipment because the quality is poor. If you disagree, you should balance the price of that one invoice against the costs of suing for collection and losing that customer’s future business. It may be better for your business to lose the value of one shipment but keep a longstanding satisfied customer.
  

  Local Eateries

Handle emergencies. You should plan for any possible emergencies that could occur. This includes anything from a staff illness or injury to a fire in your store or some natural disaster. Develop a written emergency plan to account for any kind of occurrence. Your plan should address every staff member’s role, how to guide customers who may be in your facility, and how to work with emergency care staff when they arrive. Make sure that your facility is adequately stocked with the following emergency equipment, and that all staff know how to use it:

• Fire extinguishers.
• Smoke alarms and detectors.
• First aid kits.
• Automated external defibrillators (AEDs).