Back to Business…………Not as Usual
What will you have to do to thrive in this new game?
Manage your time wisely
There are so many business owners who have been a part of this major shut down either because of Covid-19 or becoming a victim from the violent destruction in the streets. And it is devastating, both financially and emotionally. The hospitality industry has been the hardest hit, unsure of their future and some have sadly boarded up and filed for bankruptcy. I personally feel sorry for the sole proprietor who is hanging by a thin thread with no answers from their local government. He needs to make a blind call to either use all his savings or just shut down because the downtime might continue indefinitely. Using the entire savings is risky because that may not be enough to survive or maybe the economy would get shut down again. Unbelievable.
Our entire family was involved in the total operations of our restaurant but it was many years ago. At that time people loved going out to dinner, spending money was not that much of an issue and we loved serving the public. Those were fun and exciting times! Had we gone through what restaurants are going through right now I have no idea what we would’ve done; our whole family would’ve suffered substantial loses. We lived on a small lake in upstate New York not near a major city with additional job opportunities.
So what can be done to help this significant and treasured industry? Well we know that when private clubs, hotels and restaurants reopen that sizable changes will take place. According to the current phase, businesses can operate at fifty percent which is nearly impossible to cover all costs. And the dream of earning a profit will have to be just that for now, a dream.
And what is the major expense in the hospitality industry? Yep, labor costs. They may not be able to afford in-house staff but need some vital duties performed. Managers and owners need to figure out how to navigate this new trend and shouldn’t have to struggle with time consuming tasks. This is where businesses can uncover and utilize the boomers, you know, us old folks. Believe it or not most of us are still quite viable and resourceful with an unbeatable work ethic that will never diminish.
But that is not the best part about us. You know those nasty benefits that some of these businesses must pay? Guess what? We don’t need them! Most of us are on Medicare, collect social security or have a spouse still working with family benefits. We are not interested in your health insurance, 401k, uniforms, you do not need to feed us, we don’t need paid time off because we would be temporary, part-time and working from home. And the chances are slim that we would need maternity leave. It’s a digital world, it doesn’t matter where we reside. Here is just an example of the duties I am talking about:
* Daily check-ins for updates/changes in duties
* Customer/Member services as in reservations, confirmations or any return calls
* Signage for table tents, place cards or any monotonous, time-consuming duty
* Menus – create or update
* Excel spreadsheets, input of inventories, staffing schedules
* Zoom meetings
Some of us boomers live with pets and plants, burn essential oils, still rise early (we cannot afford to miss one minute at this age!) and take pride in our time management skills. Use us, we’re here for you. Whether you are an existing business or a start-up, temporary assistance is available until your business gains the strength needed to hire that perfect employee.
For further details email me, thesuev@gmail.com
