There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has presented never-before-seen challenges for the world’s food industry. Whether you run a small cafe or a fine diner, a club eatery or a takeaway business, almost every aspect of your operation would have been impacted. But now that restrictions are easing, and the world is beginning to open up again, what does that mean for you and your business? SilverChef undertook a review of the industry to see what opportunities now lie ahead for those in the Australian and New Zealand food industry.
It revealed that these post-corona days present the ideal chance to rebuild your business, introducing changes that speak to an altered world. Here are our major recommendations.
STREAMLINE YOUR MENU AND FOOD PREPARATION
• People have less money, but they still want great flavours. Recipe costing is essential to check profit margins if you’ve cut menu prices.
• Make delivery and takeaway a much larger part of your sales mix.
• Invest in better cooking equipment to improve speed and efficiency.
IMPROVE CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS
• Upgrade social media posts with more human faces and less boasting. People might love your food – now show them who made it and the people who deliver it.
• Add more community posts to your Facebook page – things such as local activities and a shout-out to health workers and teachers doing great work.
• Include a friendly flyer in delivery bags, with a menu and local news. Add the brochure of a non-competing business which may need support – a local hairdresser or tradesman, for example.
MAKE THE BEST USE OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE
Government help tends to go to people with well-organised bookwork who can prove their case – outlining how sales have been lower, employee costs are too high, or how your business needs apprentice and trainee subsidies. At other times, there are business improvement grants or lowcost loans that can help with technology upgrades or new equipment. When your numbers are ready at the click of a button, you can make a powerful submission for assistance. Make sure you have a bookkeeper who knows the industry and watches out for opportunities.
IMPROVE STAFF MANAGEMENT AND RECRUITMENT
There are a lot more people looking for work, but “energetic team players” are still in short supply. Good staff love a well organised workplace – improving systems will not only reduce costs but also keep your employees productive and motivated. Upgrade your systems with online rostering.
Talk to the team at SilverChef about your equipment funding needs; silverchef.com.au
