Top 5 Tips To Running A Cafe

tips-for-running-a-cafe-Brisbane

Opening a cafe is a big dream for a lot of people. Whether it’s the smell of coffee as the sun rises or being able to offer delicious meals to your customers, running a cafe can seem like the ultimate dream job. While you may have heard some wonderful success stories, running a business doesn’t come down to pure luck.

Opening, and running a cafe is hard work. Depending on your location, there can be some stiff competition, increasing amounts of competitors and people who simply can’t be pleased. While you may be dreaming of opening a cafe whilst sitting at your cubicle at work, it’s important to remember that it takes dedication and hard work for your new venture to succeed.

So, how can you help your cafe to succeed and to stay in operation for years to come? There are a few things you can address to ensure your cafe has the best chance of success.

Plan, Plan, Plan

There’s something about the concept of “opening a cafe” that people look at through rose-coloured glasses. When it comes to running a cafe (or any business for that matter) it’s always important to crunch the numbers. Figuring out where the money will be coming in from and where it will be going out is a good start.

One way to do this is to run mock pay runs and determine all of your overheads early on.

Find Your Unique Selling Point

Like with all businesses, it’s important to find what makes you unique. For cafe’s, having the best coffee in town just doesn’t cut it. Because there is a large number of competitors in the cafe industry, it’s even more important to find out what makes you stand out from the crowd. Not only do you need to have good coffee, but you need to find what else makes you different.

A lot of the time, cafe owners will use their food options or their customer service as part of creating their unique selling point. Figure out what makes you better than the rest and use it to your best abilities.

Keep Your Menu Efficient

A good cafe knows how to create a menu that has minimal ingredients. It may feel like an easy task, but there’s a balance between creating a menu that has a number of different items available and have a storeroom full of various items that are all perishable. Reducing wastage will inevitably help you to reduce costs and help make your business more profitable.

Understand Your Numbers

More and more cafe owners are starting to put their heads into their books. With software such as Xero helping business owners to understand how their business is positioned, it makes sense to get involved. Xero can be linked with your business banking details to have reporting available at your fingertips.

Many business owners have been able to discover more about their business and determine where their pitfalls are, simply by using the appropriate software.

Ensure Your Numbers Are Accurate

There’s one thing to use accounting software and think you have everything under control, and there’s ensuring your numbers are accurate. Although you think you may be saving yourself some money by taking care of your own books, before you know it you could be days or even months behind in your record-keeping. Soon enough, panic will set in and you’ll want to avoid it at all costs.

Your bookkeeping is an essential part of making informed decisions for your business, which is why having a professional on your side is well worth it. You can minimise the potential for mistakes and it also gives you and your staff more time to focus on what you do best. In a lot of cases, hiring a professional bookkeeper can be a very worthwhile investment.

If you own a cafe and you’re looking for ways to streamline your business, give the team a call at Diverse Business Consultants. We can provide you with the best advice to ensure your cafe is as successful as possible.