Ringing The Register | Creating Bonus Business with Andy Vasko
Are you too busy working in your business to work on your business?
If so, you aren't alone! Every month I talk to hundreds of operators around the country and hear a common theme of being busy. Proprietors are diligently working the desk, filling in for cooks who didn't show up, oiling the lanes, fixing machines, taking inventory, and placing orders, along with countless other tedious activities to keep their operations open and functioning.
Many people are so busy keeping up with daily operations that they are out of time, energy, and creativity to fill their open lanes and grow business. It's a common theme I hear from around the country; operators are short-staffed, overworked, and just plain tired.
As I reflect on my decades of operating busy centers, I can totally relate to these challenges and feel for you. But I hope you don't give up and just accept your open spots without a fight. Especially when you're busy, it's easier to fill lanes when you have a clear assessment of your center's potential.
Years ago, I started using a lane availability chart to visualize our open lines daily. Having that chart in my face kept our open lanes top of mind and kept me focused on filling the spots. Back in the day, I used a simple Excel sheet to create my own lane availability chart and it worked just fine. I used Column A for days, B for time, and C-AH for numbers 1-32. Under each day, I listed the start time and highlighted the number of lanes being used. Once completed, it was very easy to see all the white boxes representing open lines are opportunities for additional business.
Initially, this exercise can be overwhelming. The number of white spaces can throw you for a loop and that is exactly why it is productive. Once I saw the white-out and reality set in, I moved on to constructive activities to fill the holes.
My personal favorite was scheduling a brainstorming session with staff to gather ideas. As much as I don't love meetings, this is a fantastic way to get your team together and pick their brains. If your center is like most, you probably have many ages and different types of people on your staff who will provide ideas that you wouldn't have thought of on your own. Be sure to employ the 'no negative comments allowed' rule to keep things positive and encourage participation. You may be surprised where your best suggestions come from.
I remember when I hosted one of these meetings and my cook suggested a teen night on Sundays because nothing was happening on Sunday nights in the summer. The result was an average of 80 kids paying $8.00 each for a 2-hour session June through August, with a back-to-school party on the last night.
I started calling these meetings Finding Gold sessions and gave a reward for ideas that produced business. Good for the center, good for the staff, and great for everyone's pocketbook.
Lane availability charts, if you're not using them - START!
If you have any questions about this, give me a call or email me, I'd be happy to walk you through it. [email protected] or 1-877-841-4590.
Note: Technology has moved at lightning speed since I got out of operations and perhaps online reservation systems, or newer automatic scoring features, could provide you with this at the touch of a button. I recommend looking to suppliers of these products to see if it is an available option.