Day 418 – Year in Review: Confidentiality of Data

I am likely stating the obvious with this post, but it is imperative that you always, always ensure any data or information remains confidential in regards to the bars you audit or even don’t audit. It is human nature for bar owners to ask you how others in the industry are doing. We are looked upon as consultants and we are always wanting to provide helpful information and add value to our service, but make sure any information you are providing is from industry resources, restaurant and bar associations or maybe consolidated BEVINCO data from your region, for example average losses or hot selling products etc. Refrain from discussing results from other clients, its confidential information between you and the client. If a bar owner asks how others are doing and you respectfully decline to speak about other establishments, they will understand, because they wouldn’t want you to be discussing their business either.

Day 404 – Year in Review: Portable Printing

Unfortunately, I have not been able to ditch my printer, and is the only piece of equipment that does not fit into my portable office (roller bag). Some of my clients have wireless internet and some do not, some prefer a hard copy of the reports handed to them when I am done and some prefer the reports electronically via email, and some want both email and hard copies if the owner wants it emailed to their Blackberry if they are not always around but want the staff to see the report right away. Because of this I carry a small laser printer along with me so that I have the ability to print when needed. With technology these days portable printers are getting extremely small and are not that cumbersome to carry anymore, for now it might be worth the investment.

Day 392 – Year in Review: Professional Attire

I believe it is extremely important to maintain a professional image at all times when completing your audits, even if it might be 5am and you don’t think the owner or staff will be there. You need to make sure that you look professional for when staff arrive, or the owner stops in to meet with you. You make the call on what the definition of professional attire is, whether it be khaki pants, or some form of dress pant and a collared golf shirt, looking professional will go along way with your clients. After all, in the beginning they are letting someone they likely don’t know (“you”) in their bar after-hours when they might not always be there, and looking professional is a big part of being professional. My staff and myself wear golf shirts with the BEVINCO logo and a casual dress pant. If things are getting a bit messy (usually weighing kegs), I also use a black apron to keep my attire clean. This also allows me to easily stop at potential clients or sales meetings without having to change or worry about my attire after I have a completed a couple of audits earlier that day.

Day 387 – Year in Review: Flash Light

Yes, a very basic tool, but it comes in handy every audit. I found a small Mag-Lite works great when you are doing beer bottle counts in a cooler where shadows can make it difficult to complete the audit and the lighting is poor. Some stockrooms are very poorly lit, and in many bars the liquor is kept in a cupboard behind the bar with little or no lighting and a flashlight is a must. I have also had the pleasure of completing an audit in the dark during a power outage and a flashlight was a necessity. This is also where making sure your laptop is fully charged before you leave the office in the morning along with your hand held scanner and of course the rechargeable batteries that I talked about earlier. You just never know what you are going to come across when performing your audit.

Day 378 – Year in Review: Equipment

A big part of getting started is purchasing all of the necessary equipment; laptop computer, bottle scale, barcode scanner, hand held scanner, keg scale and few small other miscellaneous items that will help you complete your audits. But don’t fear, the technical support group at BEVINCO Global Office does a lot of the ground work for you. They have gone through a lot of effort to research the best equipment for the job and to have performed a number of tests to make sure performance requirements are met and integration is simple. The equipment can be purchased through Global office or purchased on your own. There are some options to buy refurbished units on-line which can save you a few dollars if your start up budget is tight. Throughout the year I have tested various scales and computers that other franchisees have recommended and they all do the job without any issues. I have two simple recommendations regarding your auditing equipment; bring your equipment (except your keg scale) to the initial franchisee training because the on-site tech support will set up your equipment for you which is a big help. I did not....... and I ended up having some last minute phone calls on a Sunday with tech support to get me up and running. The other recommendation is rechargeable batteries! These scales eat up batteries quick after a week of use. The rechargeable batteries will last longer and it will save you a lot of money. Have a second set and you will never be at risk for having a dead scale.

Day 365 – 1 Year!

Time flies when you are having fun (and working your butt off). The past year of developing a new BEVINCO franchise territory has been a rewarding adventure to the say the least. There have been many ups and downs over the year, and when I think about it sometimes I would experience highs and lows in a single day. Bringing on a new clients, working through challenges with clients and the day to day issues with running a business. In just a single year I have observed and experienced significant changes in the hospitality industry, the economy, new bar trends (every week students come up with a new shooter!) and bars coming and going with the changing times. During the year I have learned what marketing initiatives work and what don’t work as well, and how to make the necessary changes to move forward to continually grow the business. Over the next few weeks I will review specific areas or concepts that I have felt made a significant impact on my successes. Feel free to leave me comments or ask me questions about the first year starting a new BEVINCO franchise.

Day 364 – Ola!

If you are thinking of starting a BEVINCO franchise and you are wondering how you can take a vacation longer than Sunday, there is a way. In the beginning it is more challenging of course, but an employee or two will make life a lot easier. Recently I was able to sneak away for some winter sunshine in the Caribbean without missing a beat. How? It takes some planning and working with your clients to ensure you are meeting their needs. Currently all of my audits fall between Monday and Thursday. To make sure the audits were still completed you can shift the late week audits earlier and double up some of the days, this will likely make a few long days by starting a few hours earlier. On the following week, the early week audits can be shifted later in the week which may double up some days and make them longer but you are then able to take time off in between weeks without missing an audit. This will obviously be easier if you have an employee to help you with the doubled up workload or allow them to complete the audit on their own. If your employee completes the audit for you, you may need to have email access on vacation to review audit results if need be to ensure the reports are completed as required. If you have clients that are scheduled bi-weekly, selecting the off week to take time off will also reduce your workload and making planning a little easier.