Owning and managing a bar can blur the lines between night and day, making you feel like you live at work. From late nights closing the place to early mornings spent counting inventory and preparing for the evening ahead, long hours can begin to take their toll. The good news is that there are specific steps you can take to avoid the black hole of bar management that threatens to consume all your time. By working smarter, you can not only enjoy more freedom, but also focus your attention at work on the things that are most important to you.
One of the biggest times sucks of bar management is inventory. It is a thankless and tedious job, but it is also necessary to preventing shrinkage and investing wisely in stocking your shelves. If you are still manually counting bottles and entering numbers into Excel spreadsheets, then it is time for an update.
Today, there are a variety of different tools and apps that simplify the inventory process and ensure a whole new level of accuracy. Instead of counting individual items, you scan barcodes, weigh bottles and automatically generate inventory reports. It is easier than ever to get a detailed look at how your bar is performing and identify where you can make improvements to your purchasing practices.
Getting lost in the nuts and bolts of bar management also means that you have less time to spend on getting to know your clientele and implementing marketing efforts. If you are constantly playing catch-up with the daily tasks of running your place, there may be little time left for promoting growth. When you streamline the inventory process, you can shift your focus from just maintaining to actually growing.
Keeping accurate inventory is also helpful in gathering insightful information about your customers. You can see exactly what type and brand of liquor, beer, and wine your customers are consuming and take steps to better target your audience. Whether you run specials or create new cocktails, knowing your customers can help you promote the drinks they like. Not only will this increase profits, but it will also solidify customer loyalty.
Freeing up time can also allow you to spend more time training your employees. Bar management goes beyond just crunching numbers. It also involves creating a welcoming environment for both customers and your team. The more time you spend upfront developing a cohesive staff that works efficiently together, the less micro-managing you will have to do down the road. You will be able to confidently rely on your employees and invest your time wisely on other aspects of running the business.
Bar management doesn't have to turn into a black hole where all your time disappears. When you arm yourself with the right tools, especially when it comes to simplifying the purchasing and inventory process, you can free up significant amounts of time. Whether you spend that time catching up on sleep, marketing your business, or schmoozing with customers is up to you.
