Start analysing your sales data!!

I’ve worked WITH more than 100 hospitality businesses and IN more than 20.

One thing that struggling operators all have in common is that they don’t know WHO is coming in, WHEN they’re coming in, and WHAT they’re buying and NOT buying. They use reasoning such as “you can’t judge it here, “it’s different from everywhere else” and “our peak hours are so sporadic”.

There’s ALWAYS a pattern, you just haven’t found it yet. It could be certain weeks of the year, days of the month, times of day, seasonal variations, and so on.

The easiest way to spot and monitor is by using a decent EPOS (till) system, and preferably one that integrates with your accounting software.

Most “off the shelf” systems are great, but they can’t drill down on sales by hour, or by categories and sub categories. If you’re operating on takeaway platforms, then you should also look for an EPOS system that integrates with those various platforms.

A good till system can also be used to keep track on par levels, stock counts, and it can even be used as a check on whether or not your opening times are right for your business.