Business Building Tips - July 2009

Offering great food at good prices is simply not enough to win over new customers and build your business. What you need is a loyal customer base and repeat business. But in this economy, that could be considered a rather tall order. However, there are lots of cost-effective ways you can build business, even when your customers are tightening their belts a bit.

Check out these local, seasonal and holiday promotions that can help keep your image fresh and your restaurant top of mind.

Block Party!
Select households in your neighborhood, zip code or nearby sub-divisions and mail them invitations to a private community event at your restaurant featuring a special priced dinner.

When There’s Room, But No Board
If you are located near hotels that don’t offer 24-hour food service on their property, contact them to see how you can get your restaurant on their preferred provider list.

Savory Savings
As a goodwill program for banks and their customers, offer the banks in your trading area a supply of pre-printed restaurant discount gift certificates to distribute to their customers in their lobbies and their drive-thrus.

Wifi-ing your Guests
One of the best ways to increase sales is to have free Internet access available in your restaurant. Guests are now seeking out restaurants that have wireless available.

Giving Kids a Taste of your Reality
Having young students from an elementary school tour your restaurant during the mid-afternoon is one of the most successful programs that wins over kids and their parents for a lifetime.

Styling for Lunch
At beauty salons, like car dealerships, Saturday is usually the busiest day and the perfect time to “cater” to a stylish audience.

Scoring Extra Sales
Developing relationships with local youth and adult sports teams can be a top-dollar business for you if pursued and implemented properly.

Teacher Appreciation Program
Teachers don’t get a lot or recognition and thanks for their hard work. So when a offered a meal in appreciation, they usually accept, which results in high redemption of gift certificates while generating a lot of good will.

Driving Lunch Business
Saturday is the busiest day at car dealerships, so the sales people rarely break for lunch for fear of missing a sale. Many car dealers have lunch catered in on Saturdays.