It’s difficult to imagine an industry more hard-hit during the Covid pandemic than hospitality. A shortage of skilled workers, constant lockdowns, supply chain disruptions…just surviving proved a huge challenge for many Australian cafes & restaurants.
But now that the pandemic is over, many hospitality business owners are finding the landscape of their business has changed dramatically. Not to mention that many of the Covid challenges have now simply evolved into different problems they face, rather than disappearing.
In our one hundred years combined experience, we’ve helped guide some of Australia’s hospitality businesses to a positive cashflow. Below are some of our top tips for doing so:
Scarce Staff? Consider Marketing Your Jobs Online
There’s no getting around the fact that skilled hospitality workers have become much scarcer.
After all, many hospitality businesses were forced to cut hours drastically and even close, thus reducing their team to skeleton crews. This proved to be a nightmare especially for overseas workers backpacking through Australia, who were forced to either return home to pay bills or simply move cities.
Unfortunately, although the pandemic appears to be over for now, this scarcity has continued in the hospitality industry. Workers are reluctant to return without some measure of stability being instilled, as they may fear losing hours or even their jobs again.
What this means for business owners is simple: you must market your job postings from here on out.
It is no longer enough to simply post a job and expect qualified applicants to apply.
You must now entice workers to apply by accommodating their needs: with so many job openings in the hospitality world and so few skilled workers to fill them, reluctant workers now have their pick of the litter.
The best way to do this of course is through the innovative digital space: job postings such as SEEK and indeed help hospitality businesses reach a broader audience of skilled workers.
Less Visitors During & Post-Pandemic? Try Delivery Apps!
It goes without saying that the biggest challenge faced by hospitality businesses during the pandemic was a lack of customers, due to lockdowns and restricted conditions.
One would think that the end of the pandemic would result in a surplus of customers, with so many Australians happy to return to eating out.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case for many businesses.
Not being able to eat at their favorite takeout has had an unintended side effect on many Australians. Whether it’s because they have realized how much money they could save on not eating out, or perhaps creating healthier eating habits, many Australians now visit restaurants and cafes even less.
To counteract this, many resilient hospitality business owners have pivoted with the times and adopted the latest technology to help their restaurant or cafe thrive.
Namely, many business owners have invested in Ubereats, Deliveroo, and Menulog to allow their business to reach ever expanding local audiences.
Convenience Is Everything: Consider Tap & Go
Lastly, one of the most important newfound criteria that Australians have for restaurants and cafes is convenience.
Many Australians now prefer to takeaway rather than go through the hassle of dining in, especially when they have already invested so heavily in making their home comfortable during the pandemic.
The good news is that technology has once again provided an easy fix: tap & go, cashless payments are now the expected norm of all hospitality businesses. While it may be a tad inconvenient to upgrade, tap & go drastically streamlines the purchasing process for your customers and may even win over some new ones from competitors who haven’t upgraded.
Secure Your Future With Our Accountants
Are you a hospitality business owner looking to exit the survival mode of Covid-19, and begin thriving again? There’s no surer way to do so than hiring the professional help of Australia’s most trusted accounting firm; we’ve helped dozens of restaurants and cafes increase their cash flow. Give our director a call today for your free strategy session!