Coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis, the death of the high street, if the media is to be believed we are all certainly doomed! However, I want to bring a message of hope for 2023. The pandemic was a tough time, no-more so than for those working the hospitality industry. However, we came through it and customers came back!
Crises come and go, and society and businesses always adapt and change with the new conditions they face. This time next year might we be facing a new crisis? However, that will come to pass too. Our actions and how we deal with those challenges will always be the key to success or failure in an ever changing business landscape.
Currently the major issue any franchisee is facing is the increased cost of running a business, but there is hope if there is a will and energy to change. Use such challenges as fuel to work smarter. Come up with better marketing ideas, take advantage of your energy to have fun with your customers, look for opportunities that no-one else has seen. Focus on your franchise’s uniqueness and adjust.
For example: one thing that came out of the pandemic was the homeworking revolution. Amongst other things, remote working has resulted in the increased the use of social media which offers a free platform to develop connections with customers. Use this opportunity to promote your business, connect with communities in your industry and ultimately promote your franchise.
At Burger & Sauce we use social media to promote offers, new store openings and more. It’s a fun way to interact with customers and also a way to connect with new franchisees. Our moto is ‘get saucy’ but it could be ‘get social!’ I’ll be honest, I’m a relatively new convert to the social scene but was amazed when a recent Burger & Sauce LinkedIn post attracted 6,945 impressions!
I believe social media is now coming of age, until now businesses were not sure how or even if they should use it. However, it has become a more refined and now offers a way of closely targeting and even building communities relevant to your industry, so learn how to use it and use it well!
For us at Burger & Sauce we’ve seen tremendous recent growth in our business, in terms of new restaurant openings but also in sales. Despite the cost-of-living crisis, like-for-like sales are up 20% on last year, so customers are enjoying our fresh approach. The energy and positivity of our brand is infectious (in the nicest sense of the word)! So why not inject some enthusiasm into your franchise, use it to connect, comment positively on others’ social posts and see how that breeds opportunities and success for the future?
Avoid being dragged down by negative media headlines and use your energy and positivity backed up by a bit of free social promotion to forge ahead and take advantage of the opportunities on offer. Good luck!
