Top 3 Resources to make decisions during Covid 19 Times!

Top 3 Resources to help you make Business Decisions for your Catering Business during these Covid 19 Times!

We are a week into this Twilight Zone that nobody has ever experienced before!

It is testing each and every one of us to our core. Who would have thought that waking up one morning and finding that you have no customers and more interestingly your competitors have no customers either, especially when you have done nothing wrong.

Each morning we go into our bathroom to wash our face, shave or put on lipstick and look at ourselves. Nobody except you knows what the "look back at you" really means.

This look may give you the answer that it is time to pack up and try something else because your heart was not truly into it and it was only a matter of time. Some of you will have a steely stare of strength that will reinforce your passion and drive.

This will be a time for you to re-evaluate your whole business or career to answer this question " How will I improve both personally and professionally?"

I have put together a number support websites for information that I feel could help you with various decisions that you will have to make.

Government supports for your Catering Business

1. Letting somebody go from your employment because they are not up to it can be tough at the best of times but when you have to let go a colleague who has been with you along time, it is truly horrific.

Speaking to a lot of my customers they have all said that they want to look after their employees. Here is a very good government website that explains all the entitlements that you or your employees are allowed.

This site also allows you to apply for Financial help.

Business Ideas for your Catering Company.

2. This is the hard part. What will you do?

How will you know what would be successful or not? You don't. You could ask your Facebook following and see what the feedback might be.

You are limited in what you can offer, this would be the chance to show off a new menu that would be quick and delicious to create.

There are ideas of providing a delivery service to your customers. This would be relatively easy to set up in a short period of time.

You may have in house epos system that may have an online ordering system that you could bolt on or you could set up a facebook page with your new offering.

Now is the time to promote like hell, through word of mouth, leaflets or social media.

There are delivery companies that you could use like deliveroo, uber eats or a new start up in Galway called " what's for dinner?"

Restaurants are also offering a phone and collect service. We used it with our local restaurant ( Brown Bear) and I was well impressed. We placed the order by phone and they texted us to say it was ready. We came to collect, it was given to us in really nice packaging which maintained the integrity of the food and the order placed in the back seat of the car.

PERFECT!!!!

REMEMBER your customers will truly miss not being able to go to your restaurant or cafe and they would love to support you so that you will be open for business on the other side.

Hand Washing rules for when your serve food.

3. This where your customers are exceptionally hyper at the moment. They need to see, hear and read the steps that you are taking to show them that you are serious about hand washing ( see a very good website on how to wash your hands properly).

NOTICE: DON'T LEAVE THE TAP RUNNING AS YOU WASH - WATER SHORTAGE!!!!

They recommend that you sing " Happy Birthday Twice" when washing hands, This can get a bit boring. Please use this site to create you own hand washing chart to your favourite song

Tip: There is nothing worse when you have thoroughly cleaned your hands only to open a door not knowing if the door handle is clean. So always use some tissues if you are using public toilets or pull the door with your less dominant hand because you will not use that hand to touch your face. If you are like me my hands are hopping off of me with the amount of hand washing that I have done.

Members of the public are also showing concerns about the transmission of the virus through foods. The food safety authority has issued information (See Here) on this which I think is very useful.

Official HSE Signage will give your customer confidence that you are following HSE guidelines. Here's a pdf of popular signage that you have seen yourselves.

If you can share with your customers that you know these fears, dealing with them through an internal process and communicate this to them, it will go along way to easing their fears about buying food from your business.

We at OBS Storage Systems wish you to be safe and look after your family, friends and neighbours and we will see you on the other side.