It is little wonder that so many people want to open their own pub or bar when you consider some of the advantages. There is the opportunity to be your own boss, you can hire anyone you want and you will never be short of company. It is also a business that can be run almost anywhere and this is evidenced by the many that go on to fulfill the ambition of running their own bar abroad.
It is an undeniably unique line of work to get into but it also shares numerous characteristics that can be applied to business in a general sense. Customers have to be looked after and you have to provide something that the competitors are lacking in order to truly stand out.
Interacting with customers
A bar should be thought of as the kind of establishment that people can buy into and feel part of. A lot of money will be spent by customers so they should expect a few things in return, in addition to the drinks and any food they buy for example. Interaction from the bar staff should be seen as fundamental and it makes the experience so much more pleasant if the customer can get to know the people who work there. This is a great contributor to creating a community within those who regularly visit the bar and it will make people look forward to the time they get to spend there.
Being creative with ideas
Although there may be some bar owners who like to stick to the traditional way of doing things there are many possible ways to add something extra. The menu is a great example of this because customers will often want food to go with the drinks they have bought. You can really step outside of the norm with this and take elements from other parts of the catering industry by offering roast dinners on a Sunday afternoon for example. This will open up the possibility of families coming along for part of the day.
Organising trips and activities
Loyalty in business is a precious commodity and it could not be more important for bar and pub owners. If you really want to get your customers on side and feeling part of something then take every chance you get to organise something they will enjoy. This could be a football or a pool team, or you could arrange for a day or night out somewhere out of town.
Jamie Owen worked in his parents’ bar before eventually taking over the business. He bought his bar furniture from cultfurniture.com.
