Plan properly to ensure end-of-year sales tonic
As well as the Rugby World Cup, cricket and football, we have also to plan for National Spanish Day (12 October), which might make a good themed night, Halloween and Bonfire Night (our flyers are at the publishers being printed as I write), then there’s
St Andrew’s Day, the festive season menus and decorations, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and January promotions to get customers in.
And then, of course, the Olympic Games are looming in 2012.
This is the licensed trade’s busiest time of the year and the time for us to increase sales and GP.
The knack is to start your homework now. Planning a little every day will do, but don’t get left behind. We have already taken bookings for festive parties and Christmas Day meals.
Don’t rely on other people to do the work for you as they will let you down. Do it yourself, then you know the job is done properly. Get your posters, flyers and website up to date and sort out your Christmas decorations and replace as needed.
Ensure that you have sufficient glassware, as glasses will be in high demand. Start sorting out your staff rotas to make sure there is plenty of time to recruit new staff if necessary. Leave nothing to chance.
Treat all events you may be planning as a tactical operation that will require planning down to the finest detail.
If it can possibly go wrong, it will, and then you’re the one with egg on your face running round like a headless chicken making no profit on sales.
The time to start is now, so don’t delay. Get on with it and remember that Christmas tree lights never work after the first year!
Graham Rowson is licensee at the Saddle Inn, Lea, Lancashire
