Outsourcing in Your Restaurant
As bars and restaurants slowly open back up again in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry finds itself in an entirely different bind: labor shortages. Employees want to be paid fairly—especially in light of the risks they take when working with the public in the middle of a national health crisis. We can’t blame them, but this also puts restaurant owners in a bind. Even if restaurants were paying a reasonable wage to start, the fact that they need to open at reduced capacity means less patrons and less tips for their staff. While the industry works through these issues, we wanted to shed light on the possibility of outsourcing some of the regular tasks that need to happen in your restaurant. Let’s dive in.
Outsourcing is simply bringing in an outside party or vendor to perform specific jobs at your restaurant, freeing up your staff and yourself to focus on more pressing things. In addition to saving time, you can also save money and improve your business operations. Some of the common tasks that are worth hiring out for include payroll management, taxes, and cleaning.
Anyone who signs paychecks knows the heartache that comes from payroll. There are taxes to consider, W2 forms to file, wages and tips to account for. It’s painful, and it doesn’t have to be your job. There are plenty of payroll services out there who charge weekly or monthly fees to do the dirty work for you.
We don’t even enjoy doing our own personal taxes, let alone dipping a toe in the world of small business taxes. It’s a whole different ballgame when it comes to state and federal taxes for a business. Again, there are plenty of companies who specialize in accounting for restaurants. These professionals can also find shortcuts and ways to save your business money. And accountants can work on your personal taxes too—your restaurant income is considered part of your income, so why not kill two birds with one stone?
Cleaning is a big one—especially in the wake of the pandemic. Consumers were concerned about cleanliness in restaurants to begin with; now that there is heightened awareness over the spread of germs, sanitation is extra critical to the success of your business. You wouldn’t necessarily outsource the daily cleaning tasks your staff should certainly be performing, but you should think about bringing in an outside team or professionals to do a deep cleanse several times a year. These pros will get under those range hoods, move the stoves and scrub the floors, get inside that walk-in and really go to town making sure everything is sanitized and safe.
Outsourcing can be a great way to get the help you need in your restaurant, without having to ask your stretched-thin staff to pitch in. If funds are in question, pulling from a small business Line of Credit from ARF Financial could help ease the financial burden of bringing in an outside party. We’re restaurant industry experts who are here to help personalize a loan solution that’s fit for your business needs. Interested in learning more? Contact us today and see how ARF Financial can be your partner in success.