Thinking Outside the Box We Call an Office

Sitting in your cluttered office, longing for the aroma of the kitchen to waft in under the door replacing the stale air of empty beer bottles packed in cases, you begin to wonder what the night's business will bring.

You have long shared the darkened closet space with recently delivered liquor bottles and empty dead soldiers awaiting pick-up. Facing a wall packed with post-it notes, vendor delivery slips and other reminders, you glance left towards a few shoeboxes and three paper bags filled to their brims with invoices, daily receipts, credit card batches and other historic documents awaiting filing while wondering if it is all worth it. It must be worth it, you think to yourself, behind the door that boast a faux brass sign that reads office you an find momentary solitude while your staff awaits the hungry masses.

Plus, if you still smile when you see a dining room full of happy customers, then the struggle is definitely worth it. However, today, it may take a bit more inner motivation than it used to, to broaden the smile, since the slow, torturous, money losing days often outnumber the good days in the current economy. But nothing beats a dining room full of customers enjoying themselves because of the culinary orchestra you conduct, nightly. In tough times you may want to consider diversifying.  Taking the talent and experience you have acquired and directing it to another business that would compliment your restaurant and add to your revenue is an option you may want to explore.

Entrepreneurial diversification is often overlooked. Boxing ourselves in is easy in any restaurant. It may be time to get involved in a business related to the restaurant business. One that can stand alone doesn't rely on your current business for capital input and can help increase restaurant sales.

Recently I came across a web site opportunity that would be the perfect fit and a good opportunity for a restaurant owner who has a little time to devote to another business, has a strong connection to the restaurant owners in his community and is creative and entrepreneurial.

The start-up costs are also extremely low - virtually non existent – compared to that liquor inventory in your office. For as little as $300.00 development fee and a $100.00 a month hosting fee you can operate and develop a website in the city that you currently do business in. This is all done through a licensing contract with a company that proves the site works.

According to Jim Borenitsch of Optimal Media Group, "Licensing the Night Out website offers a complete web package including hosting, templates, and guidance, on how to turn a city wide website into a profitable venture."

The upside is simple. A restaurant owner could license the website in the city they currently operate in. Through advertising sales to fellow restaurant owners – for as little as $20.00 a month as an introductory offer you could pay for the site, promote your own restaurant on the site, and develop a business foundation that could eventually develop into added cash flow.

The fact that your web savvy knowledge may not be completely developed holds little weight in this endeavor. One of your waiters, or possibly your bar back has all the knowledge you need to navigate the site and your staff, if they are like every other restaurant staff should know what is happening in every inch of every bar and club in the city. That’s what waiters live for.

I am sure you will not be featured next to the guys at Google if you decide to get in the web entertainment business. And, I am also relatively sure that nobody will come knocking on your door with a huge check filled in with an abundance of zeroes after a lonely digit. But, I can tell you that thinking outside of your cluttered office, getting out into the community and talking to other restaurant owners while developing another business is a worthwhile venture in itself.

The down side is not as steep of a slippery slope as one would think. If after a few months it doesn't work, you could always sell it to a waiter or better yet, your competition. He may honor your contract to advertise for a mere $100.00 a month.

For more information, contact James Borenitsch at Optimal Media Group. It may be a step towards an uncluttered office.