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Running a small business in 2021 looks almost completely different than it did two years ago. Even in a city like Dallas with a thriving downtown, diverse culture set and a small business sector that's second to none, the challenges of our post-pandemic economy have had lasting impacts from labor shortages to payroll problems.
If you're out there weathering the wake of this last several months – if you're getting up every day, going back at it and flipping that "Open" sign in the ongoing struggle to return to normal, you know exactly what I'm talking about, and I salute you for your savvy resolve and confidence in the face of this climate.
As someone familiar with the struggles of securing a startup, I'm no stranger to setbacks, obstacles and all things out of our control. In the last several years, I've had a hand in every type of business from commercial tech to the culinary space, and one thing I have come to realize through talking with colleagues, customers and the communities that support us is we're entering an unprecedented era of change. Of course, some of these changes can have unforeseen challenges.
In this year alone, we've seen mass shortages in everything from furniture to fossil fuels. Bloomberg reports that it's going to be a daunting holiday season with supply chain backups and retail in peak mode. The labor shortage of the last two years is still affecting small businesses, especially in the restaurant sector. In their 2021 report, the National Restaurant Association revealed that three in four operators have cited recruitment and employee retention as their toughest challenges, despite employee gains. They go on to conclude that menu prices are increasing, citing labor costs as one of the key contributors.
Det finns goda nyheter i allt detta. Med den snöbollseffekt som skapas av alla dessa nya branschförändringar och utmaningar ökar behovet av innovation. Med varje problem i näringslivet föds en ny lösning, vars bieffekter säkerligen kommer att överträffa denna tid av hinder och leda till en ny standard för hur småföretag fungerar.
Look at Zoom, for example. In the earliest phase of our global pandemic, businesses relied on video conferencing platforms like Zoom. By using these platforms regularly, businesses were able to find new ways to work remotely, thus leading to one of the most flexible models in modern work — ones we still use even after stay-at-home orders were lifted.
This is no different for restaurants. In a world where the state of labor is changing so rapidly, it's the places that foresee what's ahead and proactively adapt that will ultimately insulate themselves from all things uncontrollable. The great news again is that restaurant tech is really catching up to the challenges. From portable, small business-serving POS systems to QR code menus, technology is changing the way we deal with what's next.
Reeman Robotics have been in the business of creating restaurant automation solutions for over five years. In the last several weeks, all this insight has allowed me to reflect upon what automation will mean for our futures as small business operators and entrepreneurs. The landscape can change in an instant and having the right tools is more important than ever — especially as these tools get smarter.
När du börjar lägga till automatisering i mixen av ditt rörelsekapital finns det några viktiga saker att komma ihåg. Viktigast av allt måste du göra kommunikationen mellan dig och dina anställda till en högsta prioritet. Kom ihåg att förändring kommer osäkert, vilket snabbt kan leda till oro. Att ha en tydlig och transparent integrationsstrategi hjälper dig att reda ut eventuella missuppfattningar om teknologins implikationer i ditt arbetsflöde.
Precis som det är absolut nödvändigt för dig att vara uppriktig med din personal, bör du också be om regelbunden feedback från dem. Det här är människorna som kommer att interagera med automatisering dagligen. Deras insikter är nyckeln till att förstå hur effektiviteten kan förbättras och implementeras bättre ur ett frontlinjeperspektiv.
Ju mer du delar med dig av dina anställda för att hjälpa till att forma framtiden för ditt arbetslandskap, desto mer kunskap kommer du att få och desto mer förtroende kommer du att få. Kom ihåg att den här tekniken är tänkt att vara fördelaktig för varje part uppifrån och ner och så småningom in i kundupplevelsen.