13 Nov Do you have the guts to close your business?
Dough Pizzeria – Still crowded even though they take days off. Photo by Helene Segura
Every year, a particular person – we’ll call him B – and I celebrate his birthday by playing hooky from work. He only uses one sick day per year, and it’s for this day. Since he works for “the man,” it is officially called a Mental Health Day. I work for myself, so I call it what it is – hooky. It’s a day to cut loose, have fun and rejuvenate the body and mind. Wait,that is a mental health day!
This year, we went to Dough Pizzeria. I’ve had several business meetings there and always rave to B how incredible the food is. We arrived at 1o:59 A.M. to make sure that we were able to get a table without a long wait. (They open at 11 A.M.) From my meetings there, I know how crowded the place is on any day of the week at lunch or dinner. Our waiter, John, wound up taking care of us for two solid hours of gastronomical heaven.
When the manager came around to check on how we were doing, I took the liberty of asking her about the acquisition of the retail space next door and the planned addition to the restaurant. We talked about how they shut down last December for what was supposed to be a week and turned into two. At that time, they thought they might be able to get the addition done, but the closure turned into contractors planning the new combined space, plus they made necessary repairs to their Italian brick oven.
Did you catch that? They CLOSED for two whole weeks! Isn’t that suicide in the business world? How can anyone possibly close and be expected to not only survive but thrive?
Dough did it. They have built up enough of a reputation for excellent food and service that people are willing to wait. They don’t have a high turnover of staff, so you get to know the employees there and realize that they’re human and need time off like the rest of us. Who can get upset about that?
They publicize on their website when they will close and also post signs on their door. They let their employees know well ahead of time so that their employees can plan what they want to do during that vacation time. They’ve got routines and systems in place so that closing and re-opening are not big deals.
But what about their lost revenue, you ask? Is it lost revenue if their hiring and training expenses are kept to a minimum because of low turnover? Is it lost revenue if their employees take fewer sick days because they get paid vacations and planned days off throughout the year? Is it lost revenue if their employees are happy – and not burned out – and therefore bring in even more business from word of mouth? Their closures are not lost revenue; they are investments in the future of Dough.
Dough has shown that you can run a business according to your own schedule. You can have time off to reboot. Are you willing to give it a try for at least one day?
About Helene Segura
Helene Segura teaches go-getters how to use their time more efficiently in order to have a more peaceful life. For details about her, be sure to visit https://www.HeleneSegura.com
Skip Kinzel
Posted at 10:15h, 24 NovemberThis is a test comment to see if the plug in is working
Helene Segura
Posted at 15:32h, 24 NovemberI received your comment post, so it must work. Thanks, Skip!