Have you heard the one about the stereotypical restaurant owner? How he loves the business but hates the business and spends his entire life complaining about how he doesn’t have a life.
Even worse, are you that person?
In the eyes of everyone else, you’re accomplished, influential, prosperous, admired, and in control of your schedule.
So, why don’t you see it that way?
Busy Isn’t a Badge of Honor
I recently read an article from one industry expert talking about the 60-80 hour week and how it’s “counterproductive.”
Counterproductive?
In my world, working with successful, independent, multi-unit restaurant company owners the 60-80 hour week is gone. It left the building about 15-20 years ago.
Today, people are much more focused on the quality of their lives than the money they make.
It’s the people on the corporate ladder, the ones who don’t control their own lives, who work that kind of hours. Not restaurant owners.
That means if you don’t want to be that stereotype, you don’t have to be.
“How are you doing?” is a question we’re all asked so many times we develop a rote answer:
“I’m Busy” — a false badge of honor that says to some, “I’m important. I’m successful. I have a lot going on.”
That’s not a badge, that’s self-punishment.
What if you were to replace that by saying, “I’m as busy as I want to be” — a statement that indicates you have control of your life?
That’s a leap for some adrenaline junkies; the people who can’t sit down. Some are caught up in the minutiae of their business. Others worry a lot about things big and small.
Still, others have cool interests and hobbies to pursue, but they don’t feel right devoting a great deal of time to things outside of work.
If you can’t pull yourself away from food cost, landlord issues, and your competition long enough to take the afternoon or week off or work remotely from your vacation home for a month, you’re missing out on the joy you deserve.
It’s great to build wealth for yourself and your family – but it’s going to feel like a very long ride if you’re not enjoying it.
4 Steps to Taking More Time Off from Your Restaurant & Gain Control of your Life
We always hear how hard the restaurant business is and, if you say that over and over for your whole life, it probably will be that hard.
But owning a restaurant can be time-consuming, or not.
I have a client who’s on an eight-week vacation. Together, we set his company up so that could happen.
I have another client who’s planning, with me, to figure out how to take half of the rest of his work life off.
And another client who works just 25 hours a week.
All of them have grown, thriving independent restaurant companies that would be the envy of any restaurateur.
You can be like them. You may not know it yet. Here are the four essential steps to taking more time off from your restaurant business and gaining control of your schedule.
- Consider the things you could be doing for yourself, your family, and your community — if you weren’t going to work today. Make a list, draw pictures, dream, visualize.
- Identify how your organization can create sufficient cash flow to invest in management that could take on a selection of your duties, so you have that option.
- Determine how to do that in a way that ensures your restaurants create both strong guest experiences and financial performance. You could even end up making things better.
- See if you can you think of one good reason to wait to act on this. Are you losing valuable time in your life that can never be replaced?
I invite you to consider how much joy your business gives you, how much of life you are willing to live without feeling the freedom you have earned, and what you are going to do about it. You’re also going to need a reliable pos system for your restaurant like Harbortouch so you have the remote reporting you need for peace of mind as you gain more control of your life.
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