"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

One of the many challenges facing café owners is keeping their business fresh and moving with the times. Let’s face it, running a busy café is hard work, and it’s very easy to get ‘internalised’ and stop seeing your business as your customers see it. Here are a few ideas to look through — see if you can embrace at least a couple to keep you and your business fresh.

Put on the customer’s hat for a while, and look at everything through new eyes. What would your impression be if you were a customer walking through the door for the first time? Remember, different things resonate with different people. It could be the magazine selection, the music, the speed of service… One day, think like a mum with a pram, the next day like a businessman. Everything matters! The music, the wobbly table, the drinks stacked on the floor, the same stock on the shelf for months — all of these things are noticed by your customers. Get some of your trusted friends to play mystery shopper and give you a report.

• Check out the market leaders. What are the latest ‘hot’ cafés doing that you could learn from? Check out your competition and see where you can create a niche that is uniquely your own. See what you can do better than them. Take a staff member or two with you and do the homework.

• Recognise your (and your staff’s) strengths and weaknesses. Put the good talkers in the right places, and the strong food person in the right place. Remember, this is your business and your livelihood. You are the one taking all the risk, so don’t be afraid to tell people what to do. If you struggle with that, work out another strategy to get them doing what you want.

• To get things moving, you need to have goals and targets that are realistic and shared by the whole staff. Keep it simple and celebrate the victories. When you hit a target, put on a few drinks after work or give a gift voucher. Give your team a clear sense of direction and get everyone pointing the right way.

• Splash out on some new paint or wallpaper. This isn’t a big spend, but will have plenty of impact. Steal ideas from the graphic design and fit-outs in the latest magazines. Even something as simple as shuffling the tables and chairs, or changing the counter layout can give a fresh look.

It’s a bit of a cliché, but it’s critical to spend some time working on the business not just in the business. Have fun!