You're probably no stranger to the hiring process if you're a business owner or manager. That being said, as you look to fill positions that you may have created in order to follow post COVID-19 guidelines, or replace employees that found other work during the shutdown, you'll need a new hiring strategy. It's time to create your "new normal."

Let’s face it, the entire economy has been impacted by COVID-19. Many businesses have been or still are unable to function and others are operating at limited capacity. So it’s extremely easy to feel disheveled, disorganized, and unproductive. Luckily, there are a few things you can be doing to improve your business right now! This blog will outline a few different ideas to start implementing asap.

This guide outlines everything you need to know about disaster relief funds, preventative measures, and ways to keep the orders coming through delivery services, take out options, and other creative deals. Keep reading to learn how your restaurant CAN and WILL get through COVID-19 successfully.

You’re trying to schedule next week’s shifts. Employees keep informing you, at the last minute, that they can’t work certain days. You’ve also noticed a lot of shift swapping lately. Basically, scheduling is a nightmare.

How long has it been since you’ve had your employees update their availability forms? And, do you even refer to the availability forms while you’re creating schedules? 

Employee availability forms (that are updated and current) reduce your shift scheduling nightmares. Make sure you’re using them the right way so they aren’t a waste of time. 

What is an on the job training program and why do you need it? Let’s start with the universal fact that high employee turnover negatively impacts a business. How do you reduce employee turnover? One way is to have an on the job training program set up. Investing the time and money to create an on the job training program means you’re investing in your employees. You know, the people who make your business happen! It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is, creating and implementing an on the job training program will benefit you. 

‘Tis the season to.... draw in more customers! The holidays are fast approaching, they’re basically already here. The holiday season is naturally a busy season, so why not jump on the opportunity to draw more customers in and blow your sales goals through the roof? Not having any holiday promotions is like giving up before even trying. We don't want that! Here are 10 holiday marketing ideas for restaurants and retailers to bring in more sales. 

Want to reduce employee turnover? Don't we all! When employees don’t feel recognized or valued at work, they’ll often leave their job or just do the bare minimum as a result. One sure fire way to reduce turnover and increase employee satisfaction is actually pretty simple - it's showing appreciation! The good news is, showing employee appreciation doesn’t have to be hard. We have 50 ideas for you to pick from, just keep reading.

Team management skills are crucial to run efficient and profitable shifts day to day. Sadly, many managers don’t see the value in these skills and neglect to practice them. Here’s one good reason to improve your team management skills - employee turnover. Poor management also leads to poor employee health, decreased productivity, reduced morale, and a damaged company reputation. Remember, employee’s don’t leave jobs, they leave poor managers. So, here’s 15 team management skills to focus on that will improve overall performance every shift! 

Many shift based industries such as restaurants, retail stores, and hotels (just to name a few) have a problem with employee no call no shows. These dreaded last minute dropped shifts usually leave managers in a frantic state of trying to get the shift covered while also handling all other normal responsibilities. It can be overwhelming to say the least. Keep reading to learn what to do when experiencing an employee no call no show AND how to prevent them for the future. 

Any successful manager knows that happy employees are what bring a business the most success. When employees are happy, that means increased employee engagement and productivity. Which leads to higher customer satisfaction - and ultimately more sales. Need ideas on increasing employee engagement? We’ve put together 10 employee contest ideas that will make shifts more enjoyable for employees and more successful for your business. As a bonus - these ideas also foster team communication. 

It’s back to school season yet again, which means families are busier than ever. Here comes the fall activities and parents turning into taxi cabs. And don’t forget about all the busy teachers grading homework and coaching football. How does this relate to your restaurant, you ask? Well, you can take advantage of the back to school season and increase your restaurant sales if you adjust your marketing! Keep reading to find out what works to increase sales during these busy bee back to school days.

We all know being a manager comes with endless responsibilities. And I’m sure we can agree that scheduling employees is one of the most dreaded responsibilities of them all. Using paper calendars or Excel sheets that have to be constantly updated every time an employee needs to make a shift change (which happens too often in shift work) is a dying trend. Why?

Employee turnover. Every employer’s nightmare, amiright? If you think turnover rates are improving, I hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total turnover rates in 2018 were 44.3%. Yes, you read that right. But that’s an average of all the industries. Total turnover for the hospitality industry was 76.7% in 2018. If you’re internally crying right now from those statistics, don’t worry. Let me wipe those tears and fears away by explaining 10 common, but fixable, company turnover mistakes.

Sales forecasts can be stressful to say the least. But what if we told you that you could be focusing on less and achieving more? We've heard many theories over the best way to manage sales forecasts - some can be helpful, others not so much. Here at ShiftNote, we believe in Pareto's Principle - also known as the 80/20 rule. Trust us, this rule can be seen everywhere in a business. In fact, it's so prominent that it can and will help managers focus on the most important contributor to success (profits, of course)!

Hello Summer, we missed you. Summer is the season of sunshine and sales, am I right? As a restaurant, it's VITAL to be prepared for these amazing months since summer is a big opportunity to capture more sales. A good way to kickstart your sales is to use Memorial Day to its fullest. Usually when you start out strong, you can finish strong!