Starting a business is always daunting and extremely scary especially in Singapore. This is because over the years the amount of restaurants and cafes have doubled and almost every concept has been used and it’s hard to create a one of a kind establishment. But do not let this disappoint you because we feel that the foundation of any service is the most important thing. If you set up your company right from the beginning you have a much higher chance of succeeding and taking over the industry sooner or later.
Therefore, we have compiled ten of the best services you need to use when you have decided on starting your own F&B business. These services will range from even before you physically open your restaurant to ten years down the line when you’re the best restaurant in Singapore. Remember, opening an F&B business will take a lot out of you and the passion needed for this line of work is huge but if you are already on this web page, we know that you will have what it takes to be successful and even more successful if you engage in these services along the course of your business.
#1 Planning and Incorporating Your Business
This isn’t exactly a service but it is the first step that you need to execute before even thinking about opening your doors to the general public. Having a business plan is extremely important because if you do not plan out the entire plan that you have for your business it will all come crashing down. It should at least be 10-15 pages long. This business plan should include budget, your financial projections, the amount of profit you are planning to earn in the first year, a marketing strategy, suppliers list, a menu, hiring policies and a whole lot more.
Not wanting to push on some bad luck even before you start, but it always smart to have a plan B. So always have an exit strategy just in case something goes awry. You need to make sure you are being smart and careful because things do go wrong sometimes and it’s not necessarily your fault so making sure you’re covered is also super important.
#2 Renovation and Interior Design
Once you’ve planned your business, got it incorporated and you’ve found the best spot in town for you to start this amazing restaurant of yours, you need to make sure that it’s renovated and has a great interior design. The biggest appeal of a restaurant or a food establishment is not only the food but also the decor and the ambience that you are offering your customers. It is extremely important to have a great design feature because that is the first thing the customers see when they walk in. Sure they can probably smell the five-star coffee beans you brought in from a different country but how would they want to enter if the place looks shabby and run down?
Hiring a contractor to come in and help you redesign the place is crucial. This is great because you might have a superb vision of how you want the space to look like and the contractor can help you turn that into reality.
Picture Credits : jesrestaurantequipment.com
#3 Hiring Service Staff
Your next step would be looking to hire the best people in the industry to help you man and run the business. However, it is known that hiring service staff in Singapore can be a highly stressful job because there are very strict policies for foreign local quotas and the fact that not many locals want to even work in the F&B business and this turns into a combination for disaster.
Your best bet is to advertise on every platform possible and conduct stringent interviews and background checks because the service staff you hire will be the face of your business. After you have hired the perfect staff for your establishment always strive to be the best boss you can be because your employees would love to work for you if you treat them right.
#4 F&B Consultation
Most people who decide to start an F&B business usually do not have prior knowledge on how to sustain a business. They usually just have a passion for food and you want more people to enjoy your love for food. Starting a whole new food and beverage business is a huge responsibility and it would be more responsible of you if you actually went to a professional to get good advice. You might have to spend some extra money but it is a great investment.
Consultants can help save you the thousands in the long run because earning the profit from your business takes a while and your restaurant won’t take off right away. This is much smarter because many entrepreneurs panic and have no idea what to do when they hit a speed bump and then they just crash and burn and all their hard work is just gone to waste. So planning ahead is still the smartest thing you can do for your business.
#5 Point-Of-Sale Systems (POS)
The next thing you should think about is to set up a reliable Point Of Sale System (POS). This service is the service that links everything together and if done properly, it will give you peace of mind. The best types of POS’ have an integrated payment system, take away system, home delivery orders and even online dining orders. Find one that is user friendly so that even a 10 year old would know how to manoeuvre around it.
There are two different types of POS systems, the traditional and the Cloud-based system. It is good to note that the traditional POS system is quite old and outdated but it is more reliable sometimes because it is off the internet meaning there would not be instances where the whole system is down. The Cloud versions are just a lot easier to handle and there are always going to be software updates to ensure that everything is running smoothly, the only con is that you need to be vigilant about keeping it charged and ready to go!
#6 Marketing Services for Growth
Having a marketing department for your business is also a very smart thing to do. Hire someone who knows what they are doing so that you do not need to worry about the marketing side of your business. They will make sure that your money is being channeled to the proper places and they will work hard to getting more customers and attention to your restaurant.
Picture Credits : webstaurantstore.com
#7 Website Creation
Since everyone practically lives on the internet nowadays, having a website is a must. It makes things so much more accessible and customers can view your restaurant and the menu with just their mobile phones. This also means that you need to hire great programmers and designers to make sure that the website is of great quality so that you have more people stopping by at your establishment! It’s a great way for advertising as well.
#8 Great Photography
This is the last top service you would need for your F&B business. We aren’t all professional photographers and human beings are visual creatures. This just means that you need to hire professionals to take amazing photographs of your restaurant or cafe. Make sure to also include pictures of the food for the menu as well. If it doesn’t look appetising, who would want to eat it? This might seem like a weird service to put on the list, but trust us, it is extremely important!
These are the few services that we know that you need to make sure your business sets off and reaches amazing heights. The main idea is to always plan in advance. If you need help acquiring any of the above-mentioned services, visit us at ThunderQuote to find the best person for you!
ThunderQuote is the most comprehensive business services portal in Singapore, Australia and ASEAN , where hundreds of thousands of dollars of procurement contracts are sourced every month by major companies like Singapore Press Holdings, National Trade Union Congress and more.