6 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Restaurant Consultant
One of the best businesses to start with is a restaurant. People always want to eat outside home because they don’t have to prepare food for themselves, especially when they are busy. This is why many new entrepreneurs choose to enter this type of business even with very little knowledge of this business. What some of them do is to study the restaurant business. Others hire a restaurant consultant to help them.
There is nothing wrong in hiring a restaurant consultant. In fact, it is a systematic way to get the help of a professional. There is no question about the benefits of hiring a restaurant consultant. However, here are 6 mistakes to avoid when doing so:
- Not Knowing When You Really Need Some Advice
The first and most important thing you have to do is to know when you exactly need a professional advice. If you hire a consulting firm, and you don’t know the specific reason for hiring it, there is a risk that you may run out of control of your business. Remember that your restaurant is your business, so don’t let others have a chance to take over it.
One good example of hiring a restaurant consultant is to determine the most efficient way to operate a restaurant. Another example is to keep up with the competition. There are actually many factors you can consider. The Foodservice Consultants Society International has a complete list of reasons to hire a consultant.
- Hiring the Consultant of Your Competitor
Restaurant consultants usually handles only restaurant businesses. Because of this, there is a tendency that they will handle restaurants that are competing among one another. On the other hand, not all restaurants are competitors. Even two burger houses may not be competing with each other if each of them doesn’t have exactly the same preparation.
However, hiring a consultant for branding purposes may affect you competition. If you are the brand manager of KFC, you would not hire a consultant that has designed a campaign for McDonalds’ fried chicken combo unless the consultant was hired several years ago. The bottom line is integrity.
- Giving All Your Restaurant Information
Since there is a tendency that a restaurant consultant may handle two competing restaurants, there is a risk that the information you have given to your consultant may accidentally reach the attention of your competitor. You don’t have to provide all information like your recipes, the profiles of the people who work for you, and the like.
When hiring a restaurant consultant, you can gather information such as market data to give to your consultant, but never give all your internal information. Actually, there is no need to do so. Restaurant consultants understand it. In fact, they also avoid it because they know when a consultant is giving away too much information.
- Hiring Two or More Consultants at the Same Time
Some people say that two brains are better than one. In general sense, it is true, but not in the case of hiring a restaurant consultant. If you hire two consultants at the same time, there is a probability that the advice of one consultant may become conflicting with that of the other. This scenario often leads to huge losses.
- Not Following Your Consultant’s Advice
The Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group said, “If you’re not following your consultant’s advice, there is no point in hiring any.” Of course, you would want to implement what your consultant may advise you to do or to have. However, there are instances that you may fail to do so because of some factors or distractions. When hiring a consultant, make sure you are prepared to follow any advice.
- Not Knowing Your Consultant Well
Keep in mind that you are hiring a restaurant consultant. Make sure your consultant has expertise in food service. Know the background of the restaurant consultant you are hiring to avoid regret.
Conclusion
Hiring a consulting firm is not a requirement for every restaurant business. However, restaurant owners that are properly advised are more likely to succeed than those that are not. What makes hiring a consultant unsuccessful is committing the above mistakes that many entrepreneurs experience. Therefore, avoid such mistakes so you can find hiring a restaurant consultant productive and profitable.
