Running a small business in 2021 looks almost completely different than it did two years ago. Even in a city like Dallas with a thriving downtown, diverse culture set and a small business sector that's second to none, the challenges of our post-pandemic economy have had lasting impacts from labor shortages to payroll problems.
If you're out there weathering the wake of this last several months – if you're getting up every day, going back at it and flipping that "Open" sign in the ongoing struggle to return to normal, you know exactly what I'm talking about, and I salute you for your savvy resolve and confidence in the face of this climate.
As someone familiar with the struggles of securing a startup, I'm no stranger to setbacks, obstacles and all things out of our control. In the last several years, I've had a hand in every type of business from commercial tech to the culinary space, and one thing I have come to realize through talking with colleagues, customers and the communities that support us is we're entering an unprecedented era of change. Of course, some of these changes can have unforeseen challenges.
In this year alone, we've seen mass shortages in everything from furniture to fossil fuels. Bloomberg reports that it's going to be a daunting holiday season with supply chain backups and retail in peak mode. The labor shortage of the last two years is still affecting small businesses, especially in the restaurant sector. In their 2021 report, the National Restaurant Association revealed that three in four operators have cited recruitment and employee retention as their toughest challenges, despite employee gains. They go on to conclude that menu prices are increasing, citing labor costs as one of the key contributors.
इन सबके बीच एक अच्छी खबर है। इन सभी नए उद्योग परिवर्तनों और चुनौतियों से निर्मित स्नोबॉल प्रभाव के साथ, नवाचार की आवश्यकता बढ़ जाती है। व्यापार में प्रत्येक समस्या के साथ, एक नया समाधान पैदा होता है, जिसके दुष्परिणाम निश्चित रूप से बाधाओं के इस युग को पार कर जाएंगे और छोटे व्यवसाय के संचालन के तरीके में एक नए मानक की ओर ले जाएंगे।
Look at Zoom, for example. In the earliest phase of our global pandemic, businesses relied on video conferencing platforms like Zoom. By using these platforms regularly, businesses were able to find new ways to work remotely, thus leading to one of the most flexible models in modern work — ones we still use even after stay-at-home orders were lifted.
This is no different for restaurants. In a world where the state of labor is changing so rapidly, it's the places that foresee what's ahead and proactively adapt that will ultimately insulate themselves from all things uncontrollable. The great news again is that restaurant tech is really catching up to the challenges. From portable, small business-serving POS systems to QR code menus, technology is changing the way we deal with what's next.
Reeman Robotics have been in the business of creating restaurant automation solutions for over five years. In the last several weeks, all this insight has allowed me to reflect upon what automation will mean for our futures as small business operators and entrepreneurs. The landscape can change in an instant and having the right tools is more important than ever — especially as these tools get smarter.
जैसा कि आप अपनी कार्यशील पूंजी के मिश्रण में स्वचालन जोड़ना शुरू करते हैं, कुछ महत्वपूर्ण बातें याद रखने योग्य हैं। सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात, आपको अपने और अपने कर्मचारियों के बीच संचार को सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता देनी चाहिए। याद रखें कि बदलाव के साथ अनिश्चितता आती है, जो जल्दी से आशंका पैदा कर सकता है। एक स्पष्ट और पारदर्शी एकीकरण रणनीति रखने से आपके श्रम प्रवाह में प्रौद्योगिकी के प्रभाव के बारे में किसी भी गलतफहमी को दूर करने में मदद मिलेगी।
जिस तरह आपके लिए अपने कर्मचारियों के साथ ईमानदार रहना अनिवार्य है, उसी तरह आपको उनसे नियमित रूप से फीडबैक भी मांगना चाहिए। ये वे लोग हैं जो दैनिक आधार पर स्वचालन के साथ बातचीत करेंगे। उनकी अंतर्दृष्टि यह समझने में महत्वपूर्ण है कि कैसे दक्षता में सुधार किया जा सकता है और फ्रंटलाइन परिप्रेक्ष्य से बेहतर तरीके से कार्यान्वित किया जा सकता है।
जितना अधिक आप अपने कर्मचारियों के साथ अपने श्रम परिदृश्य के भविष्य को आकार देने में मदद करेंगे, उतना ही अधिक ज्ञान आप प्राप्त करेंगे और उतना ही अधिक विश्वास आप अर्जित करेंगे। याद रखें, यह तकनीक ऊपर से नीचे तक और अंतत: ग्राहक अनुभव में प्रत्येक पार्टी के लिए फायदेमंद मानी जाती है।