WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY PUZZLE

Workplace Productivity Puzzle: Can it be solved?

Why are the advanced economies of the world not performing better in terms of workplace productivity than before the global financial meltdown in 2008? Are productivity levels the greatest economic question of the post-industrial world? Despite the economic rebound, employers feel that workers are not as productive as they should be despite the widespread adoption of technology, which should have increased performance.

In the UAE for example, despite extremely low unemployment levels and a generally very positive working environment, the most recent research shows that up to 85% of employees across the UAE are not “engaged” in their jobs. Disengaged workers lack motivation and function at below par performance levels.

‘The Puzzle of Productivity’ report explores the parameters of the subject of workplace performance by presenting the results and implications of a short international research study, which examines key factors and attitudes around driving up performance in the global workplace.

The study was undertaken in collaboration between The United Workplace partners (Fourfront Group, Summertown, Amicus, Contract Workplaces and Ware Malcomb) and WORKTECH Academy, and had participants from organisations in the UK, USA, Australia, South America and UAE as well as via WORKTECH’s global network.

Leadership is the most crucial factor impacting organisational productivity

In addition to a literature review, the report is based on research conducted among organisations in the UK, US, Australia, South America, and UAE, as well as WORKTECH’s global network (online survey and in-depth interviews). The survey probed the top factors seen as influencing productivity, looked at how companies measure and reward employee performance and enquired about future strategy. The report also benefits from the insights of recognised academic experts.

The main drivers of organisational productivity were identified as follows:

1. Leadership
2. Environment
3. Technology
4. Wellness

How We Define Performance Impacts Measure Improvement

Despite the pressure on companies to leverage both financial and non-financial metrics in assessing performance, there are still two competing ways of assessing organisational performance:

1. Financial performance (profit, turnover, revenue generation, share price, billing hours and sales targets)
2. Employee focus (employee engagement and satisfaction, behavioural metrics, values, culture, wellbeing, and 360-degree feedback)

The report’s findings show that many organisations are still wedded to out-of-date ways to evaluate employee productivity, better suited to the industrial era. Also, despite environmental quality ranking as a second most important factor in terms of raising performance, many companies are ill-prepared to implement effective changes in workplace design. Contradictorily, while technology scores lower than the environment in terms of importance, more companies are prepared to make substantial investments in tech upgrades. Finally, wellness is an issue that many companies, while acknowledging its importance, have difficulty in defining.

Leadership, Employee Engagement & Workspace Design

“If productivity is a puzzle to be solved, then leadership and strategy need to make new connections between space, tech, and people to find a way forward.”

The ‘Puzzle of Productivity’ report highlights several ideas for companies wanting to boost their performance. The key takeaway is that each company must develop a strategy that integrates the four major drivers (Leadership, Environment, Technology, and Wellness). Organisations should invest in projects that break down traditional divisions between IT, HR and Facilities Management.

Workplace design should be the framework for expressing and developing strategies that motivate, engage and revitalise employees. Great leaders can articulate their strategic vision which is supported by great workplace design – that integrates environment, technology and wellness. People cannot be separated from the places in which they work. Creating productive work “spaces” requires creative leadership and innovative design. It is a synergistic process that combines the best office fit out design and technological solutions to enable workers to function at their best.

There is a multitude of factors impacting employee performance. But one of the most significant according to the literature is: motivation, engagement and new generation management. People management is one of the greatest challenges in any organisation. But, leaders should move beyond merely maintaining employee interest, to creating new organisational cultures that focus on innovation, creativity and “intrapreneurship”.

Creating a high level of employee engagement, which directly impacts business performance, is a complex matter. Our experience in the area of sustainable fit out has shown us that workplace design that is employee focused can be one of the most significant levers for increasing workplace productivity and engagement.

Marcos Bish, our managing director at Summertown observed that “the report shows that organisations need to focus much more on creating synergies between the major productivity drivers by adopting more holistic and joined-up thinking within their workplace strategies.”

Discover more insights in the “The Puzzle of Productivity” report.

FIT OUT IN DUBAI – A LOOK AT THE PAST AND FUTURE DESIGN TRENDS AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE INDUSTRY

Today, designs for fit out in Dubai are about more than aesthetics and functionality. It is, more than ever, about helping businesses create value. Dark, dull, monotone offices are fast becoming a thing of the past. With today’s employees spending more than 30 percent of their lives at work, building a flexible and creative environment that nurtures individual wellbeing, has a clear positive impact on a business’ bottom line. Not only are companies using office fit out design to attract and engage the best talent in the market, they recognise the workspace is an expression of a company’s visual identity and should reflect their brand image and reputation. There are several movements driving change in the workspace and these will have an impact on the way offices will be designed and fitted-out over the next few years.

The overarching principle impacting all levels of the construction industry globally is sustainable development. We expect that in the next 15 years, with the recent adoption of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, to see a total shift in the construction and fit-out industries towards sustainability models. New regulations will be adopted, higher standards and consumer demand will increase pressure on the industry to implement environmentally responsible practices, and awareness and understanding of green practices at all levels of the construction chain will increase. In the near future, sustainable projects will be the norm, not the exception. The green building movement has picked up in the UAE too, with sustainability being at the core of UAE’s strategic plan ‘Vision 2021’. Local contractors will have to step up their game when it comes to integrating sustainability into their processes, there will be more eco products available in the market and legislation will also tighten up.

Another important change we see happening in workplace design for fit out in Dubai is the rethinking the use of space. The focus is shifting towards building facilities that will support cross-team collaboration and which allow teams to reshape the workspace to meet their evolving needs. For example, until recently open plan offices were considered the best environment for employees – encouraging collaboration, innovation and team work. Now many studies have proven that a lack of privacy negatively affects concentration levels, productivity and creativity so designers will start to create spaces that provide a perfect balance between collaboration and privacy. Many companies have yet to implement these changes, but designers, architects and workspace experts are introducing these principles into their projects. We will see more recreational areas, more spaces for individual retreat, more attention given to design elements that can have an impact on employees’ creativity, engagement and loyalty.

Technology has had a huge impact on workplace design and fit out in Dubai over the past decade, and we expect the smart building movement will pick up considerably in the next few years. Technology is shaping the way we communicate and interact with each other. Employees are increasingly more connected and mobile, switching between laptops, smartphones and tablets. Smart buildings mean that a higher degree of automation is now included in all projects. That’s why space and furniture can no longer be built the same way it was years ago. Modern, sustainable office buildings will be cost-efficient, integrating the latest technologies and mobility strategies. The space will be designed to consolidate a higher workplace density and will offer, at the same time, greater transparency and interaction. The workspace of the future will have to be efficient, sustainable and healthy, the right environment for a creative, productive and engaged workforce.

In terms of aesthetics, we see a growing demand for contemporary, minimalistic design solutions. Furniture design is encompassing the use of materials such as glass and steel, with ready-made furniture being designed to offer a much greater degree of flexibility. This means less demand for bespoke offerings, which is not bad a bad thing in our opinion. Prefabricated furniture, that allows for flexibility of configuration, ensures more consistent product quality and minimizes production time since there is no need for shop drawings, approvals, sourcing of materials or managing different lead times. This not only reduces the risk of project delays, but responds to businesses’ needs to build more with less, and at a reduced cost.

Looking ahead, we expect to see the most substantial area of “green building” growth to occur in new commercial construction, followed by institutional construction (education, healthcare, government). The role of design and fit out industries will be to incorporate wellbeing into the workplace. We will create space, furniture and tools that will nurture employee wellbeing and will help organisations to align social, economic and environmental impact of their business with the company’s culture, creating value for all stakeholders.

2018 TRENDS: DRIVING SOCIAL & SUSTAINABLE VALUES THROUGH DESIGN‎

Introduction: The UAE Aesthetic

The UAE is not only home to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, or one of the world’s most beautiful mosques, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi – it is also renowned for its particular design ethos – ultra-modern but also rooted in a particular historical, geographic and cultural nexus.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been described as glittering futuristic expanses, and also the home of rich traditional architecture. It is this blend of the new and old, the traditional and modern that is giving rise to a unique creative sensibility in the UAE – a design aesthetic that is always looking forward while never forgetting about the past; that expresses the vitality and strength of the country’s cosmopolitan population and its global economic power, articulating beauty, power and functionality.

Alongside the efforts made by the country to diversify and increase economic growth, there has been equally strong attention paid to creating this growth on sustainable principles, as evidenced in the UAE’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, and the Paris Climate Agreement, as outlined in the UAE 2021 Vision and UAE 2030 Green Agenda.

The UAE is rapidly becoming not only a central location for global thought on sustainability but an incubator for ground-breaking initiatives including:

• Estidama program and Pearl Rating System in Abu Dhabi, with the clear vision of imbuing sustainability in all Urban planning activities in the Emirate and capital city of Abu Dhabi
• Ensuring that sustainability is addressed through four main dimensions: environmental, economic, social and cultural
• World Expo2020, hosted by Dubai, which will focus on sustainability: natural ecosystems and biodiversity, resources, sustainable cities and habitats, and climate change.
• Dubai “The Sustainable City”, the first net zero energy community in Dubai, a mixed use development powered by 600,000 Square Feet of Solar Cells and housing residential touristic educational and service facilities and services
• Masdar City, Abu Dhabi: a sustainable mixed use development created to act as a center for Cleantech companies and currently hosts the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

These intermingled themes of economic vitality, environmental awareness and aesthetic sensibility all give rise to a unique mindfulness and the importance of the design of public and private spaces. In the UAE, the growth of unique residential and commercial projects is evident throughout the country – this growing awareness is also reflected in office design and fit out.

The Way We Work Now & the Future of the Office

According the Harvard Business Review, office surroundings are a statement of a business’ core values. Company location, office fit out and the placement of different teams all convey messages about the business’ culture, brand and values, whether this is done consciously or not.

Office design needs to achieve a great deal more than just housing employees and executives. It needs to encourage employee productivity. It needs to signal the company’s brand and values to those same employees, clients and visitors, and it needs to do all that in harmonious and cost effective manner. Aesthetics cannot be divorced from function.

The nature of work has changed over the last 20 years with increasing digitalisation, the wide spread adoption of mobile technologies and an increased focus on automation of mundane tasks alongside an emphasis on creativity and collaboration.

Why people work has also changed. People have a desire for meaning and belonging alongside earning a living. Research has shown that we can spend up to 30% of our waking hours at work so there is the expectation that we do so in comfortable and healthy surroundings. It’s therefore fair to ask if the design of our working spaces has kept pace with the changes in working practices.

2018 Design Trends: Expressing Company Values through Interior Design & Office Fit Out

At Summertown, we have always believed in the sustainability of office design even before it was fashionable to do so – we have been actively promoting “green thinking” for years. For this reason, we are very excited to see that other fit out contractors in the UAE are beginning to follow our example and to adopt a sustainable fit out philosophy.

Our mission is to consistently deliver high-end sustainable interiors that enable our clients to achieve their environmental goals, improve energy, water and resource efficiency for their space, and deliver operational savings. Sustainability is embedded in our business and we use environmentally sustainable materials where possible on all projects even if the clients are not aiming for a green accreditation such as LEED. A sustainable fit out has many environmental, economic and corporate benefits but at its core, it means collaborating closely with interior designers, architects and our clients to create engaging work areas where people can feel healthy, happy and productive.

A key trend we have witnessed which has become more and more important in Dubai and the wider UAE, is the custom tailored fit out solutions for companies that include activity based working areas, and integrated technology for a more agile workforce. Gone are the days of the one size fits all for the 20th century office.

It makes more sense, is more efficient and in the long-run is more cost effective for companies to take the time to work with interior fit out contractors and designers to develop plans and arrangements that suit the way they do business and how they intend to grow – this requires reflection and self-awareness.

The Smart(er) Office

A Smart Office can be defined in numerous ways. Fundamentally, it means the ability to use digital technologies efficiently and seamlessly. This includes multiple technology ports, docking stations, flexible cable management systems, projectors, web and video conferencing facilities, as well as “connected” furniture. Availing these elements can sometimes be a complex task requiring wiring, cabling and arrangements for wireless connectivity, as well as imbedding the ability to scale up as new technologies are introduced into the workplace. Some analysts predict the increasing use of, for example IoT and VR, at work, so any office fit out or re-fit will have to take this into account. The Smart Office also needs to provide solutions such as smart lighting, temperature control, security, and more. However, the overall goal is to provide a flexible work environment that enables agile, happy and productive employees.

Tearing Down the Walls (but not all of them): Modern Working Spaces-Private Zones & Communal Areas

Until recently, open plan and minimalist design was all the rage. Companies tore down their walls and seated employees in wide open spaces. It was felt to be a great improvement from the rabbit hutch cubicle farms of previous eras. But some employees pushed back citing there was a lack of privacy and people felt undervalued.

Many companies have found that the best formula is to provide their employees with different working options whether in the office or outside it. Activity based working interior designs are enabling employees space to concentrate on a complex task alone, or collaborate in small teams. Companies such as LinkedIn, Cisco and Airbnb have discovered that the key to creating the most productive working environment is to use a combination of different floor plans – integrating private zones and public working areas – open environment, cubicles, cafes, conference and meeting areas, etc. This is now possible because so many offices are digitally equipped to allow people to move from one location to another as they work on different tasks and projects, individually and in teams. The freedom given by the smart office, which allows people to work in different zones, assigned or communal, also means that fit out can make the most efficient use of all available spaces including stairways and corners.

“Dynamic Spaces”: Modularity, Adaptability & Flexibility

Accompanying the mapping of different private and public zones for work and rest, there will also be an increasing emphasis on the flexibility and adaptability of these zones. Furniture, cubicles, partitions, and even walls will be modular and moveable. The business environment is faster moving than ever before. Companies are faced with the need to scale up or scale down rapidly in terms of headcount and business lines to adapt to changing conditions. Imbedding this flexibility within office fit out from the beginning will save time, energy and money in the long-run.

In a recent interior project for the Dubai Design District (d3), Summertown installed in their new Business Center folding modular walls, folding benches and stools. This high-end business hub incorporates a large communal area with wooden terrace seating, trees, swings and plenty of natural lighting. Work spaces are divided into rentable small unfurnished studios, hallway workstations, and a public collaboration rooms.

Biophilia: More than Just Turning the Office Green

Biophilic design tries to satisfy human beings’ innate and scientifically supported need to be close to nature, a need that has been denied and frustrated by traditional office settings. It has been shown that incorporating natural elements like plants, water features and natural lighting into the office space can boost productivity. Several research studies have recently demonstrated the various benefits of incorporating greenery into office design on employees’ physical and psychological health.

But Biophilia extends to more than just increasing greenery. There are other ways of bringing a sense of nature indoors including increasing natural lighting, using natural colors, textures and materials, as can be seen in Summertown’s use of materials such as wood and rope in the Smart Dubai office fit out. DWP’s interior design of this office was directly inspired by the landscapes of Dubai, the undulating sand dunes and wide horizons.

As in all cases, the way a company integrates Biophilic elements has to be aligned with many other factors including the space and resources available. Not all companies will be able to maintain a living wall, or a fountain, or to install skylights for example. Interior fit out specialists will be able to provide advice on the range of available options including small potted plants, moss and terrariums.

Bringing it All Together: Sustainability, Beauty, Environmental Quality

The way we live our lives and the way we work are both changing radically. How this will impact office design in the long term will be very interesting to see. In the short-term, we expect to see ever more focus on sustainable fit out – reducing carbon emissions and waste production, increasing energy and cost efficiency, preserving the environment and improving indoor health (use of non-toxic materials; improving air quality). Clients will be more interested in incorporating Biophilic principles and in the inventive use of both natural elements (water granite, marble, rope, and sand) and man-made materials (like concrete and glass) as well as the use of recyclable materials. An interesting example is the temporary home of the Dubai Future Foundation, the world’s first 3D printed office building, which was built using a particular mix of cement and other materials designed and produced in the UAE and US.

Finally, we see a movement away from the minimalist and stark décor popular in the late 20th century to an aesthetic that uses color, texture, sound, lighting and temperature control to create environments that are professional but comfortable. The focus will increasingly be on providing workers with beautiful adaptable digital spaces that help them to be happier, healthier and more productive.

https://www.summertown.ae/sustainable-fit-out-design-trends-2018/

SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION – OFFICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS

Summertown Interiors installs electric car charging station at Dubai headquarters

The UAE is committed to creating a sustainable future as demonstrated by its sustainable economic policies – the UAE Vision 2021, the 2030 Green Agenda, UAE Centennial 2071 and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050. Adoption level of sustainable initiatives by UAE organisations is increasing as more businesses realise the social, economic and environmental benefits.

At Summertown Interiors, we are unwavering in our commitment to being sustainable and strive to be early adopters of environmentally sustainable initiatives – big and small. This February we installed an electric car charging station for electric and hybrid vehicles at our headquarters in Dubai. The station has two dedicated car parks with one vehicle charger fitted with a universal plug enabling it to charge all electric and hybrid vehicles. The cost of charging is free for all Summertown employees and visitors to our office.

By providing infrastructure like the electric car charging station, we aim to help our staff embrace a sustainable lifestyle. Not only are electric vehicles cheaper to run and maintain, they produce fewer emissions that contribute to air pollution and climate change than conventional vehicles.

It also means we are contributing to help Dubai achieve its Clean Energy Strategy, which aims to see the Emirate produce 75% of its energy requirements from clean sources by 2050. Similarly, the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to increase clean energy usage by 50%.

Since the Electric Vehicle Green Charger Initiative was launched by DEWA, 100 electric vehicle charging stations have been installed across Dubai including government offices; clinics and hospitals; gas stations; Al Maktoum International Airport and Dubai International Airport; shopping malls such as Marina Mall; commercial spaces including Dubai Design Districts and residential complexes and establishments such as Jumeirah Beach Hotel. By the end of this year the government entity aims to have installed a further 200 stations.

To further encourage the use of electric vehicles in Dubai and to contribute to the protection of the environment, DEWA is also offering free charging for electric vehicle owners registered in the Green Charger initiative from 1 Sept 2017 to 31 Dec 2019.

In 2016 the government set a target to encourage citizens purchasing new cars to invest in electric or hybrid vehicles from 2016 to 2020 to increase by 10%. It is expected that the number of electric and hybrid cars will rise to 2% by 2020, and 10% by 2030.

But it’s not up to governments alone. The private sector companies like Summertown, have an important role to play in encouraging it’s people to switch to electric vehicles – be that through incentive schemes or driving early adopter behaviour among our staff.

Now that we have our own electric car charging station, we hope it will encourage our employees to evaluate investing in an electric car in the future and to continue to think of alternatives ways to reduce our carbon footprint including ‘carpooling’ to work.

https://www.summertown.ae/sustainability-in-action-office-electric-vehicle-charging-stations/

9 Ways Restaurant Consulting Services Can Help Your Start-up Brand

Restaurant Consulting Services

In the winding world of F&B, there has never been a more exciting time than today. Food culture all over the world is seeing an all-time high when it comes to popularity amongst the masses. This has meant record highs for profit as well. Those profits were mainly seen by those who had the ability to make the most of current food and business trends both in the services that they provided as well as the way in which they provided them.

The restaurant world can sometimes be very confusing to navigate; that is why having the right restaurant consulting is not only a smart move but is a must.

So who do you turn to? Well there are few who are better at offering the services that you, as a restaurant owner or manager, will need. These are the top restaurant consulting firms that do not only have a good reputation but also are the best at what they do.

They are fully qualified to take you through all you will need to do to ensure that your restaurant stands the absolute best chance of success within today’s ever-growing market.

Restaurant consulting firms can either make your restaurant become a huge success or make it close its doors after just a short while. That is why it’s important to choose only the best consultants to help you along the way.

As a business owner or manager, there are so many different things to take into account, not just changes within the company but also within the market itself.

Firms that offer restaurant consulting services have the knowledge and experience needed to take on some of the more focused needs of your business and help you create a better chance for profit and success.

How can restaurant consulting services help your business?

Experience

There is very little that compares to real experience. If you are starting up a business or even if you have been running one for a while, all that you know will be based on experience.

Your wealth of experience cannot be learned from a book, it has to be gone through; seen for yourself. But even if you have been running restaurants for a long time, when starting a new project you will have all-new things to take into account; whether that is the menu or the location or the type of customer that you are hoping to attract.

Restaurant consulting firms in Dubai are better able than ever before to help show you what you may not be seeing; the things that you may not have even thought about.

They will use their experience and expertise to help you realise your dream of a successful restaurant. Companies like Glee Hospitality are amongst the top restaurant consulting firms and have over 10 years of experience in the UAE as well as international experience when it comes to setting up and operating restaurants.

More heads are better than one

There are some restaurant consultants out there who work on their own. When it comes to something as complex as restaurant consulting, you would be far better going with a company who work as a team.

A team allows for different people within that team to specialise in different areas of the process. This not only means that no one person becomes overwhelmed or overworked, it also means that there are many fresh angles to view any problem from when seeking a solution.

Because restaurant consultants like Glee Hospitality have team of experts, this means that they work as a team which offers you the best options for success. As a team, Glee Hospitality is able to look at trends within the market, not just locally but on a global scale. This way they can better prepare any start-up business for changes in the foreseeable future as well as areas where they may better profit.

When developing any concept for your business, Glee Hospitality Solutions is able to work as a team – brainstorming and studying the gaps in the market.

Consultants’ Experiences in Operation

There are a few who know more about a subject than those who are also part of it. The same then goes for a restaurant. Who is better equipped to prepare a restaurant for the market than a company who has been operating in that same market for over a decade?

Unless you operate within the restaurant market, there are certain things that for you will remain theory and though they may work on paper, they will not work in practice.

This is why companies like Glee Hospitality who are not only restaurant consultants but are also restaurant operators, will have a far better idea of the larger picture and of how certain processes work in reality and not just on paper.

Location, location, location

The location of your start-up business or new restaurant could instantly make or break it. There are so many factors that can lead to a great looking location becoming your road to ruins.

Choices are made early on concerning the placement of a restaurant and many times, it is chosen long before other things are taken into account.

Another benefit of choosing the right restaurant consultant firms is that they will be able to secure prime or ideal locations that individuals on their own would not be able to.

 With over ten years in the business, Glee Hospitality has the ability to secure some great locations within the UAE that business owners on their own may not have been able to get on their own.

Due to their longstanding relationship with many companies within the market, they are able to negotiate far better rates.

Consulting firms are there from start to finish

When you are taking on the mammoth task of opening a new start-up business, you do not want to pay restaurant consulting fees just so that you are left high and dry half-way through.

You also do not want to be sold on a plan that never works out. You want a company to stay with you from start to finish. This is your best chance at success.

Glee Hospitality offers a full turn-key solution. This means that you as a restaurant owner or manager will have one point of contact from the planning process all the way through to operations. This enables better communication and a far more efficient and effective management of time and processes.

Better rates

If a restaurant consultancy firm has worked in the industry for a long period of time, they would have built up relationships and contacts throughout the market.

This, if used for your business, will benefit you greatly as it means that those same contacts may be used to search for the absolute best rates; thus saving you money in both the short and the long term.

By sourcing their cutlery, furniture, and crockery from China, Glee Hospitality is able to offer far better rates as well as a wider variety at competitive prices. This means that you will have more of your budget to spend on more important sections of the business.

Wide Network

This wide network does not end merely with the ability to get cheaper plates or glasses, this is a network that offers the chance to choose from a wide range of trusted service providers.

As a start-up business, you will find you need to come up with a menu. Some restaurant consultancy firms will be better than others to help you with this.

Glee Hospitality Solutions, for example, has access to a large pool of professional executive chefs who are able to work out new menu ideas for your restaurant. This offers different restaurants the chance to have fully different menu ideas that are not all made by the same chef.

New Recruits

The right consultancy firm will also be able to help you set up your restaurant when it comes to staffing. It is very difficult to run a successful restaurant if you do not have the right staff. This is another area where the correct consultant will be able to offer much more than just assistance.

Some restaurant consultancy firms like Glee Hospitality have a large database of professionals to help with those troublesome recruitment issues. This ranges from front of house to kitchen.

The Law

Knowing the ins and outs of the legal system is a full time job in itself. The wise decision would be to choose a consultancy firm that has the right knowledge to be able to walk you through the legislative nightmare that restaurant start-ups may find it difficult to access or grasp.

Firms like Glee Hospitality have over a decade of experience dealing with the legal pit falls of all areas connected to restaurant start-up as well as operations.

Be Sure To Choose the Right Restaurant Consultancy Firm for You

Hopefully, this list has helped you see just how important choosing the right restaurant consultancy firms can be as well as all the very many ways in which their services can help you take a dream of a successful restaurant and make it a reality.

If you want the best restaurant consulting services to ensure the success of your start-up restaurant business, contact Glee today.

9 Ways Restaurant Consulting Services Can Help Your Start-up Brand

Restaurant Consulting Services

In the winding world of F&B, there has never been a more exciting time than today. Food culture all over the world is seeing an all-time high when it comes to popularity amongst the masses. This has meant record highs for profit as well. Those profits were mainly seen by those who had the ability to make the most of current food and business trends both in the services that they provided as well as the way in which they provided them.

The restaurant world can sometimes be very confusing to navigate; that is why having the right restaurant consulting is not only a smart move but is a must.

So who do you turn to? Well there are few who are better at offering the services that you, as a restaurant owner or manager, will need. These are the top restaurant consulting firms that do not only have a good reputation but also are the best at what they do.

They are fully qualified to take you through all you will need to do to ensure that your restaurant stands the absolute best chance of success within today’s ever-growing market.

Restaurant consulting firms can either make your restaurant become a huge success or make it close its doors after just a short while. That is why it’s important to choose only the best consultants to help you along the way.

As a business owner or manager, there are so many different things to take into account, not just changes within the company but also within the market itself.

Firms that offer restaurant consulting services have the knowledge and experience needed to take on some of the more focused needs of your business and help you create a better chance for profit and success.

How can restaurant consulting services help your business?

Experience

There is very little that compares to real experience. If you are starting up a business or even if you have been running one for a while, all that you know will be based on experience.

Your wealth of experience cannot be learned from a book, it has to be gone through; seen for yourself. But even if you have been running restaurants for a long time, when starting a new project you will have all-new things to take into account; whether that is the menu or the location or the type of customer that you are hoping to attract.

Restaurant consulting firms in Dubai are better able than ever before to help show you what you may not be seeing; the things that you may not have even thought about.

They will use their experience and expertise to help you realise your dream of a successful restaurant. Companies like Glee Hospitality are amongst the top restaurant consulting firms and have over 10 years of experience in the UAE as well as international experience when it comes to setting up and operating restaurants.

More heads are better than one

There are some restaurant consultants out there who work on their own. When it comes to something as complex as restaurant consulting, you would be far better going with a company who work as a team.

A team allows for different people within that team to specialise in different areas of the process. This not only means that no one person becomes overwhelmed or overworked, it also means that there are many fresh angles to view any problem from when seeking a solution.

Because restaurant consultants like Glee Hospitality have team of experts, this means that they work as a team which offers you the best options for success. As a team, Glee Hospitality is able to look at trends within the market, not just locally but on a global scale. This way they can better prepare any start-up business for changes in the foreseeable future as well as areas where they may better profit.

When developing any concept for your business, Glee Hospitality Solutions is able to work as a team – brainstorming and studying the gaps in the market.

Consultants’ Experiences in Operation

There are a few who know more about a subject than those who are also part of it. The same then goes for a restaurant. Who is better equipped to prepare a restaurant for the market than a company who has been operating in that same market for over a decade?

Unless you operate within the restaurant market, there are certain things that for you will remain theory and though they may work on paper, they will not work in practice.

This is why companies like Glee Hospitality who are not only restaurant consultants but are also restaurant operators, will have a far better idea of the larger picture and of how certain processes work in reality and not just on paper.

Location, location, location

The location of your start-up business or new restaurant could instantly make or break it. There are so many factors that can lead to a great looking location becoming your road to ruins.

Choices are made early on concerning the placement of a restaurant and many times, it is chosen long before other things are taken into account.

Another benefit of choosing the right restaurant consultant firms is that they will be able to secure prime or ideal locations that individuals on their own would not be able to.

 With over ten years in the business, Glee Hospitality has the ability to secure some great locations within the UAE that business owners on their own may not have been able to get on their own.

Due to their longstanding relationship with many companies within the market, they are able to negotiate far better rates.

Consulting firms are there from start to finish

When you are taking on the mammoth task of opening a new start-up business, you do not want to pay restaurant consulting fees just so that you are left high and dry half-way through.

You also do not want to be sold on a plan that never works out. You want a company to stay with you from start to finish. This is your best chance at success.

Glee Hospitality offers a full turn-key solution. This means that you as a restaurant owner or manager will have one point of contact from the planning process all the way through to operations. This enables better communication and a far more efficient and effective management of time and processes.

Better rates

If a restaurant consultancy firm has worked in the industry for a long period of time, they would have built up relationships and contacts throughout the market.

This, if used for your business, will benefit you greatly as it means that those same contacts may be used to search for the absolute best rates; thus saving you money in both the short and the long term.

By sourcing their cutlery, furniture, and crockery from China, Glee Hospitality is able to offer far better rates as well as a wider variety at competitive prices. This means that you will have more of your budget to spend on more important sections of the business.

Wide Network

This wide network does not end merely with the ability to get cheaper plates or glasses, this is a network that offers the chance to choose from a wide range of trusted service providers.

As a start-up business, you will find you need to come up with a menu. Some restaurant consultancy firms will be better than others to help you with this.

Glee Hospitality Solutions, for example, has access to a large pool of professional executive chefs who are able to work out new menu ideas for your restaurant. This offers different restaurants the chance to have fully different menu ideas that are not all made by the same chef.

New Recruits

The right consultancy firm will also be able to help you set up your restaurant when it comes to staffing. It is very difficult to run a successful restaurant if you do not have the right staff. This is another area where the correct consultant will be able to offer much more than just assistance.

Some restaurant consultancy firms like Glee Hospitality have a large database of professionals to help with those troublesome recruitment issues. This ranges from front of house to kitchen.

The Law

Knowing the ins and outs of the legal system is a full time job in itself. The wise decision would be to choose a consultancy firm that has the right knowledge to be able to walk you through the legislative nightmare that restaurant start-ups may find it difficult to access or grasp.

Firms like Glee Hospitality have over a decade of experience dealing with the legal pit falls of all areas connected to restaurant start-up as well as operations.

Be Sure To Choose the Right Restaurant Consultancy Firm for You

Hopefully, this list has helped you see just how important choosing the right restaurant consultancy firms can be as well as all the very many ways in which their services can help you take a dream of a successful restaurant and make it a reality.

If you want the best restaurant consulting services to ensure the success of your start-up restaurant business, contact Glee today.

Productivity Theories and how to Maximise Their Effectiveness

If, like us, you spend your days either worrying about being unproductive or trying to cram all your work into the last hour of the day, it might be worthwhile taking some time to research productivity theories.

Problem is, there are just so many theories that it would be totally unproductive for you to look into them all, so we’ve saved you the time and trouble by providing this handy cut-out-and-keep guide on how to become the sort of person your parents boast about, and other people’s parents want to adopt.

Still concentrating? That’s a start. The key to productivity varies for us all, but perhaps a good sleep and exercise regime is all you really need! Or so the majority might have it. Tell that to Proust, one of the world’s most profound and admired authors who spent most of his time in bed, in a dark, cork-lined bedroom, wracked with asthma while churning out what’s widely regarded as one of the greatest books ever written about life’s essential questions.

Then there’s the likes of Elon Musk, who may well be a finely tuned AI robot, judging by his insane schedule, lack of sleep and breakfast, a diet of French food, barbecue, and whiskey and a penchant for Tweeting.

Meanwhile, there’s the equally nutty regime of Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg, who wakes up at 2:30am, hits the gym by 3:40am and is tucked up in bed by 7:30pm.

The point we’re making here is these famous, arguably charismatic and influential people all have routines that work for them. What works for you might not work for your partner or your work colleagues.

But there are some good theories that seem to hold universal appeal – and effectiveness. One of our favourites is the Pomodoro technique, created in the 1980s by an Italian who broke his schedule down into 25-minute segments, peppered with five-minute breaks. He named it the Pomodoro technique after the tomato- (pomodoro in Italian, in case you were wondering) shaped timer he used.

What is clear is that rapid, short periods of dense concentration are more productive.

You settle down to work, knowing that in 25 minutes you can take a stroll around the block or grab some much needed caffeine.

Article was originally published by Areaworks. Read it full here https://www.areaworks.com/productivity-theories-and-how-to-maximise-their-effectiveness/.