Page 38 - Flathad Beacon // 10.8.14

38 | OCTOBER 8, 2014
BUSINESS FLATHEADBEACON.COM BUSINESS IS PERSONAL Mark Riffey
HONOR ROLL
CONGRATULATIONS
To the Winning Smiles for the M: onth of September 2014
Ethan Allen Emalee Alton Jared Anderson Olivia Anderson Tehya Anderson Kaleb Aragon Ethan Archer Jaden Aurich Xavier Avsec Micah Badewitz Charlotte Balgos Isaac Balla Sarah Balla Callen Ballard Cylis Ballenger Malachi Barut Noah Barut Brady Bates Valentina Beecroft Matthew Behar Blake Benkelman Cadence Bennett Emily Bennett Madison Bennett Aiden Benson Maggie Benson SallyBenson Jayden Betts Daniel Bielke Heaven Bielke Joseph Bolinger Amira Bolz Jaylen Bonny Jerika Bonny Olive Bonny Ethan Boyd Hannah Boyd Samantha Bray Nathan Brewer Torrie Brewer Ashlynn Briney Lilly Briney Warren Briney Chace Bronson Renae Brousseau Annalise Brown Carver Brown
Jenady Buchholtz Sara Bukowski Shaun Butters Viola Calobeer Alexander Cantrell- Johnson
Patrick Capodagli Sophia Capodagli Kylee Cardwell Charlotte Christ Kaitlynn Christ Christopher Ciraolo Naomi Clarke Kaleb Conan Kaleb Conan Andrew Converse Caitlyn Converse Tyrone Cook Kate Cooke Isabella Cooper Rylan Cooper McKenzie Corbett Gabe Couture Jodee Creemedicine Payton Degroot Tyler Degroot Baylie Dobyle Garret Dobyle Colter Dowdy Brooklyn Dubay-Lingle Seanna Dube Jaden Elliott Tyesen Evans Dustin Farnes Hayden Farnes Abigail Fisk Fawkes Flaherty Jack Flink Ledger Fortner Vanessa Foultner Aidan Fredenberg Bailey Gable Khloe Gable TaylorGable Rayana Galloway Jaron Garrison Brandon Gates
Tia Gerke
Zoie Gesler Logan Gibbons Tegan Gilroy Talan Glenn-Woody Tryshelle Glenn-Woody Kadence Golie Alea Goodenough Benjamin Goulding Juliana Grangroth Natalie Grangroth Johnathon Grau Grace Grisak Khloe Grogg Justin Guan Ryan Guan Natalie Hagreen Kohen Hale Kade Halgren Kael Halgren Kyndal Halgren Taylor Hall Wyatt Hall William Haller Lilyann Handford Annie Hartle MaxHawley Rylan Heil
Rylie Hendrickson Colton Henriksson Kelly Henriksson Adrian Hill Blake Hill Christopher Hill Aubrey Hockett Cameron Lee Hockett Alex Hogard Joey Holland Nolan Holste Avila Hopkins Dalton Horton Dante Iffert Aryan Ish AydanIsh Avarie May Jacob- smeyer
Tucker James
Danielle Jelleff Joseph Jelleff Lena Jelleff Madison Johnson Rylee Johnson Banyah Johnston June Johnston Rem Johnston Fisher Jones Joshua Kaszuba Jay Kaufman Anabell Kelly Rubie Kelly Jaxson Kelso Tristan King Jillian Kinniburgh Kaydence Kintner Alyson Koch Kailee Krause Liam Leonard Marcus Levanen Nina Lindberg Adrian Longoria Ella Losing Myla Losing Clover Lusko CameronMassie Jared Mathison Henry McCracken Sophie McDermott Kannon Melcher Gabriel Melvin Alexzander Melvin- Bovee Dominick Meyer Braylon Mikkelson Raylee Miller Sophia Miller Hidalgo Montoya Keeley Morrell Paul Naldrett Caleb Neff Benjamin Nelson RyderNelson Nathan Newsome Wyatt Newsome Dylan Nieves
Kadyn Niles Nathan Niles Johnny Nix Paul Noland Grace Osborn Liz Osburn Olivia Owen Maeple Peckham Alanna Quieroz Tanner Quieroz JJ Reese Breanna Reinsberg Jonas Rodriguez Sarabeth Rogge Milo Sarkkinen Aubrey Schnabel Cambria Schnabel Onyx Schnabel Rocco Serio Shawn Sharp Corey Shelton Aryana Shiell Brock Simonson Leif Simonson Sawyer Simonson Justin Sjostrom WyattSjostrom Daniel Slonaker Weston Slonaker Tyrell Small Jazmin Smith Nathan Smith Luke Soteros Cassie Spears Taylor Spears Shaylyn Stein Jaidyn Stevens Grace Stickney Angeliegh Storr Andrew Sullivan Parker Taylor Tavyn Taylor Temree Taylor TrentanTaylor Carson Thorne Harper Thorne Charles Thurston
Evin Thurston Gavin Thurston Sabrina Thurston Ryder Tipton Ayla Toavs Isaac Toavs Nathaniel Tressel Emily Tuck Marian Tuck Ryder Tucker Colt Turner Charlize Ullrich Rebekah Uzzi Sarah Uzzi Delany VanBemmel Danae Waatti Hugh Waatti Ivan Waatti Maggie Waatti Olivia Wacaser Kaiya Walker Zia Walker Madisen Wall Amber Ward Aryan Ward Claire Waters GraceWaters Lauren Waters Logan Waters Cody Wehr Makenzie Westphal Callysta Whitcher Chantel Whitcher Jaryn Whitfield Cayden Wilkerson Cecilia Winters Elissa Wisti Kara Wisti Levi Wisti Chase Witten Memphis Witten Sage Witten Starr Yatchak MandyZheng
406.756.1142
60 Four Mile Dr., Ste 10 • Kalispell, MT Visit us online at www.kalispellkiddsteeth.com
Does Your Business’ Reality Match Theirs?
IF YOU HAPPEN TO PAY attention to any of the business turnaround reality shows on TV (I see them on rare occasions), you’ll know that the pattern is the same for most of them, regardless of the type of business.
Typically, there are some quality and cleanliness problems, a management is- sue or two (or five), a lack of performance that’s often attributable to training and consistent systems and processes, and last but not least, a lack of attention to the numbers.
In some rare cases, the businesses seem to be more of a hobby or an escape than an actual business – a situation that never escapes the consulting expert, and always infuriates them.
On the rare occasion when I see these shows, three things always come to mind:
• How could they have let the situation
get this bad?
• How could they not see these obvious
problems, much less fail to address
them?
• How do business owners who read my
stuff feel when seeing these shows?
If you haven’t seen one of these shows, here are the things you should be
looking for in your business’ reality.
FILTH
One of the universal failures of the businesses in these shows is that they’re consistently filthy. Some are worse than others, with some downright unbeliev- able.
The reason this can get out of control in your business is the gradual creep of muck. You get used to a certain level of clean and it never again seems to be the kind of clean you’d want to see in a place you’d visit.
My wife and I visited a Cajun restau- rant in the South earlier this year and found the dining room’s tile floor filthy. It was hard not to wonder if they simply got used to the dirt.
How are you doing on the filth factor?
MANAGEMENT VACUUM
Another consistency of the business- es profiled in these shows is a partial to total lack of management.
Sometimes, the problem is the owner(s) acting as if the business is a hobby (and often creating a massive dis- traction – much less money suck), while in others, it’s a failure to delegate and then use the time savings to actually manage the business. Managers in these businesses often have owner-instigated conflicts that prevent them from exert-
ing any authority on day to day opera- tions – making them ineffective at best.
Do any of these situations sound fa- miliar? Ask your manager(s) about it. If you sense hesitation ...
SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES
One of the most common problems in these businesses is a lack of order and consistency. Many of them have no point of sale system or have nothing more than a cash register to balance at the end of the day.
In the episodes where food and drink are part of the business, food and drink costs are always out of control and high- ly variable from serving to serving and drink to drink.
They not only have inconsistent pro- duction (and thus inconsistent quality), but they also tend to have no measure- ment/tracking/purchasing controls in place. They have no idea how much they’re spending on food and drink or if they are even turning a profit.
Key to the resolution of these prob- lems is creating systems to manage and track materials, sales and purchasing. Yes, I know ... this seems like Doctor Ob- vious speaking, but you would be sur- prised at the times this has been missing from businesses in these shows (and in my personal observation).
Do you know how much that $8.95 meal costs your business? Don’t serve food or drink? You still have production costs of some kind.
TRAINING
A tightly integrated issue with sys- tems and processes is staff training. In- consistency in these businesses starts with a lack of systems and processes and ends with inconsistent (or non-existent) training of the staff.
A universal component of the re- ality-show-fix is a combination of new systems, processes and staff training on those systems and processes.
Systems and processes combined with training breed consistency, which breeds quality.
WATCHING THE NUMBERS
Beyond cost of production numbers, a common issue for these reality show businesses is a disconnect between what the business is doing sales and cost-wise and what the owner(s)/manager(s) think the business is doing.
Do you know what your real num- bers are?
What’s the reality at your business?
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site, rescuemarketing.com, or contact him via email at [email protected].
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