THE VELVET ROOM, SALE ST, AUCKLAND
FEBRUARY 2013
02
International trends help to
set strategies for 2013
2013 is upon us and with a new year comes a time of planning for the coming year. So what are some of the key trends internationally that may help you to strategise your business’ growth in 2013?
think your café is the best? new year goals for 07 small businesses
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uying locally grown produce and locally sourced meats and seafood is a key international trend already gaining traction here. Local farms and food producers have become an important source of ingredients for chefs and restaurateurs wishing to support their business community and highlight seasonal ingredients on menus. And it can be highly cost effective. We’ve noticed some taking this a step further with a hospitality businesses developing their own gardens, a movement called “hyper-local” sourcing. You can’t get much fresher than that!
With each new year comes a new set of goals. In light of this yearly tradition of creating lists, here are five attainable new year business goals for the small business owner.
are your employees entitled to work here? preparing for the new alcohol rules
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To assist operators to prepare for the new rules around the sale and supply of alcohol we look at some of the key implications for businesses over the coming months.
who can enter a business on business
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SALE ST, AUCKLAND
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Restaurant gardens are also a way to minimize your carbon footprint, which links to another key trend – environmental sustainability. If this is your focus start by addressing some of your biggest environmental impacts: food purchasing (as above), the use of energy, waste and water, packaging and use of toxic cleaning chemicals. To get started check out Conscious Consumers—a way for you to gain environmental accreditation and promote your green sensibilities to consumers. A recent American survey which asked how to best handle the increasing cost of ingredients found that only 4 percent said that raising menu prices is the best strategy. However a key trend to come as a result of increasing food prices (and the economic difficulties of the past few years) is the use of different, or new, cuts of meat. Culinary creativity is also a factor driving this trend. Social media, loyalty programmes and the use of table technology are also key technology trends internationally. With this in mind the Association is running a social media webinar and working with EFTPlus, who offer a sophisticated loyalty programme to help drive loyal customers to your business. Not every international trend can be adapted locally, however it pays to look overseas at some of the key factors influencing business to see how you may use them to effect in your operation.