2 Tips For Tackling Booming Summer Ice Cream Shop Business Without Hiring More Employees

Posted on: 11 May 2015

If it is your first year in the ice cream shop business, then you may be experiencing an even larger boom in business this spring than you expected. You may be quickly scrambling to think of ideas to have enough employees at the shop to handle business demand without overworking your current staff and without bringing on new staff members. Follow these three tips for managing booming summer business without hiring more employees. 

1. Arrange a Meeting with Employees to Discuss Who Wants Extra Hours

Before randomly assigning extra or extended shifts to your current employees to help keep enough staff at the shop to meet customer's needs, hold a meeting to discuss who wants these hours and who doesn't. When you are already lacking man-power, the last thing you want to do is anger your employees by giving them hours they just cannot handle with their current lives. 

During this meeting, you may find that employees you never expected to want more hours than they are currently working do, while employees you thought would jump on the chance to work more simply can't because of school or personal obligations. 

Also, don't be afraid to hand out a few over-time hours to already full-time employees, as paying for a little overtime can often be more affordable in the end than training new employees who may only be needed for a couple of busy months. 

2. Outsource Cleaning of the Shop

If you currently have your employees cleaning the shop after every shift, then realize that simply outsourcing this cleaning to a local commercial cleaning service can help keep employees happier when already working extended hours and also save you cash in the end. If you have employees taking on overtime hours, then you will come greatly ahead financially by paying a cleaning service instead of having to pay an overtime wage during cleaning time. 

With employees working longer hours, you also run the risk of them cutting corners when cleaning time comes around simply because they are tired and want to go home for the night. With the recent controversy surrounding listeria outbreaks from eating certain ice cream brands, the last thing you want is an unsanitary shop that leaves a patron falling ill. While a patron illness after consuming your ice cream could be the result of many different bacteria or even just an intolerance to one of your ingredients, it can lead to him or her pointing a finger at your shop the results in a Health Department inspection that you cannot afford to result in anything other than a glowing review. 

If your ice cream shop is booming this spring, then it is important to start planning for the summer that will likely become even busier. Have a discussion with your employees to decide who is willing to work extra hours, and begin vetting commercial cleaning companies like Home & Commercial Cleaning Service that can keep your shop clean without adding more hours and work to your employees' already-lengthening shifts. 

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