Outsourcing your designs- does it work?

"Outsourcing" is a buzz word on everyone's lips. It usually conjours up the process of using resources external to the organisation whether that be locally or overseas. 
It usually means saving money.This can be a controversial topic.  www.FoodStrategy.com.au discusses how it can help your franchise.

Controversy aside; there is a real need for businesses of all sizes to grow and develop in new areas as the times change. It can be cumbersome and costly to bolt on a permanent staff member or team to enable this growth.

Imagine you are a food franchise group (new or established):
You are in a position to roll out new stores or restaurants for keen franchisees.
The outlook is positive but you know that future markets and economies can be fickle so you exercise caution.
As the owner or franchisor, you have a great idea of how your concept should look when it's open but don't know how to make it happen.

You could recruit a construction manager to oversee the projects, a few computer drafters and an admin assistant to shuffle the paperwork. Then invest in printers, computers, software and peripherals so they function.  This group of people become a fixed cost to your franchise overheads and require a constant stream of work to be viable on a weekly basis.

There are the hastles with; getting the designs to work functionally in a tight space; ensuring the brand is reflected in the end result; travelling to project locations; insurances; council approvals; catering equipment selection and construction price variations; conflicting advice; builders and shopfitters queries and disagreements; council signoff and franchisee satisfaction.

Or - you could outsource.
Franchise groups can cut massive overheads by outsourcing the complete service on a store by store basis. You only pay as you need the work.  You could maintain control or pass the costs to your franchisees.
Food Strategy (www.foodstrategy.com.au) is already set up and has perfected your design and construction management department.  Food Strategy functions independently as a design and contract management facility specialising in foodservice with industry trained staff. 
Here's how it can work for your franchise:


You get:

• Fixed quotes - Know how much the design and contract management will cost for each project before you start. Pay as you go. No ongoing contracts.
• Fully detailed and accurate documented designs - ready for the builders, shopfitters and catering equipment suppliers to work with.  They will give you their best prices with less variations and risk. View the designs in accurate 3D so your franchisees can understand them as well.
• Tender documents - Be able to transparently compare your suppliers construction and equipment costs 'apples for apples'.  Flush out how they are pricing your project and detect any oversights or cutting of corners.  Reduce the nasty $$ surprises at the end of the project.
• Council approvals - no hassles. We sort out the red tape.
• Advice and answers to your shopfitters and supplier's curly questions before, during and after construction.
• Project sign off and handover of all documents for your records.
• Open communication channels and trust between you and your franchisee.  Anyone is welcome in our office to see the work in progress. We've done it all before so we understand that communication and information is vital to your franchise success.
• Peace of mind

Tip: Don't Use Cookie Cutters
To save money - never treat your franchise designs like a 'cookie cutter'. Every site is unique.
 No two projects are identical in size, dimensions and existing infrastructure. 
Shopfitters and suppliers can't give your their 'best' prices and best work based on 'loose', 'conceptual' or 'cookie cutter' designs. 
If you give your shopfitters and suppliers fully detailed FACTS in a plan with full construction documentation - they can rest easy and give you their 'best price'.

Now everyone's on the same page!
Call us to see how 'outsourcing' can get you ahead by saving time and money and overheads.

P: +61 7 3354 2055 E: news@foodstrategy.com.au

Food Strategy In Italy | The Itinerary

For those who will be following www.FoodStrategy.com.au as we study and research world leading cooking and foodservice solutions in Italy at the Zanussi & Electrolux Professional factory and head office - you can find our itinerary here. Look out for daily blog posts.

Here is a brief snapshot:

• Friday 4th November:  Farewell Brisbane via Dubai to arrive in Venice 5th November. 
• Shake off the jet lag in Venice until Sunday night 6/11.

Then we begin a solid week of training and development with world class executive chefs, design and technology experts, business and quality management specialists at the Zanussi and Electrolux Professional headquarters.

• Monday 7/11:  Product overviews of ovens and equipment; product training and live demos; horizontal cooking concepts; factory tour
• Tuesday 8/11: Dishwashing factory tour; refrigeration factory tour; product insights; refrigeration insights and future research and development
• Wednesday 9/11: Oven factory tour; Cook-Chill product training, interactive and live demonstrations; 
• Thursday 10/11 to Saturday 12/11: Tour of Rome and local foodservice establishments.

QUESTIONS?  If you have any questions, email them to news@foodstrategy.com.au and we will ask the experts while we are there.
With all these chefs around I don't think we will only be eating pizza.
It's a tough job but someone has to do it. We are only doing this for the benefit of our clients - honest!

Follow and learn with us via this blog or - 

www.foodstrategy.com.au

www.facebook.com/foodstrategy

www.twitter.com/foodstrategy 

Managing the Peaks & Troughs

On Wednesday 31st August 2011, Food Strategy invites you to join us at the BIG BREAKFAST 2011.  Includes breakfast and business speakers.

With businesses just starting to come out of the GFC (many still are feeling the after-effects), the topic of how to manage the peaks and troughs of business is an important one.

Lindsay Adams is one of the most passionate, thought provoking and dynamic speakers in Australia. At the breakfast hear Lindsay explore how to thrive and survive during tough times, as well as interview three very different business owners for their perspectives:

• Simon Rawstron, Financial Planner & Representative of Bendigo Financial Planning
  
• Christine Green, Food Strategy
  when other businesses were tightening their belts, Food Strategy moved into a new building and expanded their business to take their place as a market leader
  
• Ingrid Cliff, Chief Word Wizard, Heart Harmony
  Ingrid has helped many businesses double their business during the GFC leveraging the power of words.

For Bookings:

Charmaine Renaud, Banksia Healing Centre Phone 3351 4691

Date:

Wednesday 31 August @ 6.45 am

Cost:

$35 per ticket or $30 (early bird rate) if purchased prior to 15 August Why not sponsor a table of 8!

To Purchase Tickets:

Cheques made payable to The Hills & Districts Chamber of Commerce &Posted to PO Box 243, Ferny Hills Q 4055 EFTBSB - 034 083 Account - 239716 Reference - BB 'Business Name' Email payment advice to: clinic@banksiahealing.com.au

Full details here

FOOD Q from paddock to plate

Food Strategy is now an active member of FOODQ.
As expert designers in the field of foodservice it's vital that we connect with foodies of all types of design needs and understand their visions.  From commercial food production facilities, large commercial kitchens to the unique restaurants and food retailers that make Queensland great.

FoodQ is backed by the Queensland Government department DEEDI (Dept of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation).
As head of the "Food & Wine Unit, Agriculture, Food and Tourism", David Jordan is an inspirational and key member working alongside FoodQ Chairman, Martin Duncan of "Freestyle Tout" fame. Read the committee brief here.

Members of  this diverse group include; farmers, coffee merchants, food stylists, business consultants, wholesalers, manufacturers,  restaurants. All sizes!

FoodQ provides Queensland food and beverage producers with valuable support, education, networking and other opportunities to sustainably grow and develop their businesses.
Here is a summary by FoodQ:
We provide members with valuable opportunities to:
Showcase their products to new retailers, food media, customers and distributors at exclusive trade events and through our hampers  Build strategic alliances to grow and support their businesses
Discover new funding, technology and other business support ideas and opportunities
Maximise their return on investment in terms of focussing on working on their businesses
Work with experienced business support professionals who specialise in food and beverage business development, packaging, PR and marketing

Most importantly we’re focussed on delivering benefits to members to help them grow their business acumen and their businesses.

Every month we run a networking meeting where you can meet like-minded owners of food and beverage businesses, business support professionals, distributors and others associated with the food service industry.

Our members include household names as well as businesses just starting out. The value we add comes from the varied experience of our members, regular expert guest speakers and business support members. Our aim is to be a valued food and beverage industry business advisory and support service.

We run exclusive invitation only trade nights in April and October for members to showcase their wares direct to retailers, distributors and the food media and provide opportunities to attend major food industry shows such as Fine Food Queensland and The Courier-Mail Good Food and Wine Show through a shared FoodQ stand, subject to sufficient demand.

FoodQ is an organisation run by people just like you, working extremely hard in their businesses, passionate about the products they’ve developed, but equally keen to access opportunities for growth and development through networking.

We’re growing our profile and relations with the media and that’s also a benefit to individual members’ brands and reputations.

If nothing else, your investment in FoodQ forces you to focus on working on your business for at least a few hours per month and provides you with the support you’ve been seeking, even if you’re just starting out.
Interested to know more or just follow closely then go to www.foodq.com.au - www.facebook.com/foodq or www.twitter.com/foodq

Food Strategy hopes to see you at the next meeting on 1st September at the Indooroopilly Bowls Club. Full details to be confirmed by websites and social media.

www.foodstrategy.com.au  www.facebook.com/foodstrategy  www.twitter.com/foodstrategy  www.youtube.com/foodstrategy
Local people, global vision

 

FINE FOOD AUSTRALIA SYDNEY 2011

Fine Food Australia - the largest gathering of international food, drink and equipment for the retail, foodservice and hospitality industries.
Sydney Convention Exhibition Centre 5 - 8 September 2011
3 days packed with Australian and International exhibitors of world class standard. This event is a professional foodies delight. Source catering equipment, food, wine, drinks, new products and cooking events that define the best in the country.  Here are just a few:

Official Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition: Now in it's 22nd Year, Fine Food Australia is proud to be a part of the highest profile event in the Australian Baking Industry; where the winner of the Best Pie Maker in Australia will be announced. This year, the Official Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition stand will feature a working bakery with qualified pastrycooks demonstrating how pies are made from making the dough to the final baked product.
 
Bake Skills Australia (National Teams Competition): Australia’s premier baking industry teams’ competition – “the Bake Skills Australia National Teams Competition” - returns to Sydney this September alongside the Great Aussie Pie competition in the Bakery World section of Fine Food Australia.  Australia’s finest young apprentices & newly qualified baker pastry chefs have been competing for the honour of representing their states at The Bake Skills Nationals.

Australian Culinary Challenge: The Australia Culinary Federation NSW presents at Fine Food Australia this year 4 days of static presentations & numerous individual kitchens fitted out by Moffat & Robot Coupe. These kitchens will host and showcase live classes surrounding meat, poultry, seafood & desserts. The Meat & Livestock Australia Live Team Kitchen competition will be held daily, teams of 1 chef and 1 apprentice will prepare a 3 course meal for 4 people in 90minutes, competing for the chance to win $2,000 in prize money. The highlight of the event will be the Fonterra Kitchens Restaurant Challenge where $13,000 in prize money is up for grabs, this competition see's what team's of 2 chefs & 1 apprentice can prepare in only 3 1/2 hours to serve 30 guests! Featured within this competition we will see teams of 3 from NSW TAFES compete in the Fonterra 'Front Of House' Competition for $1,000 in prize money.

Equal Barista Cup: The Australian Culinary Federation NSW will be hosting the Equal Barista Cup as part of this year's Australian Culinary Challenge at Fine Food Australia. The Equal Barista Cup will invite entrants from cafés and restaraunts to compete over four days at the event. A panel of judges will evaluate flavour, texture and service as well as Latté art.

Food Strategy's team will be visiting Fine Foods to continue our ongoing training of foodservice and catering equipment and the specialised fit into the designs of your projects.

This is a commercial event (closed to the public) REGISTER HERE
Posted by www.foodstrategy.com.au  Local People, Global Vision