Considering Collaboration instead of Competition?
This week we take a look at collaborating with other local small businesses in your community rather than always needing to be in competition!
In September Pizza Equipment Professionals had the chance to once again be a part of a great informational seminar at the Food Service Technology Center in San Ramon, California (check out the Video Here). The event was successful in educating local restaurant owners about energy efficient restaurant equipment including the Cuppone Giotto and helped us to establish some great connections with other local small businesses that are interested in the same energy saving practices that our line of equipment promotes. Yes, there were other Oven Company’s at this event, but we were able to all pull together to promote energy efficient equipment and why this is such a crucial issue in the years to come, and all of us who collaborated at this event found the outcome to be a huge success.
So why collaborate with your other local small businesses in this dog-eat-dog world? The answers are quite simple, by collaborating with other small businesses you have the potential to reach out to new customers that may not have tried your restaurant before. Collaborating can be as simple as a pizzeria recommending a great little dessert shop around the corner to customers for that Friday night out, or collaborating for coupons and promotions together, or serving the local bakeries cupcakes as dessert on your menu, and in turn having them leave literature for your pizzeria at their shop. If you’re in a shopping center with other local restaurants why not coordinate a tasting event? For a set price customers can go on a progressive to munch and taste all that your little community has to offer: maybe a small slice at Johnny’s Pizza, followed by an amazing taste of an enchilada at Tia’s Taqueria, a savory bite of Pork Dumpling at the Red Dragon, and lastly a scoop at Dixie’s Creamery to finish off the evening. Offer special discounts to the local High School after game nights, or work with local businesses to host their promotional seminars at your location on the slow nights in your back room! The possibilities are endless, it only takes a little imagination and a few phone calls to start collaborating to expand your customer base and make an impact in your community.
Another great opportunity is to hold a festival for the community to interact with local restaurants. There’s the Phoenix Pizza Festival and the first ever Sacramento Pizza Festival to name just a few communities that hold a collaborated event to celebrate and inform the community about all of the great pizzerias that are in the area. Does your city have a Pizza Festival?
The opportunities are endless, it just takes a little creativity, and the potential is great to draw new customers and additional revenue to your business. For more information about our products and services contact us at 1.800.655.1831 or email us at [email protected].
