Challenges and Solutions for Running Multiple Business Locations
The president of both Barone Enterprises and Barone Rental Properties in Toledo, Ohio, John J. Barone II has been involved in the commercial and residential real estate sector in Toledo for more than 40 years. Outside of this, John J. Barone II is a reputable entrepreneur in the area and was responsible for overseeing operations at five different restaurants throughout the city.
Expanding your business is an exciting venture, but running multiple locations, even in the same metropolitan area, is challenging. You will likely experience “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome where you focus on the primary location and ignore the other locations, along with a loss of communication and a lack of leaders at your businesses.
Fortunately, many of these issues are avoided through certain things, like creating a standardized set of operating procedures. By setting out how you want the businesses run, you can keep your enterprise organized without having to constantly check in at every location. Your customers get the same experiences at any location they visit thanks to organized operating procedures, and your employees know how to handle common issues without you.
In addition to this, hiring good managers takes some of the pressure off you. Make sure these managers are reliable and trustworthy, then give them control over either the original location or one of the expansion locations. Train the managers so that each store is run according to your standards and let them oversee the daily operations at each business for you.
Communication must also be a priority when running multiple locations. Let managers know when to check in with you and how to handle different situations on their own. Further, make weekly visits to each location, if possible, and stay available for email or phone communication if you are needed. Regular meetings also keep managers abreast of changes in operations while holding them accountable for weak-points in their location’s operations.
