How To Build Your Stocktaking Business

How To Build Your Stocktaking Business

Starting your own stocktaking business gives you the opportunity to work with a wide variety of hospitality businesses.

One day you could be completing a stocktake in a traditional local pub. The next, you could be working with a busy restaurant, hotel, cocktail bar or large multi site hospitality group.

But who are the clients you could work with and how do you actually build your client base?

A Variety of Hospitality Clients

There isn’t one typical Stockcheck or Stocktake UK customer.

Our franchisees work with businesses including:

• Pubs and bars
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Social and members’ clubs
• Cocktail bars
• Leisure businesses
• Spas and gyms
• Sports and entertainment venues
• Larger hospitality and multi-site groups

That variety is one of the things that makes stocktaking such an interesting business. Your hospitality experience becomes incredibly valuable because you understand what is happening behind the numbers. It could be over pouring behind the bar, unnecessary wastage, poor portion control or stock being wasted without being properly recorded.

That is why industry experience matters.

Where Do Your Clients Come From?

This is one of the most common questions we hear from people considering starting their own stocktaking business: “How will I find customers?”

The answer is a combination of Head Office support and your own business development.

One of the advantages of joining an established national brand is that you are not starting completely from scratch as Stockcheck and Stocktake UK have been established within the hospitality industry for many years, with an established reputation and a nationwide customer base.

But building a successful local business also means developing your own client relationships in your immediate area and that’s where your knowledge of the local hospitality industry can really help.

Support With Sales & Marketing

You don’t need to become a marketing expert overnight. We provide a launch marketing plan designed to help you establish your business and start getting your name in front of potential customers.

This can include a dedicated website profile, online marketing and targeted Google advertising designed to help local hospitality businesses find you when they are looking for stocktaking services We can also provide guidance on using LinkedIn and social media to build your professional network and connect with potential clients.

But sales and marketing isn’t just about sitting behind a computer. Hospitality is a relationship driven industry, and your existing knowledge and contacts can be extremely valuable.

We can help you identify potential local businesses, develop sales leads and provide guidance and materials to help you approach prospective clients professionally.

The aim isn’t simply to say: “You have completed your training, off you go.”

You already bring the hospitality knowledge and experience. We help support you with the business development side.

Building Your Own Client Base

Ultimately, your client base is your business.

You decide how you want to develop it, how much you want to work and how quickly you want to grow.

Some people may want to build a substantial full time business, while others may prefer to create a business around their existing lifestyle.

You manage your own diary, develop your own client relationships and decide how you want to operate your business.

The important thing is that you aren’t expected to build it without support as your confidence grows, so should your client base.

From First Stocktake to Long Term Client

Winning a client is only the beginning. The real value comes from building a long term relationship.

Many hospitality businesses have their stock counted monthly. Over time, you get to know the business, the owners and the team.

You become a familiar face rather than simply someone who turns up once a month, counts the stock and leaves.

That relationship can become an important part of the service you provide. One of our franchisees grew their business from zero clients to around 20 regular clients during their first year and approximately 30 by the end of their second year. Some of those original clients are still with them many years later.

That isn’t unusual in this industry, long term relationships are at the heart of a successful stocktaking business, and it is common for franchisees to build strong relationships with their clients over many years. In fact, some clients do become friends.

Overall, the opportunity isn’t simply to complete as many stocktakes as possible. It’s about building a sustainable business with a loyal client base. With an established brand behind you, marketing support, sales guidance and your own hospitality experience, you have the foundations to develop your own territory and build long term success.

Interested to know more – CONTACT US

You bring the hospitality experience.

We will help you build the business around it.