Morning and afternoon trade for many pubs can often be quiet, leaving staff waiting around for customers and furniture vacant. So why not take advantage of these times, create a brand new revenue stream from local freelancers and get your venue buzzing. Yes, that’s right; there are many ways you can be creative with your venue and really make the most of off-peak trading times.
The summer offers the opportunity for alfresco working beneath pretty parasols and keeps your outdoor furniture working for you. Fresh air, sunshine and a fresh creative environment are all on tap to help your customers get the most out of their working time.
According to Consultancy UK, in August 2018 the UK had over 2 million freelancers and many of them will not have an office or access to meeting room space? So it is important to make sure freelance workers know where you are and what kind of service you offer.
Regularly posting on local Facebook business and freelancer groups is a great way to tell people that you are more than just a pub and what kind of business facilities you can offer. An essential criteria for business people looking for a place to work are the three cs, connectivity, coffee, and comfortable workspaces. So make sure that you can accommodate all of their needs.
Connectivity
Free and reliable wifi is vital to anyone who is working remotely. Make sure that you have a good strong wifi connection and clearly displayed login instructions showing the user name and password.
Business customers are notorious for misplacing or forgetting their phone chargers, so it will be useful if you have a few spare chargers for people to use too. Little touches like this will keep customers happy and they will be more inclined to revisit your venue and continue spending money.
Coffee
Caffeine is part of a staple diet for busy freelancers. So offering a menu of good coffee and speciality milk will ensure optimum productivity and keep your customers happy and working from your space for longer. Creating an incentive for this type of customer is a nice idea, either in the form of a basic loyalty card, e.g buy five coffees and receive the sixth free. Or offering a slightly discounted rate if they are ordering food or if there is a larger group of people.
Comfort
Freelancers can spend many hours working over a presentation or in brainstorming sessions, so they have a definite need to be comfortable and have plenty of space to breath. Large tablespaces such as our Our Teak 900 sets are ideal for business groups to congregate, something sturdy with plenty of room for laptops, mobiles, paperwork and coffee is always well received.
Access to cushions are a good idea for people who are prone to back issues to help keep them comfortable while they are working. Blankets are also a nice touch for days when it is a little cooler.
Remember many freelancers are also parents and during the school holidays find themselves trying to juggle work commitments and entertaining their energy fueled children. So remember to cater for the your future freelancers by offering plenty of outdoor entertainment. Setting up a space outside for junior freelancers to enjoy their ipads, reading and writing in notebooks is a nice way to help them emulate what Mummy and Daddy are doing and keep everyone happy and spending money. Our Table Top Chess Board is a standard sized chess board engraved into the table top of our outdoor picnic tables. Perfect for keeping children out of mischief.
Take a look at our website to see how you can innovate your outdoors with our range of furniture to suit every pocket and every location.