How a business plan leads to amazing interior design for your hospitality business
I met with a potential hospitality client recently who wanted to open a drinks bar in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The space was ready for a hospitality business as the previous tenant had a shisha bar. So the space had good bones but needed tweaking. But the client didn’t have a business plan. I tried to explain why a business plan leads to amazing interior design for your hospitality business.
Know your numbers
One of the first questions I ask my hospitality interior design clients is what their income goals are. Working backwards from this, then we talked about how much each customer needs to spend to reach this goal.
From this figure we work out how many people the space can fit comfortably. From this number I work out a suitable floor plan.
A good floor plan is suitable for both the customer and the employee. It ensures an efficient work flow of movement.
Know your point of differentiation or vision
Every business needs a point of differentiation. What is special about your hospitality business? What are you offering that is different to the local competition?
This point of difference, also known as your ‘why’? Could also be referred to as your edge, is what gives the interior designer ideas on how to design the space to communicate your point of difference.
Your point of difference might be an aesthetic vision. An idea for a look you want to make your own. It doesn’t matter what you call it but you need it. You need to clearly communicate to your hospitality interior designer what you want, and why. How your vision is connected to implementing your business plan.
Graphic design
Do you have a brand? If you have a business plan your graphic designer will be able to develop a brand for you. The brand tells the interior designer valuable information about what you and your business stand for.
Graphic design like interior design is a visual communication language, one feeds the other. They need to work together for a cohesive design story.
How will your space work?
Many clients don’t understand or know how their space will work operationally. That is, how will orders to be taken? At a counter or bar or is there table service? Your business plan will help you answer this question.
What do you want people to do when they enter the space? Sit themselves down or wait to be seated.
How will service work? How will you manage a queue? All of this feeds into how the space is planned by your interior designer. Information that should be in your business plan.
Anyone can have an idea. What will differentiate you and your hospitality idea is a sound business plan that all the other professionals that you need to engage to realise your idea will require and refer to, to provide a solution.
That’s how a business plan leads to amazing interior design for your hospitality business. There are many business plan template, find the easiest and fill it in. Ask for help, do research, talk to other people in the industry. You don’t have to do it yourself but you do have to do it.