In today’s article, I’ll discuss some of the more boring aspects of running a business with employees.

One of the easiest ways to make sure your booth opens / closes smoothly, no matter who is working, is to create a standard checklist. The lists must be clearly placed on the stand in the established steps in order of opening and closing. An example of this checklist is as follows:

Opening

1. Please arrive thirty minutes before opening.

2. Turn on the air conditioner.

3. Make sure the outside is clean and the chairs are in place.

4. Make sure signs and lights are clean and in place.

5. Clean the interior / exterior, the refrigerator, the freezer and the shaver.

A. Clean the counters

B. Clean up trash outside

C. Clean and dry the chairs.

5. Mop the floor

6. Replenish all supplies, including cups, spoons, napkins, and other supplies.

7. Check the ice and syrup for the day.

8. Make sure you have the right change for the day.

9. Notify management of anything that needs to be restocked.

10. Turn on any signage.

11. If you expect immediate customers, be sure to temper the ice.

When you close

1. Turn off all signage

2. Clear ALL.

A. clean all surfaces inside the bracket

B. Cleaning the ice shaver

C. Clean all bottles

D. Clean the refrigerator and freezers.

E. Clean tables and chairs if they are sticky

6. Call the owner for any inventory needs.

9. Take out the trash

11. Sweep and mop

12. Turn everything off and lock EVERYTHING.

14. DOUBLE CHECK YOU HAVE CLOSED EVERYTHING!

This is just an example checklist that was used in a previous snow cone stand of mine. You may have completely different needs, but the main point is to make it clear and obvious what your employees need to handle. You want to be as transparent and direct as possible. This will avoid misunderstandings and clarify what to expect. You want to be fair to them by making clear what you expect and to prevent your employees from complaining, no instructions were given.

A snow cone stand isn’t complicated, but it’s still a business. It is always good practice to standardize repetitive processes as much as possible and to provide a manual or checklist to ensure your standards are applied. This is more important than all if you do not plan to work regularly the daily opening and closing hours of your booth.