What You Should Know About Using QuickBooks® in Your Independent Restaurant

Like most small businesses, the typical restaurant owner/operator must wear lots of different hats, usually all at the same time. Some hats fit better than others. Most likely you have come into this venture with some experience in one particular area of the restaurant business. Perhaps it's from the kitchen as a chef, or maybe it's from the front of the house as a manager. As you will learn quickly (if you have not already done so), the responsibilities of running a restaurant business are much more demanding than simply being responsible for a specific job or position within the business.

In my experience working with many restaurant startups, the "hat" that is most "ill fitting" is that of your restaurant's financial manager; however few roles are as critical to your long-term success. "If you can't count it you can't manage it," goes the saying. That's why it's so important to make sure that putting in place a well-organized and easy-to-use accounting system should be one of your highest priorities. It's equally important to have that system in place well before you open the doors, as once you get open you may have little or no time to focus on anything other than getting through each day.

You don't have to know much, if anything, about accounting or bookkeeping to take control of the finances of your restaurant. What you do need is discipline, some guidance, common sense, and a real desire to make your restaurant successful -- which means more than offering great food, service, and value to your customers. I am living proof, having never had an accounting course or any financial training or background prior to opening any of my restaurants. Both figuratively and literally I counted on a popular small-business accounting software package called QuickBooks. I'm not alone. In a recent survey of RestaurantOwner.com members, most of the respondents indicated that they managed their restaurant's finances with this tool.