Business Sustainability for Gorilla Health Bars - Case Study Example

Gorilla Health Bars Sustainability Report Name: Instructor: Course: Date of submission: TABLE OF CONTENT 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 2.1 Current Situation of Gorilla Health Bars (GHB) 2.2 Recommendations to the Management of GHB 3 Background/Literature Review 4 Conclusion and Recommendations 4.1 Conducive Environment for the Business 4.2 Cost Reduction 4.3 Prioritization 4.4 Quality of Services Rendered 1 Executive Summary This report provides a concise analyses of a wide range challenges that Gorilla Health Bars (GHB) food outlet is facing as well as the solutions to these problems so as to ensure sustainability both in the short and long run. In addition, the report provides the intended recommendations that the CEO of Gorilla Health Bar is required to undertake with immediate effect so as to ensure provision of health and quality services as well as ensuring customer satisfaction. It is worth noting that the services you offer to your esteemed customers will either make them come back, and more so with more customers or either go away completely without coming back again. 2 Introduction This report was commissioned to examine and investigate the challenges that the GHB Company is facing. Having operated for four years, GHB is facing dire challenges i.e. decrease in profit, limited budget to implement Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, increasing public focus on health eating mainly focusing on sustainability of their customers and acquisition of more customers, countering the cost of sustaining the company and more so, improving the reputation of the company (Michael, 2009 Pg. 28). As a CSR consultant, I strongly believe that good services rendered to the customers in relation to their expectations will ultimately lift the profitability of the company as well as improving their profile based on corporate social responsibility and also within their operating system. The report is aimed at addressing the following concerns 2.0 To analyze the current situation of GHB (Gorilla Health Bars) in regard to their approach to ensuring sustainability 2.1 Secondly, to make recommendations to the management of the Gorilla Health Bars on how to incorporate more sustainable business practices, with a focus on future progress and sustainability of the GHB. 3 Background Research has found out that for customers in any business set up to gain loyalty, the business need to offer a better environment i.e. inclusive of the employees who deliver to the expectations of the clients, offering friendly services as expected by the clients among many others. In addition, a good menu selection as in the case of Gorilla Health Bars is an eminent area of concern owing to the focus of the customers to healthier eating (Kate, 2009 pg. 72). On a wider range of approaches, concise decision making more so based on the performance of the company as well as basing on the feedbacks from the clients is a very crucial and critical aspect in ensuring sustainability of a business. Developing quick decision making skills and an appreciation of customer service, of which is needed in the case of GHB is a holistic approach of ensuring customer satisfaction and hence more returns (profitability) at the end of the day. This will also ensure that the company does not only focus on the short term sustainability but also the long term sustainability, of which is the focus of any business venture. The NRS (National Restaurant Association) pegs the 2009 real-sales decline for full service restaurants at 2.5 percent, a big percentage representing the first time in about forty years that there have been witnessed a consecutive and continuous decline in annual real-sales (Nora 2009 pg. 34). Based on the above research, the question that any management should be asking is where they stand in terms of declining and/or progressing in regards to any business venture but more particularly, the hotel management for sustainability in this case. This is all pegged on service and not only service but quality service delivery to customers, any critical and concise decision making will ultimately guide the management in ensuring this for the profitability of the company and more so the future sustainability. In the fast place, the management ought to ask themselves whether the location of the business befits them to offer quality services to their customers. Strategic location will not only attract more customers but will also realize good returns and subsequently, ensuring retention and sustainability of the business (Christine, 2007 pg. 89).For the case of the Gorilla Health Bars, operating in rural areas and more so in dilapidated building built of corrugated iron which becomes very hot in the summer and very cold in winter is one of the reasons as to why the company has realized a decline in regards to the profit realized. The thought of a customer going in such a restaurant, knowing that they are either going to experience hot environment in case of summer season and/or cold environment in case of winter season may send one away without a second thought that seeking more conducive and friendly food outlets to offer him/her such services. In profiling corporate social responsibility initiative, the management ought to put the location of a business in the fore front because this is a very crucial aspect that need not be ignored. The location of the business will offer marketability as and Gorilla Health Bar CEO needs to understand that its psychographic and demographic profile is very significant in capitalizing on the future prospect of the business and which in this case is obviously the sustainability of the Gorilla Health Bars. This helps in deciding what is ultimately going to keep consumers coming back again and again (Terry, 2009 pg. 24) More so, the source of the raw materials required in any business is further an important aspect that need not be ignored by the management. The question one should ask is this, how cost effective is it for us as a community in the business?, is the acquisition of the raw materials cost surpassing the income that we derive after processing and selling the final product? These are very critical concerns that the Gorilla Health Bar need to analyze critically in the sense that if the acquisition of the raw materials is very expensive, then an alternative approach is welcome for the sustainability of the company (Michael, 2009 Pg. 28). Food Quality and safety is a critical consideration in a restaurant business. One, customers will give a gesture of whether to come back or not after analyzing the quality and the safety of the meal offered. This further goes hand in hand with the management in regards to the employees employed to cater for the clients. Hiring need be based on results and quality service delivery and this is a combination of having goals that extends beyond low-cost labor, for instance, lower turnover, higher per table bills and increased order accuracy all of which can lead to better overall services at your restaurant. On an average, hiring employees based on the results increases the percentage of productivity as well as the percentage of retention. Research by Society of Human Resource Management has established that about fifty three percent of all job applications contain false information as well as unqualified candidates with less desirable backgrounds (Nora 2009 pg. 34). Taking a survey within the restaurants that do not prescreen their employees will ultimately give you a green light of underperformance in the company based on the above combination of factors. Following strict hiring processes improves the overall image of your business and subsequently increasing the productivity and retention rates of your workforce will ensure quality performance and thus sustainability of the business in the industry. This therefore makes investing in background checks very crucial and necessary for hiring qualified candidates, candidates that have competence in delivering the required services to the customers. This will ultimately ensure that the company is a going concern and thus sustainability in future (Terry, 2009 pg. 26) 4. Conclusion and Recommendations Based on the above discussion and the literature review, I therefore conclude that there are a combination of strategic measures that Jones as a CEO of the Gorilla Health Bars need to adopt for the successful sustainability of the company. We find out that for any company to grow strategically, not only in the short run but also in the long run, there need to be good management right from the onset of establishing the company to the operational level. This is based on the location of the company, the employees, the environment of the company, the quality of the services rendered among many others (Kate, 2009 pg. 72). Therefore, Gorilla Health Bars CEO, Jones need to undertake the following strategic recommendations for the sustainability of the company as a going concern; 4.1 Fist, the CEO needs to critically ensure that the environment is conducive and offering comfort to the clients. This includes the location of the business as well as the housing system. 4.2 Secondly, the CEO needs to look at the prospect of reducing the cost of acquisition of the raw materials as well as the cost of the essential commodities such as water and the electricity bills. Other than importing the raw materials, they can be acquired locally at a low cost 4.3 in addition, the CEO needs to prioritize on what is more important and particularly, what precedes the other, for instance, the environment will offer a conducive environment thereafter followed by the quality of the services delivered and if this rates according to the expectations of the customers, then this will be a driving factor to attract them back again 4.4 The CEO also needs to undertake an analyzes based on the quality of the service rendered to the customer and a focus on the employees also because it is through good customer relationship that we also realize business sustainability in future, both in the short run and in the long run. References Michael S. (2009), “State of the Industry 2009: Survival Mode,” Restaurant Hospitality: 26, 28, 30. Kate L. (2009), “Best Face Forward: Concerns About Food Safety Don’t End When Plates Leave the Kitchen, “Restaurants and Institutions: 72–74. Scott H. (2008), Safety: Teaching Hand Washing and Excluding Ill Workers Are Food-Safety Starting Points,” Restaurants and Institutions: 57. Nora C. (2009), “Embrace the Future of Human Resources,” Nation‘s Restaurant News: 34. Christine L. (2007), “Higher Learning, Higher Dining,” Restaurants and Institutions: 89–90. Terry M. (2009), “The Best Places to Open Your Next Restaurant,” Restaurant Business: 24–47. Read More