Spotlight: Lumberjacks Restaurant Focuses on Large Portions

If you want a light or healthy meal, there are plenty of restaurant options out there. But if you want large, hearty portions, there’s Lumberjacks Restaurant.

The company grew during the middle of a recession, but still manages to offer large meals to diners in various locations thanks to its franchise program. Read more about the business below in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.

What the Business Does

Offers large portions of down home menu items in a casual, log cabin themed restaurant.

Founder Jeff Garrett told Small Business Trends, “We are known as ‘Where the Big Boys Eat’ with our old-fashioned, family style meals served in big portions at affordable prices.”

Business Niche

Large portions and a unique environment.

Garrett says, “We offer an extensive menu of classic dishes in hearty portions. For example, our Chicken Fried Steak is nearly a half pound of lightly seasoned and breaded beef steak, fried golden brown and served with our own country gravy. The Ultimate Hungry Jack Combo includes two eggs, four strips of bacon, four sausage links, half a pound of ham, two pieces of French toast and choice of country potatoes, hash browns or fresh seasonal fruit. There is something for everyone. In addition to the lumberjack size portions, families can enjoy their meals in a log cabin environment that they just can’t get at any other place.”

How the Business Got Started

To take advantage of a great location.

Garrett says, “In 2004, I bought a Lyon’s restaurant in Redding, Calif. The Lyon’s chain was struggling at the time, having filed for bankruptcy twice and just limping along. The location was good, but the concept was lackluster, which caused me to get creative, thinking of ways to take advantage of the location. Maybe it was Redding’s logging history ever-present in my subconscious, but one day I thought, ‘Lumberjacks!’ My wife Susan and I became inspired to start a cabin-themed eatery with country-style, home-cooked meals everyone could afford. Shortly after putting our plan in motion we came up with the name Lumberjacks, and with a very appropriate tagline, ‘Where the Big Boys Eat!’”

Biggest Win

Growing through a franchise program.

Garrett explains, “When I decided to franchise the Lumberjacks concept, I realized hiring the right executives and staff to grow the concept and support the franchisees was key to the success of the organization. The team is on the same page, it’s working toward the same goals and preaching the same message throughout the organization. The team has a similar vision and the flexibility on ways to reach our goals. In business, people are our biggest asset. We’ve created a culture of inclusiveness and collaboration between the corporate headquarters and our franchise owners. Lumberjacks takes pride in treating its franchise owners as partners. It welcomes ideas from them for change in the company, menu, restaurants, etc., and evaluates all ideas with thorough consideration. This has helped grow the brand to its current and healthy state of nine locations across California and Nevada and a 10th location opening in the beginning of 2017.”

Biggest Risk

Expanding during a recession.

Garrett says, “We took a risk opening six stores during the recession. But, we came out on top by taking advantage of favorable locations and negotiating reasonable leases. While other restaurants were going out of business, we were growing and building the concept. All the economic indicators were telling us not to take the risk and avoid growing the business at the beginning of an economic recession, but we’re forward-looking and continue to open more restaurants.”

How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000

Remodeling restaurants when needed.

Unique Element

A 12-foot-tall lumberjack statue in front of each restaurant.

Garrett says, “It’s definitely an attention-grabber, beckoning passerby to the restaurant. He creates a unique photo opportunity for visitors. When those photos are shared on social media, they provide additional exposure for the restaurants.”

Favorite Quote

“It all comes back to the basics. Serve customers the best-tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant, and they’ll keep coming back”. – Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s

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Find out more about the Small Biz Spotlight program

Images: Lumberjacks Restaurants; Top Image: Founder Jeff Garrett

This article, "Spotlight: Lumberjacks Restaurant Focuses on Large Portions" was first published on Small Business Trends

Pinterest begins rolling out search ads for keywords and shopping campaigns

Pinterest is adding another piece to its arsenal of advertising services, opening up search advertising to its partners and with companies advertising through the Kenshoo marketing suite. With Pinterest looking to continue to grow into a must-have tool for advertisers, it’s begun building more and more products to capture all parts of a person’s buying behavior. Pinterest users… Read More

How to Become a Web Publisher

Web publishing is becoming an increasingly big part of businesses in many different industries and niches. But it can actually be a business in and of itself. Ivan Widjaya has been a web publisher since 2008, running sites such as Noobpreneur, Biz Epic and Previso Media, among others.

If you’re interested in building your own business as a web publisher, you can take some notes from Widjaya’s experience over the years. Here’s how you can start your own web publishing business.

How To Become a Web Publisher

Choose a Domain and Hosting

To get started as a web publisher, you first need an actual website. That means you need to choose a domain name that fits with your brand.

Widjaya told Small Business Trends in an email, “ My first and foremost is deciding on the right domain name. It’s a crucial part of your branding effort.”

You’ll also need to choose a hosting provider. There are many options out there that you can compare based on your own needs. But Widjaya says that he usually focuses on quality and value instead of just choosing the lowest price.

Create a Design

From there, you need to actually design your website. The design elements that you choose should fit with the niche and brand you are creating for your business. But there are plenty of tools like templates and themes that you can use to get started even if you’re not a professional designer.

Widjaya says, “Don’t forget about design — again, it’s a crucial part of your brand. I usually purchase premium theme/template, and customize it accordingly.”

Build a Social Presence

So you’ve got a website and a basic brand. But now you need to find the people who will actually be interested in what you have to offer. Widjaya suggests starting at least with accounts on Facebook and Twitter. And once you create some content, you can use those platforms to promote your website.

Focus on Great Content

Once you’ve got your site up and running, the most important thing you need to do as a web publisher is to create great content. Your content should be relevant to your readers and fit with the brand you’ve created. You can also sometimes outsource your content creation to other writers. Widjaya does this sometimes, but still writes for each of his sites as well.

Market Your Site

Then, you need to make sure people are actually going to see that great content you’ve created. Widjaya suggests using those social accounts you set up, interacting and engaging with relevant accounts. But you can also consider using Facebook ads to help get the word out.

In addition, SEO is a big part of getting your website found. Widjaya suggests using content to build links. And you should also make sure that your own site is optimized for SEO early on and then take that into account as you create content as well.

Keep It Going

Building a business as a web publisher is a long process. You can’t just do the steps above one time and expect to be a success right away. You have to continually create quality content and then continually promote it. And be patient — because success isn’t likely to come quickly.

Widjaya says, “Start with the right mindset. Web publishing is a long game. I start seeing rewards (e.g. income) after 12-24 months of content publishing, marketing and management.”

Blogger Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "How to Become a Web Publisher" was first published on Small Business Trends

Pinterest begins rolling out search ads for keywords and shopping campaigns

Pinterest is adding another piece to its arsenal of advertising services, opening up search advertising to its partners and with companies advertising through the Kenshoo marketing suite. With Pinterest looking to continue to grow into a must-have tool for advertisers, it’s begun building more and more products to capture all parts of a person’s buying behavior. Pinterest users… Read More

6 Steps for Targeting Gen Z Shoppers in Your Brick and Mortar Store

If you dread it when a group of teenagers comes into your retail store, you’d better change your attitude. Generation Z — the generation after the Millennials — is growing up, and catering to these consumers will be vital for any retailer hoping to survive.

Why does Gen Z matter so much? For one thing, there are lots of them. While there’s no universally agreed-upon date for the start of Generation Z (various sources put it anywhere from 1995 to 2001), data from the Census Bureau and Goldman Sachs estimates Generation Z at over 75 million. By 2020, they’re projected to be the largest consumer group worldwide.

But for retailers, there’s a more important reason to focus on Gen Z: They’re more likely than other age groups to shop in a physical store. According to GfK’s 2016 FutureBuy study, Generation Z leads all other shopper age groups in the U.S. in in-store shopping behavior.

The study found significant differences in shopping preferences among age groups, showing that “generation is a major factor in determining how someone prefers to shop,” according to Joe Beier, EVP of GfK’s Shopper and Retail Strategy team. “The days of ‘one size fits all’ are clearly over.”

6 Ways to Get Gen Z to Buy From Your Store

Now that you know the value of Generation Z as shoppers, how can you get them into your store? Here are six steps to take when targeting Gen Z shoppers:

Be Highly Visible Online and On Social Media

Gen Z’s purchasing process starts with what Fitch calls “aspirational browsing” — looking for products they want to buy online and on social media, collecting images and getting feedback from friends. But it’s not your mother’s social media: Gen Z tends to prefer peer-to-peer focused social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram rather than, say, Facebook. Use social media and online advertising to get their attention.

Keep Their Personal Info Secure

Concerns about the security of personal information rank high with Gen Z, and are a primary factor in their preferences for shopping in-store. Make sure you implement data security policies to protect their financial and personal information, or risk incurring their wrath (and losing their business).

Share Diverse Images

Generation Z is more racially and ethnically diverse than any other generation, and they take diversity for granted. Make sure your advertising, window displays, website and social media accounts include images of diverse customers, and treat all customers with respect, no matter their age.

Let the Music Play

Incorporate music into your store experience if you want to attract Generation Z. Fitch found that for this age group, music shows a store is “open for business,” while a silent store won’t draw their attention.

Design Layouts with Them in Mind

Generation Z tends not to look up when shopping, according to Fitch. Instead, they focus on eye-level displays, and on products rather than signage. Keep this in mind and use signage to attract other demographics while creating a visually pleasing eye-level display for Gen Z. One thing they do look at is price tags. They want to make sure they can afford an item before inspecting it, so make sure your prices are easy to see at a glance.

Think Tactile

Generation Z wants to touch and handle products before they buy. Create displays that appeal to the senses and let them touch instead of putting products behind glass or high out of reach.

Shopping is a long process for Gen Z, including lots of online and offline research, getting opinions from peers in real life and online, and looking for the best value and price. If you can stay with them during the process, you can win their business.

Gen Z Lifestyle Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "6 Steps for Targeting Gen Z Shoppers in Your Brick and Mortar Store" was first published on Small Business Trends

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Halifax to cut switching bonus for current account customers to £75

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7 Tax Saving Tips You Can’t Afford to Ignore

As we turn the page on the calendar it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re wrapping up the old year right and getting the new one off to a great start.  We know we have to pay taxes, and we may even appreciate the benefits we get from handing over our money to the government, but we owe it to ourselves to make sure we don’t hand over more than we’re required to by law.

Important disclaimer:  While many of the following strategies can help you reduce your tax liability, you should always consult with a tax expert before making any changes.  Tax law changes frequently, and you need the most current information.  That said, here are strategies that have worked for me and many others.

Tax Saving Tips

1. Max Out Your Retirement Contribution

401k, SEP, or Roth IRA … no matter what your form of retirement plan, setting aside all the money you can lets you defer paying taxes until later in life, when you’re likely to pay a lower rate.  Not only are you building your nest egg, but you’re also reaping tax benefits.

2. Build Up Your HSA (Health Savings Account)

Typically, contributions to HSAs roll over indefinitely, and your contributions are tax-free!  Sure, you will have to spend all of your HSA on medical expenses, but allowable expenses may be broader than you realize, and medical bills are something we all face eventually.

3. Leverage Your Losses

Deducting losses from your investments can soften the blow from decisions that turned out differently than you expected.  Not only can you deduct losses from stock purchased in publicly traded companies, but your own business may provide you with deductions as well.

4. Defer Capital Gains

If you’re considering selling off large amounts of stock for profit, think about holding onto those shares until the new year.  You’ll move the tax liability out of the year that’s ending, and then you’ll have an entire year to find ways to offset the gains.

5. Defer Deposits

If you’re looking at big year-end receipts, consider holding onto those deposits until after we turn the calendar page.  Just like deferring capital gains, you never know what the future holds.  You may encounter losses or expenses that help reduce the tax burden from huge deposits.

6. Donate to Charity

This strategy both reduces your tax liability and makes the world a better place!  Find worthy causes that speak to you and improve your community, and donate what you can afford.  Make sure you get receipts for your charitable donations.

7. Combine Business and Vacation Travel

This one’s my favorite!  I travel a lot for my speaking engagements, and anytime I can, I build a few extra days into my itinerary for fun.  Since work travel incurs legitimate business expenses, I can deduct a portion of the costs for my vacation.  Make sure your records are clear about which portion of expenses were business and which were pleasure.

As hard as you work for your money, you should put a little effort into making sure you keep all you’re entitled to.  A good accountant can help you maximize profit and minimize tax liability.  Resolving to pay less in taxes makes good business sense and starts your year off right.

Republished by permission. Original here.

Tax Blocks Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "7 Tax Saving Tips You Can’t Afford to Ignore" was first published on Small Business Trends

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Raising a $32M Series A, Knock seeks to standout with new model for selling homes

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