First step is to get all your procedures in place: operation manuals, training manuals, order guides, inventory, checklists for opening, checklists for closing, checklists for cleaning, etc… Document everything that you do and all that you make sure gets done. It’s a mind-numbing process and it suuuucks.
Second step is to begin bringing in shift managers one at a time. Begin taking days off. Then take some nights off.
Learn to say the phrase “How do you think we should handle that?” and give the entire staff the confidence to own problems and solve them.
Three. Peel your hours down to 40/week focusing on the specific tasks that you would have a general manager do like hiring, training, scheduling, ordering, book-keeping organization, overseeing, reviewing, retraining, etc…
Four. Hire that G.M. (or promote one of the shift managers if you made a great hire). Train them to replace you. Shift to working on your store instead of in it - things like advertising, marketing, meeting with the GM to discuss the accounting statements.
Five. Step back. Let the business run itself for a while. See where things break down. Adjust your procedures accordingly. Wash, lather, rinse and repeat.
Six. Feel comfortable taking a two-week vacation where you’ll be out of cell phone range? Take one! Did the store run burn down? No? Does it seem like everything went smoothly while you were away? Great!
Seven. Step Away.
One caveat: I haven’t stepped away. My business partner and I still do some things like light book keeping and some ordering that gives us a perspective from which to continue to grow the company and saves us some money (I have kids in college!). We’re still in a building phase and like to tweak operations and open new concepts/stores.
