Author: ProcountAdmin

Michael Sanders Earns Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award

The Entrepreneur Exchange (EE), an Annapolis, Maryland area business group has honored NexPhase (Pro-Count) partner, Michael Sanders with one of three 2015 annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards. Presented at their December luncheon, this award is designed to recognize local business leaders who exemplify tenacity, creativity, and integrity. There are three categories: Member, Non-Member, and Rising Star (in business less than 3 years). MichaelEE SOE 2015 Sanders-3, a strong supporter of the EE and its mission of fostering entrepreneurship here in his hometown, won in the Member category. Michael (center) is pictured here with fellow award winners, Tom Barnhill of Barnhill Accounting, and Sean Kostkowski of CoreLife.

Michael Sanders to Judge AACC Business Plan Competition

Pro-Count and Nexphase co-founder, Michael Sanders, was selected again this year as one of the judges for Anne Arundel Community College’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies annual Business Plan Competition. Anne Arundel County’s local “Shark Tank” was the centerpiece of AACC’s Business Expo Fair, November 17, 2015. All AACC students (credit and non-credit) are invited to compete for up to $50,000 in seed funds, $10,000 in scholarships and space in the student business incubator valued at $950.

PRO-COUNT Inventory System Donated to Rams Head Tavern

From L to R: Michael Sanders, Alan Sanders, Erin McNaboe, _________, Tosh Sondh
From L to R: Michael Sanders, Alan Sanders, Erin McNaboe, Zach Price, Tosh Sondh

In an official launch party held at Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, MD, Alan Sanders presented a PRO-COUNT system to Erin McNaboe, president of the Rams Head Group. Alan, a 20-year employee of Rams Head, thanked Erin for giving him the freedom and support to develop the PRO-COUNT bar inventory system while in their employ. Family, friends and business partners all attended the event celebrating the company’s shift from product development to sales. Michael Sanders, PRO-COUNT COO/CFO said to the group, “It’s been a long road testing and refining this product. We knew we were on to a good idea, but it required the talent, dedication and support from many of you in this room to bring us to market.” PRO-COUNT will be beta tested at Rams Head Annapolis and several other sites before broader roll-out within several months.

This system is a game changer! Success in the restaurant/bar business is no easy task. Every penny counts and getting the most out of your inventory is key. The Pro-Count system has drastically improved my accuracy and efficiency. Inventory numbers are consistent and there is very little room for margin of error. Thank you Alan and NexPhase!

Tyler Laratonda-Rams~Head Tavern, Annapolis

Is your bar revenue not adding up?

Most bartenders are hard-working, honest folks. But on occasion, an owner or a manager knows something is off. Sales just don’t seem to justify the amount of liquor you’re ordering. Is one of your bartenders pouring heavy to earn fatter tips? Are they giving away drinks to friends? Or is there a theft problem somewhere else in the restaurant?

One advantage of a fast, easy system like PRO-COUNT is the ability to do a spot-check inventory before and after a shift of 5-10 popular bottles. Compare the sales versus pours for this sample and you can quickly confirm or rule out any suspicions.

If it isn’t broken –

A lot of bar owners, don’t think they need an inventory system. They think handwritten inventory is good enough – and that it’s the cheapest way to get it done. The real discussion that gets their attention is: how much money are you losing by not tracking inventory better? Hand inventory is a slow manual process that then has to be entered into a spreadsheet. All that work for what is by definition a rough estimate at best. If the industry average of 15-25% shrinkage is true – and you are doing nothing about it, you are losing at least several thousand dollars in liquor sales every month. There are several basic truths about inventory:

  • If staff knows you are paying close attention to inventory, then overpours and theft plummet.
  • If you track inventory closely, you can reduce on-hand stock – freeing up cash.
  • If you can find a fast, easy way to take a good inventory, your admin costs drop significantly.

This is how Alan and Michael Sanders knew they were onto something when envisioned a system that was simple, fast, cost-effective AND extremely accurate. No bar owner gets excited about a better way to take inventory. They do get excited about increasing their bottom line with a simple improvement behind the bar.