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INSIGHTS FOR SMBS AND SMES

Operations

Check the Workload Before Extending Opening Hours

Longer hours can appear to offer an easy route to more sales. The harder question is whether those additional hours attract useful demand or spread the same customers across a more expensive...

1 min read

Longer hours can appear to offer an easy route to more sales. The harder question is whether those additional hours attract useful demand or spread the same customers across a more expensive day.

Test a limited extension before changing the permanent schedule. Record transactions, staffing, preparation and closing time for the added period. Ask whether the new hours serve customers who could not otherwise visit, or simply move orders from a busier part of the day.

Staff feedback matters. A quiet final hour may still delay cleaning, stock work or travel home. Include those effects when reviewing the trial. For an appointment business, compare completed bookings rather than available slots. For a retailer, watch whether the longer day weakens service during the established peak. Decide in advance what result would justify continuing. An experiment with a clear review date allows the owner to change course without turning a temporary test into a permanent promise that no longer makes operational sense.

About the author

Steven Patel

Independent business coverage for SMBs and SMEs, with practical reporting on payments, finance, AI, operations, legal risk, retail and local business trends.

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