Hey there! This is a co-founder of the Timeless lounge bar. Back in February, we shared the exciting news about our second location and the budget we had set aside for it. As we mentioned, the amount was 40 mln rubles. We’re thrilled to say that the opening went smoothly, and now we have two amazing places in Moscow, one at Chistye Prudy and the other at Mayakovskaya.

As we planned, the second venue ended up being more of a premium option because it’s bigger (320 m² versus 160 m²), has higher ceilings (4 m high), is well-designed with different zones, and has really fancy furniture. The furniture ended up being the priciest part—it’s about 17% of our overall cost.

Systematize and Automate

We all love having a system in place, and the reason is pretty simple: it helps us achieve the main goal of any entrepreneur, which is growth.

Even before I started Timeless, I ran a tiny hookah place in the basement. I didn’t really know much about the bar business back then, but I loved programming and was creating my own version of a mobile cash register. Our employees could take orders through an iOS app.

I was pretty confident, so I didn’t really look into the market much, but I found a pretty good solution for our bar—Poster. We use it with other tools now.

We started to structure and systematize expenses, inventory, processes, and even the workday of our employees in detail right from the start. We began with the masters' regulations: a 250-slide Google presentation that everyone on the team knows like the back of their hand. Then, we developed our own system for examining and selecting new employees, which today, along with the masters’ regulations, saves the management team up to 50% of their time.

Many people think that you have to live in your own place, but this approach limits the entrepreneur’s potential. We are trying to develop a model of work that will allow us to automate most of the routine tasks. For this purpose, we are developing our own IT system, and until we have one, we use a few simple hacks and services.

Services for Managing, Analyzing, Planning and Improving Personal Efficiency

While we are in the process of developing our own IT system, Google Suite and Google App Script are our primary tools for work. We store data for the two places and a virtual office in the cloud, and this single environment helps us share data both between team members and between files in Google.

Poster

This cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system operates similarly to an online cash register, providing analytical tools, managing warehouse and financial operations, and generally functioning as a customer relationship management (CRM) platform. We utilize their iPad application as a terminal to input orders within the establishment, and all data is gathered in the cloud, enabling us to access analytics, create menus, and manage inventory. However, what we find most beneficial about Poster is its user-friendly interface and open application programming interface (API).

When I first learned about Poster in my first hookah place, I used JavaScript and their API to customize Google Sheets, adding the features we needed for our establishment.

“Google Calendar” + Shift Tracking App

The calendar is the most trivial but no less useful tool. In a shared calendar, we keep the shifts of the masters (26 people) and the personal schedules of each member of the operations team. There are eight people on the staff, including me.

The calendar is essential for tracking employee hours, calculating salaries, and managing vacations. We connect via Google API to ensure accurate vacation and salary calculations. Masters are entitled to seven free days of vacation every three months, which can be saved if not taken.

We also created our own iOS app to automatically record the time of each employee working on a shift. The app uses a personal password to automatically record the opening and closing times of the shift and sends the data to the “server"—to another “Google Sheets,” which is used to calculate salaries (we wrote about it here). It also helps us to control tardiness.

The office team’s schedule is organized by time slot, with each slot being half an hour. All employees can see when a person has had breakfast, when he or she has gone to a business meeting, or when he or she has sent an advance payment to a contractor. There is no pressure to use the tool: everyone chooses whether to use it or not. Here’s how time management looks:

Here’s a helpful tip: If you’re using the block time management method to plan your day, don’t stress if you can’t get everything done in the time you planned. The schedule is there to help you, not to control you.

I recently redesigned my personal calendar to categorize tasks by day. When you try to fit everything into your schedule, it becomes very difficult to switch roles. I have realized that similar tasks are better done on the same day.

“Google Sheets” + Google App Script + JavaScript

These are our most important and primary “augmented automation” tools so far. We use tables and JavaScript to manage inventory, monitor social networks, schedule shifts, select employees, reserve tables, and even create automatic checklists for managers.

Here’s what the interface for booking tables at Timeless at Mayakovskaya looks like. The only issue is that it only works with the wide 27-inch display.

My code powers this table, giving it features the classic Poster system lacks. The tables and integration with the SMS service automatically send guests messages, reminding them of their reservation or notifying them of a cancellation if we have not been able to reach them. This makes life easier for the hostess.

While there are Russian analogs for booking, such as SmartReserve, our “hardcore” system has clear advantages that are customized for us.

This code automatically formats phones by the mask +7 (XXX) XXX-XX-XX-XX-XX when they are entered into the cell:

function normalize (s) 
{
return s.replace (/(-|\s|\(|\))/gm, '');
}

function extractPhoneNumber (s) 
{
s = normalize (s);
if (/(\+7|7|8) ([0-9]{11, })/gm.test (s)) return null;
var groups = s.match (/((\+7|7|8) ([0-9]{3}) ([0-9]{7}))/);
if (groups === null || groups.length < 5) return null;
var code = groups[3];
var one = groups[4].substring (0,3);
var two = groups[4].substring (3,5);
var three = groups[4].substring (5);
return “8 (” + code + “) " + one + “-” + two + “-” + three;
}

/* checks if a phone numbers is in correct format */
function checkPhoneFormat (phone)
{
if (phone === null) return false;
var s = normalize (phone);
if (! /^\d+$/.test (s)) return false;
if (/(\+7|7|8) ([0-9]{11, })/gm.test (s)) return false;
var groups = s.match (/((\+7|7|8) ([0-9]{3}) ([0-9]{7}))/);
if (groups === null || groups.length < 5) return false;
return true;
}

function replacePhoneNumber (s) 
{
s = String (s);
var lines = s.split (“\n”);
var number;
var is_format_correct = true;

for (var i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) 
{
number = extractPhoneNumber (lines[i]);
if (number ≠= null) lines[i] = number;

var ns = normalize (lines[i]);
if (/^\d+$/.test (ns) & & ns.length > 5) is_format_correct = checkPhoneFormat (lines[i]); 
}

return {value: lines.join (“\n”), correct_format: is_format_correct};
}

The manager’s checklist lets me avoid managing the establishments directly, although I am trying to get along with the new role as general manager, which includes other tasks. We have two checklists: monthly and daily.

Here’s a fact: Thanks to these checklists, small issues for guests have become invisible. We don’t have problems with dust or running out of air freshener in the restroom. Sometimes I feel like we are ready for Elena Letuchaya’s inspection (or maybe not).

When scaling up, it is critical to maintain strict quality control; quality inevitably declines when control is lax. Mystery shopping is ideal for large chains, and we’re developing our own tool, the Quality Rating, to implement this strategy.

This tool has four assessments, each worth a different number of points, and we convert the scores into percentages. If a manager scores more than 95%, he gets a bonus of 1000 rubles for each percentage above that. If he scores less than 90%, he gets a penalty for each percentage in the same amount. If a manager scores between 90 and 95%, he simply gets nothing. This system motivates the team and helps the establishments excel.

A key feature is that at each check, the table is automatically created from scratch. The system comprehensively evaluates about 200 criteria and parameters to determine the most relevant items for the current inspection, reducing the initial list to just 30-50% of the original.

We collect and organize statistics on receipts, customers, table occupancy, and menu demand at different times of the year, month, week, or day. This includes holidays. We collect this information from Poster. For example, in December, we saw that alcohol sales were up because people were celebrating the holidays. In January, however, alcohol sales dropped 20% because people were recovering from the holidays. This is Bar Data Science.

Why are we reinventing the wheel? A standard system can’t do in-depth statistical analysis, and we really need it. For example, we use RFM analysis (recency, frequency, monetary) to understand our client base.

The system looks at these values for each guest compared to the whole group, and it uses percentiles to do so. Then, based on the figures we get, we give special statuses to the guests.

There are several statuses: “Champion,” “Loyal Customer,” “Potential Loyalist,” “New Customer,” “Need Attention,” “About to Sleep,” “Sleeping,” and “DeadBeats.” This way, we can automatically recognize who is lost and who needs attention. The main thing is that the client should come to us often. Then, they become a “Champion.” The more “Champions” we have, the more successful we are. This is similar to the idea of the retention rate.

We added an automatic SMS distribution system via the open API of the RedSMS service. This system sends messages to clients based on their statuses. This helps us to reconnect with people who have been absent and encourage those who haven’t visited in a while to return. We also send happy letters thanking all VIP guests for their loyalty.

MeisterTask

We have chosen MeisterTask as an alternative to Trello. The interface is clearly more user-friendly and attractive. Everything here is simple and straightforward: each establishment has its own board, and large tasks are divided into dozens of smaller ones. Each task always has a clear deadline and time breakdown. We reset Meister Task every Tuesday to keep track of progress.

We tried weekly sprints at first, but it was too hectic, so now we do more manageable tasks that can be completed in a day or a month.

MindMeister

We’re really into mind mapping and anything to do with mind maps. We used them to come up with the name for our lounge bar—visualization always helps us make the right decisions.

Now, we use MindMeister to understand how processes are organized in different establishments, where we’re headed, and what else we can automate in the future.

One mind map even shows the daily routine of a master, with automated processes in blue and tasks that need extra documentation in yellow.

Take the opening checklist, for example. Even the simple task “turn on music” is divided into “turn on sound amplifier,” “turn on phone and computer,” “check battery charge,” and “start playlist in iTunes.” It seems clear without detailed instructions, but it’s not. First, it’s easy to miss something in the heat of the moment. Second, the regulations help train new staff quickly.

The mind map in the example above is much simpler than the master process map. The colors indicate the complexity of the tasks, and the numbers indicate the employees working on them.

Every three months, we meet with the office team and look at this map. We decide who has a low workload and who has a high one. During these meetings, we try to figure out who else we need on the team. For example, let’s say there are 200,000 rubles in free salaries that need to be distributed. We look at the map and decide whether we should hire a product specialist or a marketing director. The map is very helpful.

Pros and cons of the approach

Pros

1. Everyone’s got a clear understanding of what we did yesterday and what’s on deck for tomorrow. Any success is systematic, and clear planning saves far more time than it takes away. The planning was pretty minimal even in my very first shisha place in the basement.
2. A non-toxic team. In offline businesses, there is often tension among employees, such as, “Why is he working less and getting the same amount of money?” and “It’s not my turn to wipe the counter.” Regulations and clear distribution of tasks make everyone on the team equal thanks to transparent processes and correct principles.
3. Time savings are a given. Writing code once to help “catch up” with SMS messages from old clients is easier than manually monitoring who visited us last time and when.
4. Our approach is the foundation for the future IT system, which will eventually be a standalone business product, especially for our network members.

Cons

1. You can make plans, but the world won’t always listen. It’s mostly about working with contractors. You have to set aside 50% of your time for the outsourcers' mistakes, and that’s at best.
2. Burnout is a real risk. When you systematize everything, there’s no time left for creativity. You start to feel like a robot that lives according to a certain algorithm. To cope with burnout, I stopped scheduling weekends and reformatted my personal calendar on Google. You have to manage the schedule, not let the schedule manage you.

We’re in a growth phase right now, but we don’t have the budget to hire highly skilled people to develop an IT system, so we have to take on a lot of tasks ourselves. To stay focused (and not go crazy), I practice prioritization all the time. It wasn’t easy, but being systematic has helped: now I know exactly what the management team should do. As time goes on, I get clearer on what needs to be done, and it also frees up more time.

So, what’s next?

The ultimate goal of all automation is the IT system, which is still in its infancy. Six months ago, we raised 15 mln rubles for its development, but the investor turned down the offer because it was too big of a gamble.

We don’t really know what we’ll be able to offer the market. For example, how much revenue should the office generate to pay off the system? That’s why we’re developing a prototype now. We want to at least get a rough idea of the investment needed in the system and the office.

We’re working with a small team on private interest loans, and we’ve already got a TSD by blocks (it’s two or three years of development) and a big TSD for the next six months (about 100 pages).According to it, I was the UI/UX designer who made the first sketches.

I’d like to tell you more about the development, but we’ll save that for another time. There’s just too much material to go through right now.

Sometimes I think that if we keep doing this for another 70 years, we’ll end up feeding all the data to a neural network, drinking tea, and watching a robot run the place.

But seriously, we’re trying to do something that no one’s done before: make a positive change in a healthy way. This should improve the quality of work, facilities, and other key indicators that are our priority. And it seems to be working.

By the way, we’re about to launch Timeless 3, too. Stay tuned!