A Business Stuck in the 1950s
With how integrated A.I. and automation is in our everyday personal and work lives, many could not imagine a life without computer technology. From our phones to computers to even credit cards, life of the modern day walks hand in hand with electronics. What if we didn’t use these resources? Could we, or a business, be successful without relying on technology?
Many small businesses choose to run on paper and cash rather than credit cards and operating systems. This post will explore the reflection of my past experience working at a restaurant that is stuck in the 1950’s.
Red Top is a small “Mom and Pop” restaurant in Hamburg, New York on the side of Lake Erie. It has had only a handful of owners and the current owner, Dennis, has owned it for over 40 years. It is run by his daughter Lisa along with about 8 other employees. They serve classic milkshakes and hotdogs while providing an experience from the past. Not much has changed inside since the 1950s as they take only cash using a mechanical cash register from the 1960s, execute orders by memory, and the décor is from the time period.
As stated before, the business runs on paper and only accepts cash. No credit cards are used as it is fiscally responsible for the business to do so, as well as it preserves the atmosphere. Not using cards is a choice based on the size of the restaurant, the price of the products, and not wanting to pay related credit card fees.
The absence of computer automation and A.I. leads my past employers to become more involved in the financial process of their business. Lisa double counts all cash and reviews the register receipt to look for errors in calculating totals for orders. She does formulas for expenses, revenues, and even inventory on paper first before entering them into an excel spreadsheet.
This results in the owners being involved in every aspect of their financials. The lack of automation may be time consuming, but the outcome is being hands on at every step of the way. Having all the knowledge of costs, profits, and financial well being allows them to make crucial decisions on how the business operates.
From this perspective of a small business, choosing to not use technology for almost all processes is an advantage. More information is acquired through hands on work which leads to smarter business decisions. With how useful and efficient automation and A.I. can be it is clear a business can still survive and be profitable in this modern technology age.
