Admiral Taverns has unveiled a new development programme aimed at helping established licensees unlock further sales and profit growth.
The Advanced Business Development Programme (ABDP) is targeted licensees at least 12-18 months into their relationship with group, and operating established and successful pubs.
Suzanne Smith, head of recruitment and people development, said: “The ABDP supports licensees in looking at their pub operation strategically, helping them to ensure that they work on their business – not just in it. It’s been conceived to look at the commercial levers our licensees can pull in order to drive further growth or to re-establish momentum at a pub where sales or profit maybe plateauing.”
In addition to financial analysis, and a review of their own businesses, issues covered in the programme include: competitor market analysis; reviewing and understanding the local customer base; and the best methods and channels for licensees to market their business.
The ABDP includes a workshop – typically attended by seven to 10 licensees from the same region – and a pub development plan, which provides a framework for on-going strategic work for licensees to reference and implement, in partnership with their Business Development Managers (BDMs).
The cost of the course is entirely funded by Admiral. The community pub group expects between 150 and 200 of its licensees to go through the programme each year.
Smith added: “The development of the ABDP programme recognises the need for established licensees to take a strategic approach to driving the performance of their business, and the intense competition that licensees face not just from other pubs but from casual dining and the wider leisure market.”
Last year Admiral became the first independent pub operator to be accredited by theBritish Institute of Innkeeping’s Good Practice Recognition Scheme, which recognises ‘centres of excellence’ for licensee training.
