“I don’t have time to market my business (or the money).”When I speak with clients, 9 out of 10 times I hear the same thing. Small chains and start-ups don’t have the benefit of having a marketing department, and those that do, often wait for the “field marketing team” to step in and help build sales. After all, “Isn’t that what the marketing folks get paid for?” It’s a mindset that affects too many operators and brands.With the business of simply running a restaurant, one can’t fault operators for not having the time to work on local store marketing efforts such as getting out in the community and driving business. Sometimes, there really isn’t much time. And when there is, how do you actually grow your business when the marketing tools in your “local store manual” are the same programs that everyone has seen for 20 years? I mean, does a corporate “Kids Eat Free” promotion really work if your restaurant is located near offices and industrial spaces?To keep things simple and hopefully start a stronger marketing mindset, I’m going to be sharing simple tools and tactics to get you started with a better understanding of what is possible when time and money are an issue. Yes, you might have heard a few of things before but hopefully you will learn something new or better yet, make you think of something you can build on that is specific to your brand and situation.At Synergy, we believe in creating strategic and efficient solutions to your problems. Marketing your restaurant should be easily understood, support your brand and effective without being cumbersome for you, your staff or your guests.My hope is to share tips and answer your questions about the world of restaurant marketing.Send any marketing and brand questions to randysynergyconsultants.com or @randylopez On Twitter and I’m looking forward to getting started on this conversation with you.-Randy LopezMarketing and BrandingSynergy Restaurant Consultants