First realize you are in a very tough uphill battle. It is a battle that can be won but it is ten times harder to get a rundown location and business back making a profit than it is to start from scratch with an all new location.
First and foremost, listen to your customers. What do they really want that is practical to provide?
Invest in some paint and cheap ideas to brighten the place up. If it isn't spotless, clean it from top to bottom and then keep the place clean. Not smelling of strong chemicals, just clean. Keep the area near the door bright and welcoming, I like walking into a dungeon but few people do. Speaking of that, approach the place from the street. Outside, what do you like least that you can change? Even if it is just a clump of grass or weeds or some trash make it go away. Approach again, same thing what do you like least that you can change. Bit by bit I increase curb appeal tremendously like that without spending a lot of money. Open the front door. What do you like least that is readily changed? Repeat, repeat, repeat, and repeat again.
If you can get the Diamond tables do so. I find it ridiculous to give vending companies fifty cents on the dollar although I know that is common.
Finally, the owner and the hired help. Really look at their appearance. If it could be improved to match the clientele do so. Consider matched polo shirts for everyone. The hardest part to make the owner and help understand is how to talk to people and proper body language. Friendly, courteous, attentive and polite workers increased business tenfold at several businesses I was partners in. As a test I tried the difference between "May I help you?" and "Can I help you?" back in the early seventies "May I help you?" was roughly ten times more effective. That one word made me literally thousands of dollars and help that insisted on saying "can" had two options, my way and the highway.
A clean place, a little paint even if just a new accent stripe or two, and the employer and employees actually giving the customer their full attention for the brief time they are dealing with them face to face will pay huge dividends. Promotions are good to keep the people that come in coming back and they may tell their friends. Flyers I have found to be 2% to 5% effective. One that was hugely successful was 15% effective. Do offer a small free gift or discount on flyers and mailers so that you know how effective they are.
Ultimately word of mouth makes or breaks a business. One thing to remember is that one person talking bad offsets 20 or 30 happy customers. Also it is a lot easier to keep a customer than get a new regular. With possibly the rare exception treat each customer like they are solid gold. Let them know they are valued. If charging by the hour make sure they know that you are rounding down to the last fifteen minutes or whatever, not up. That costs a few dollars a day that may seem like it can ill be afforded but it is worth far more in good will.
Everyone working with the place should be clean, friendly, energetic, and positive. I left positive until last but it can be huge. Several times when the local economy was in a slump I proved that you can lift a business by it's bootstraps. My customers were other businesses and when I told them I was doing great they were skeptical knowing everyone was hurting. However I kept it up and in a few weeks I was doing great. The general economy and my competition's cash flow stayed in the toilet for many months longer.
Make it a friendly happy place to come to and folks will come. Easier said than done but that is really all it takes.
Hu
