Who is Empie Advising?

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Margaret Empie, MBA, PhD

General operational assistance and improvement  for those in the food, hospitality and retail business is the focus of Empie Advising, LLC. 

By hiring Empie Advising, LLC you get me, Margaret Empie. My resume is below on this page.  Look it over. You can see that I have a broad range of experiences and skills that make Empie Advising, LLC work for you. You are getting all the knowledge and experiences without hiring an additional full-time professional.  I will bring in associates as needed so you will have the help you need.

I have two BS degrees (Dietetics and Food Service Administration). I have more than 30 years professional experience, an MBA, and a PhD in higher education. Food service is a complicated business.

The reason I started this business is because affordable consulting and advising is not readily available to smaller operators, and they need help that is not necessarily related to large building projects that other consulting firms and consulting companies focus on. I want to be a food service consultant to help each place do their best for their specific market. Your business is unique - one size does not fit all.  

Directors of smaller organizations usually need to be hands on in some way, every day. What is missing for them is time to get projects and work moving that will take them to the next level. They simply can't get to it  Meanwhile, there is pressure to provide top of the line service in many forms-dine in, take out, pre-order, increase use of technologies-you get the picture. Larger schools often have individual staff to handle sections of operations: menu and recipe development, financial analysis, marketing, training, student hiring, etc. In a smaller business one or two people do all of this. 

Dining directors lack time, and can use additional support to do what is needed. Vice-presidents intuitively know something is needed but are not sure how to help. Some directors have moved up through the ranks - which is good for institutional knowledge - but have not obtained education or work experiences that help broaden their scope. Support from Empie Advising will help them grow with the organization.

I have a small group of clients at a time so I can focus on you. When you need help, you may not be able to wait months. You need someone like me to help you quickly.

If you think you need assistance but are not exactly sure what is needed, I propose this plan:

1. Let’s have a confidential initial (no charge) phone visit to determine if I can assist you. 

2. After our phone visit, I will customize an advising plan that will focus on your specific concerns. Perhaps you have a sense that something needs attention and are not exactly certain what should happen (which is very common).  That should be evaluated as your instincts are probably accurate. You need an unbiased road map from a food service expert who has been there. I will come to campus, conduct an evaluation, and give you a summary document that includes actionable recommendations. 

3. After you receive my report, you may hire me to further assist the team. This is the most challenging part; negotiating the environment to get things done. This advising component is the unique feature of Empie Advising, LLC.

I will work collaboratively with the director to get tasks done. I can help train a new director. I can take a piece of a project and complete it for you. I can trouble shoot and advise as things progress. 

Budgets are tight and there is pressure to increase net.  I started this business because smaller operators in particular, are mostly on their own to accomplish this.