Business Buddy

The items section serves as the central library for everything your business tracks including ingredients, beverages, supplies, and menu components. Managers can view, edit, and organize items while maintaining accurate cost data, categories, and operational details used throughout Business Buddy.

Define how long items remain usable after opening or preparation. Shelf life settings help kitchens manage food safety, reduce waste, and ensure staff follow proper handling guidelines for perishable ingredients.

Labels allow businesses to organize items into logical groups such as liquor types, food categories, storage locations, or preparation types. Proper labeling improves filtering, reporting, and overall system organization.

Attach images to inventory items so they appear across menus, digital signage, and internal systems. Item images help staff quickly identify products and improve the visual presentation of menus and displays.

Create new inventory items such as ingredients, beverages, prepared dishes, or supplies. Each item can include pricing data, units, shelf life settings, images, and operational details used throughout Business Buddy.

Analyze item pricing across different categories to ensure margins remain healthy. Managers can quickly review cost trends, identify pricing inconsistencies, and make adjustments when supplier costs change.

Define the measurement units used throughout the system such as ounces, bottles, cases, or portions. Dish types can also be configured to help categorize menu items and recipes correctly.

Shared items are globally available products that can be reused across multiple companies or locations. This feature helps maintain consistency and reduces research work when commonly used products are shared.

Create wine pairing recommendations that connect specific wines with menu items. Pairings help servers make better recommendations to guests and enhance the overall dining experience.

The Ratings Overview allows managers to review feedback and scores submitted for items within the system. This feature helps businesses evaluate products, and make informed decisions about menu items, recipes, or supplies based on real feedback.

Blind Ratings allow teams to evaluate items without knowing what they are tasting or reviewing. By hiding identifying information, businesses can gather honest and unbiased feedback when testing recipes, beverages, or new menu items. This helps ensure decisions are based on quality and preference rather than brand familiarity.

The Blind Rating Items section allows managers to organize which products will be included in blind rating sessions. Items can be prepared and assigned anonymously so participants can focus solely on taste, quality, or presentation during evaluations.

Manage the employees or participants who will take part in blind rating sessions. Administrators can assign users to evaluations, track participation, and review feedback submitted during tastings or product comparisons.

Upload new images into the Business Buddy image library. These images can be used across multiple areas of the platform including menus, website pages, digital signage displays, and social media posts. Centralizing images helps businesses keep visual content organized and easy to reuse.

Manage the images stored in your Business Buddy system. Replace outdated photos, remove unused images, or update visual content as menus and promotions change. Keeping your image library organized ensures your brand and presentations stay consistent across all displays.

Browse your image library by category to quickly locate the photos you need. Categories help organize images for different uses such as menu items, promotions, branding assets, or website content.

Assign a custom placeholder image that will appear whenever an item does not yet have its own photo. This allows businesses to display branded �Coming Soon� or category-specific images instead of the default Business Buddy placeholder. Using custom placeholders keeps menus, signage, and websites visually consistent while items are still being prepared or photographed.

Create a new menu using one of the available menu templates. Templates provide a structured layout so restaurants and bars can quickly organize food, drinks, and specials into clear sections. This allows businesses to build menus faster while maintaining a consistent format across their system.

The Menu Manager allows businesses to edit and maintain all of their menus in one place. Add items, adjust categories, update descriptions, and organize how menus appear across the system. These menus can also connect to other Business Buddy tools such as digital signage and website displays to keep information consistent across platforms.

The Order Calendar provides a clear overview of upcoming orders and scheduled deliveries from your distributors. Managers can quickly see what orders are expected on each day, helping kitchens and bars plan inventory and preparation around delivery schedules.

Create distributor orders directly inside Business Buddy. Select items, adjust quantities, and submit purchase orders while keeping everything organized within your inventory system. This helps streamline ordering and reduces the need to manage separate ordering tools or spreadsheets.

The Active Invoices section shows invoices that are currently pending review or reconciliation. Managers can verify order accuracy, confirm deliveries, and ensure that distributor invoices match the products that were ordered and received.

Access a complete history of reconciled invoices and past distributor orders. This archive provides a reliable record of purchasing activity, allowing businesses to review historical costs (through scans or images of the invoice), track supplier changes, and analyze purchasing trends over time.

Manage the distributors and vendors your business orders from. Store contact information, ordering preferences, and supplier details so placing orders and tracking deliveries becomes faster and more organized.

Connect your business social media accounts such as Facebook and Instagram directly to Business Buddy. Once connected, the system can automatically publish posts, schedule content, and manage updates without requiring staff to manually log in to each platform.

Control how Business Buddy generates automated social media content. Managers can define posting rules, select what information is included in posts, and determine when and where updates are published. This allows businesses to keep their social media pages active while maintaining full control over messaging.

The content calendar provides a clear view of upcoming social media posts generated by Business Buddy. Managers can review scheduled posts, make adjustments, or approve content before it is published (up to five minutes before it posts!), helping ensure that social media stays organized and consistent.

Create custom social media posts directly from Business Buddy. Add your own text, upload images, and schedule posts to be published to connected platforms. This allows businesses to combine automated posting with manual announcements, promotions, or special events.

The onboarding system provides new companies with a guided checklist to help set up their Business Buddy account correctly from the start. Owners and managers can walk through important configuration steps such as company details, employee setup, menu configuration, and operational settings. This ensures every account begins with a clean and organized foundation so the platform works smoothly from day one.

The Applications module allows businesses to collect, review, and manage job applicants in one centralized location. Applications submitted through your website or QR hiring links automatically appear in the system where managers can review qualifications, track hiring decisions, and move candidates through the hiring process without losing important details.

Keep track of important employee certifications such as alcohol service permits, food safety training, or other compliance requirements. Business Buddy helps you monitor expiration dates and maintain accurate records so your team stays compliant with local regulations.

The Employees system allows managers to create and manage employee accounts within Business Buddy. Assign roles, control permissions, and organize staff access to different tools in the platform so each team member only sees the features they need to perform their job.

Define your business operating hours so Business Buddy understands when your restaurant or bar is open. These settings can be used across the platform for other operational tools.

Manage customer reservations from one organized dashboard. View upcoming bookings, track availability, and make adjustments quickly so your staff can handle busy shifts without confusion.

Track and manage the cash registers used in your business. Business Buddy allows you to configure registers, perform counts, and monitor activity so you can maintain clear accountability during every shift.

Review shift cashouts and closing reports to ensure financial accuracy at the end of each shift. Managers can quickly verify totals and maintain organized financial records for daily operations.

The Suggestions feature allows customers to submit feedback directly to your business. Managers can review suggestions, track trends, and respond appropriately so your team can continuously improve service and guest experience.

Generate internal QR codes that provide quick access to important Business Buddy tools. Staff can scan codes to instantly open pages such as recipes, shelf-life references, login screens, or the customer suggestion form. These QR shortcuts help teams move faster during busy shifts by reducing the time spent navigating menus or searching for the right page.

Track employee clock-in and clock-out activity through the Timecards system. Managers can review worked hours, monitor labor usage, and maintain accurate payroll records.

The Company Information panel is the control center for your Business Buddy system. In addition to managing basic business details and branding, administrators can enable or disable entire sections of the platform and control which tools are visible to employees based on rank or role. This modular design allows each business to customize the system to match its workflow while keeping staff access organized and secure.

Administrators can view active services, extend subscription access, and manage billing-related settings. This area helps ensure your Business Buddy account stays active and aligned with the tools your business uses.

Submit questions, feedback, or suggestions directly to the Business Buddy team. This feature allows users to request help, clarify how tools work, or suggest improvements to the platform. It helps ensure businesses can get answers quickly while also helping Business Buddy continue improving based on real user feedback.

Access a growing knowledge base of previously asked questions and answers. This section allows users to quickly find solutions, learn how different features work, and benefit from questions asked by other businesses using the platform.

View a list of all locations configured in your Business Buddy account. This section allows managers to monitor multiple bars, kitchens, or storage areas and quickly access inventory and operational settings for each location. It serves as the central hub for managing where inventory counts and operational data are recorded.

Modify location details such as name, inventory settings, operational preferences, and organizational structure. Updating locations ensures inventory counts and operational reports remain accurate as businesses expand, reorganize storage areas, or refine their workflow.

Create additional inventory locations such as new bars, storage rooms, or prep areas. Each location can maintain its own inventory counts and reporting, allowing businesses with multiple areas to track inventory more accurately.

Finalize inventory counts after each location has completed its physical inventory. Finalizing locks the count to prevent accidental changes and records the inventory snapshot for reporting, reconciliation, and historical tracking.

Review completed inventory counts and compare results across different time periods. Managers can identify trends, spot discrepancies, and evaluate how inventory usage changes over time.

Reset inventory data for a location when a count needs to be restarted or cleared. This tool is useful if inventory was entered incorrectly, if a new counting cycle needs to begin, or when preparing the system for a fresh inventory session.

Choose which digital signage screen is currently active and visible to customers. Businesses can quickly switch between different screen layouts such as food menus, drink specials, or promotional content. This allows managers to update what guests see without needing to manually change displays.

Design and manage the digital screens used in your restaurant or bar. Create layouts for menu boards, rotating specials, announcements, or promotional displays. Digital signage connects with your Business Buddy data so menu updates, pricing changes, and featured items can appear automatically on your screens.

The Website Basics section allows you to configure the foundational settings of your public website. Set your business name, branding elements, and key information that will appear across your site. These settings ensure your online presence reflects your brand and provides customers with accurate information about your business.

Design and customize the header section of your website. Adjust the layout, branding elements, and visual style to match your business identity. The header appears across your entire website, making it an important area for navigation and brand recognition.

Control the navigation menus that appear at the top of your website. Add, remove, or reorganize links so customers can easily find menus, specials, contact pages, or other important information. A clear navigation structure helps visitors quickly locate what they need.

Create and edit the pages that make up your public website. Add new pages, update content, and organize information to keep customers informed about your business. This allows you to maintain a professional online presence without needing external web design tools.

Review messages submitted through contact forms or other website inputs. Business Buddy collects these submissions in one place so managers can quickly review inquiries, respond to customers, and keep track of communication from the website.