Running a restaurant is a complex balancing act, with countless moving parts that demand constant attention. Managing finance, tracking sales, reconciling accounts, and keeping the books in order can be one of the most overwhelming tasks. Ryan Handel, CEO & Co-Founder of FIXE, knows this challenge all too well.
The Beginning Of A Great Idea
A longtime restaurant owner himself, Ryan struggled with bookkeeping in his early days and quickly realized that traditional methods were slowing him down. “I went through some painful moments where I couldn’t get my reporting and couldn’t get access to information,” Ryan recalls.
Frustrated with the process, he partnered with his wife’s cousin-in-law, Scott Leabman, to create a more efficient system using QuickBooks Online. Combining Ryan’s restaurant experience with Scott’s business management skills proved a perfect match, bringing much-needed relief to Ryan’s own establishments
When the system started working seamlessly for him, Ryan thought, “Wow, this really works. We should start doing this for other people.” By integrating QuickBooks Online with restaurant point-of-sale (POS) systems, Ryan not only transformed the way he managed his own restaurants but also developed a game-changing solution for other restaurant owners facing similar financial challenges. “We put our heads together, and all of a sudden I was managing my books with minimal effort. That’s when we realized we should start doing this for others,” he says. This personal experience became the foundation for FIXE, a company dedicated to helping restaurant owners simplify their bookkeeping and focus on growing their businesses.
Knowing What Restaurants Need
What truly sets them apart from other bookkeeping services is their extensive experience and deep connection to the restaurant industry, which fuels their continued growth. “We’re restaurant people to start,” Ryan explains. “When we started this, I was not a bookkeeper, and I would still argue I’m a restaurant owner who knows a lot about restaurant financials.”
This unique combination of restaurant background and financial expertise allows FIXE to offer tailored solutions that fit each client’s specific needs. “We can bring our experience and what we know about restaurant software to help guide the Tech Stack for restaurants,” Ryan says. “We know what works together, what doesn’t, and what works perfectly for your type of restaurant.”
The Value Of A Tech Stack
Ryan emphasizes the value of having everyone on a unified Tech Stack: “We could very easily show people, ‘Hey, you’re paying too much for tomatoes,’ or ‘You’re spending too much on this.’ Some of that information is going to come out in a more automated fashion at the end of the year, but the goal is to help our clients run their businesses better.” FIXE’s system is designed to simplify the financial side of restaurant management, allowing owners to focus on the aspects of their business that matter most.
One of FIXE’s standout features is their fast and seamless onboarding process. Traditional bookkeeping services can take months to implement, but FIXE gets restaurants up and running in as little as a week. “Our onboarding, we always say, we can work as quickly as you give us the information,” Ryan explains. “Give us your logins to the POS, make sure we have access to the bank account, and we can get everything set up super quickly and start generating reports right away.”
This fast-track approach helps restaurant owners avoid the typical delays associated with bookkeeping. “We try to get our profit and loss statements done within five business days. Obviously, the first P&L or two, there’s going to be some back and forth, but once we get into that cadence, it really flows smoothly.” Unlike other software providers, which can take two to three months to fully implement, FIXE offers a more streamlined experience. “We can really get you up and running in about a week. We take that heavy lift off your plate so you can focus on running your restaurant.”
Integrated POS Systems
One of the most significant advantages FIXE provides is its ability to integrate POS systems directly into QuickBooks Online, pulling in data daily instead of at the end of the month. This real-time approach ensures that every transaction, from credit card payments to third-party delivery sales, is recorded and reconciled automatically. “We integrate any POS system directly into QuickBooks Online,” Ryan explains. “In the past, old-school bookkeepers might do a journal entry at the end of the month, but we bring the data in daily. As detailed as you have it set up in your POS system, we can bring it in that detail into QuickBooks.”
This daily integration not only saves time but also helps restaurant owners keep a close eye on their finances without the need for manual data entry. “The credit cards match the bank account, and it’s all behind the scenes of the bookkeeping,” Ryan says. By automating these tasks, FIXE takes the guesswork out of financial management, giving restaurant owners peace of mind.
For restaurant owners, FIXE offers the best of both worlds: cutting-edge technology that streamlines financial management and expert insights from a team that knows the restaurant industry inside and out. As Ryan puts it, “This is a hard business to be in, and anything we can do to help our clients run it better, we’re going to do.” FIXE’s goal is to make bookkeeping easier so that restaurant owners can focus on what they do best, running their business.
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