How Crumble & Whisk Optimized Scheduling and Time Tracking to Reduce Labor Costs

From corporate potluck to cheesecake sensation.

Charles Farrier never set out to be a small business owner. But one fateful day, a corporate potluck changed everything. "I was told to bring a dessert in. I brought a cheesecake in and everyone loved it," he recalls. "And then everyone was like, 'Oh my God, you should like, sell this.'"

At first, Charles was hesitant. But with the encouragement of a good friend, he started to see the possibilities. "We were talking about it one day. He said, well, maybe if you make them smaller, we can work with you and kind of see what we can do with this," Charles shares. "I'm like, all right, let's work. Let's see what we can do."

And so, Crumble & Whisk Patisserie was born. What started as a side project quickly turned into a thriving business, with Charles hustling to sell his cheesecakes to local businesses. "I used to sell my cheesecakes up and down the street that I'm actually on, to the barbershops and beauty shops for like $7 at the time," he recalls. "That was the money that I saved to use to pay for all my permits and licensing."

But as any small business owner knows, starting from scratch is no cakewalk. He continued to work to fund the business and saved what he could to fund the business piece by piece. That meant putting in the hard work and hustle, day in and day out. "I think a lot of people forget that, you know, we start from nothing and we have to basically start out there and grind and hustle," he says. "And it's like, if you don't put the work in, you're not going to get the reward."

As Crumble & Whisk grew and gained a loyal following, Charles found himself facing new challenges. Managing schedules, tracking hours, and keeping an eye on labor costs was eating up more and more of his time and energy. He knew he needed a better solution – one that could help him streamline operations, save money, and get back to doing what he loved: crafting delectable desserts and creating unforgettable customer experiences.

Then he discovered Homebase.

One app to conquer every shift.

What makes Homebase so special? For Charles, it's all about simplicity. "The reason why I like Homebase is because the platform is just easy to use. It's very streamlined. And there's no fuss. Your grandma can use it," he says with a laugh.

With Homebase, Charles said goodbye to the headache of juggling multiple systems for scheduling, time tracking, and payroll. Everything he needs is right at his fingertips, in one user-friendly app. "What I like about Homebase is that you're able to do everything at your fingertips. And you know, it's so easy. It's such a breeze. And I don't have to think about it. I love it."

He was able to post job listings, review resumes, and schedule interviews all in one place with Homebase for hiring. No more juggling multiple job boards or drowning in a sea of email applications. Just a streamlined, easy-to-use system that takes the pain out of the hiring process. “That’s actually how I found a lot of my team members,” Charles adds.

But Homebase isn't just about making Charles' life easier – it's also about helping his team stay connected. "Homebase allows us to become more efficient with the job because I'm allowed to go in there and post notes and be able to send things to the team without me having to be here and let them know and give them updates of work performance, scheduling, tasks that they need to do for the day, while also allowing them to see everything at their fingertips," he shares.

Real-time insights lead to real savings.

For Charles, one of the biggest benefits of using Homebase has been the ability to keep a close eye on his labor costs. "We're in the process, we're trying to get the work done, but we don't realize that the time is slipping away from us, especially when you have employees and they're using overtime or they don't clock out on time, or they forget to use their break," he explains. Features like break waivers not only help save small businesses money, but also helps save from the stress of legal problems in states like California where there are strict labor laws around breaks.. 

With real-time insights and notifications, Charles is able to stay on top of his expenses like never before. "I'm able to go in there and be able to say, ‘okay, you know, I've spent an extra hundred hours on labor costs, like where is this going? And so it allows you to go in there and just kind of like clean everything up and have candid conversations with your team," Charles shares.

Armed with this information, Charles is able to make informed decisions about scheduling and budgeting and have honest conversations with his team about performance. "I can say, hey, this is what we spent on labor costs last week. This is what we need to spend. We need to really tighten up the budget so that you guys can get proper raises, you guys can get bonuses, things like that. We can't use that if we have spent it all on overtime all the time," he explains.

By using Homebase to keep track of his labor costs in real-time, Charles has been able to save money and reinvest it back into his business and his team. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

Streamlined scheduling saves the day (and time)

Another game-changer for Charles has been the scheduling efficiency with Homebase. “Scheduling saves me a lot of time and makes my job more efficient so that I don't have to do it all the time, while also allowing my team members to visually see everything at their fingertips," Charles says.

Before Homebase, Charles was spending hours each week manually creating schedules and inputting time sheet data into his payroll system. But with Homebase, he's been able to automate and streamline the entire process. "It just rolls over the timesheet to the payroll system and you just click one button. Instead of you having to sit there and manually input anything from their timesheet and manually write it down from another software," he explains.

This has been a huge time-saver for Charles and has allowed him to focus on other aspects of running his business. "Homebase has been like a game changer… Homebase is great because you can do your scheduling and do your payroll all at one time. Where other companies, some companies don't allow you to do that," he shares.

With Homebase, Charles has been able to create scheduling efficiency and effectiveness that benefits both him and his team. It's just one more way that Homebase is helping small businesses like Crumble & Whisk thrive.

The sweet taste of efficiency.

All this efficiency means Charles and the team at Crumble & Whisk are able to do more with less.

With the money he's saved on labor costs, Charles has been able to invest in other areas of his business – like sourcing high-quality ingredients, developing new recipes, and creating a welcoming space for his customers. "Homebase allows us to become more efficient with the job," he explains.

But it's not just about the bottom line. By streamlining his operations and communication with Homebase, Charles has been able to foster a workplace that prioritizes teamwork and appreciation. Features like shift notes and announcements help keep everyone on the same page, even when Charles can't be in the store.

"People don't like it to be all negative," he says. "So I try to have a little bit of a balance. And I can do that with Homebase and also with me telling them directly." By using the platform to send messages of recognition and support, Charles is building a team that feels valued and invested in the success of the business.

The cherry on top.

At the end of the day, running a small business will always come with its challenges. But with the right tools in your arsenal, it can be a whole lot sweeter. For Charles and the team at Crumble & Whisk, Homebase has been the secret ingredient to streamlining operations, cutting costs, and building a thriving team workplace.

With Homebase, you can spend less time drowning in admin work and more time doing what you love – whether that's whipping up delectable desserts or building a business that makes your community a little bit sweeter.

Take control of your time, your costs, and your sanity, give Homebase a try. Your future self (and your bottom line) will thank you. Trust us – it's a recipe for success.