One of the top companies I worked for and a major competitor and leader in its field (Les Schwab Tire Company ) was quite unique in how it operated. Despite being THE major tire company on the west coast, they did something most other businesses won't do in order to drive up their profits:
Work a six day work week.
The company is closed every Sunday and the benefits to it are overwhelming.
First, Les Schwab doesn't operate on just volume - in other words - it isn't open seven days a week because it needs the business and to shut everyone else out and is worried about someone going somewhere else on a Sunday. Les Schwab has and strives to have superior service and quality so that people won't even think of going anywhere else and by and large - they do! They don't have the lowest prices and people know it, but the service, warrantees and guarantees and quality are such that - well - you get what you pay for. When I worked there several years ago, out of ALL the tire companies on the west coast, Les Schwab was over 60% of the industry.
By being closed on Sunday, they still do the same amount of business due to customer loyalty and reputation. But they increase their profits or lower their operating costs should I say by 15% because they do the same amount of business in six days that they otherwise might do in seven (1/7 = ~15%).
This drives down their operating costs and they work more efficiently because they pack more work into a six day work week and get more work out of their employees and equipment, while also cutting down on overhead and operating costs (electricity for lighting, air conditioning - all the stuff you pay for to keep your business operating). Because they are more efficient with their work they can pay their employees more because they have more money and can pay them more for the work they do in the shorter time making it worth their while (+$1.00/hr raise every six months if you continue your employment). Their retirement plan is second to none as well. You would think that they would be open more often in order to fund all this but they refuse because they see the benefits to doing more business in less time at a faster pace and a lower cost while being able to pay enough to attract employees who will produce the quality to make the business a success.
Not only that, even if you're operating as a family, for my family, we tend to stay home on Sundays and not travel and spend money or go out to eat on that day, and that also reduces our expenditures by 1/7th.
Unexpectedly, I thought it funny that I found an economic benefit to the ancient law that is still lived in some parts of the world "Six days shalt thou labor, on the seventh day shalt thou rest" Logic would indicate otherwise. But I have seen and know it works from having done the books at the company myself, there really is a blessing in it.
I would propose if companies want to go into the black, by becoming more competitive and cutting their operating days they would actually increase their profits!
