When you own your own business, whether a restaurant or a web-based PR service, there are many, many days when you wish you were a mad scientist octopus, with eight arms and the power to stop, reverse and add time to the clock. We’ve all had those days when we think, “Man, if only I could clone me, I would be this close to cleaning out my in-box, catching up on phone calls, and tackling those projects on my wish list.”

Thing is, until cloning has been perfected and we can be assured our duplicates won’t actually come out with eight arms, we don’t seem to have much of a choice but to dive solo into the mountainous pile of obligations, day after day.

However, I do have an idea I hope you’ll consider now, so that on your most hectic days when you’re thinking, “Ack, I haven’t called back that nice reporter who called twice in the past week because she really wants more information about my event to do me the favor of publicizing it, and I’m about to miss her deadline,” you have an option: Designate one of your employees as your go-to person for media help.

Chances are good there’s at least one person working in your restaurant who is passionate, articulate and knows you well. On the first two counts: If not, why did you hire them? And on the third count, if there’s no one you work with who knows you well, I’m kind of sad all of a sudden.

So do you have that person in mind? Maybe it’s your sous chef, or perhaps your manager. (Bonus points if you select one of your rising stars, whose bright future would only benefit from building PR skills now.)

Next step: Start asking him or her to respond to a media request now and then. Let them start small, of course. The time to test this out is not when your restaurant has been cited for a busted hand sink, in the midst of food poisoning allegations, or when a reporter wants to profile you about an award you just won. But calling back with a menu item, clarification on a recipe or an update on an interview time would certainly be within the capabilities of a restaurant staffer.

The toughest part of all of this probably will be our own internal struggle with giving up a bit of control. Not only will you free up time, but if your current m.o. is to pass on simple media requests to your high-priced publicist, it will also save you tons of cash.