Passion is the main fuel for running a business
Our first sharing will touch on building the foundation for a successful F&B business. Through our years of experience and interaction with customers, we had observed that a fair number of businesses were started over dinner conversations, or in the spur of the moment when adrenaline and passion peaks. Occasionally, you may hear of stories where starting a business could be seen as an escape route from the humdrum of corporate life.
Unfortunately most entrepreneurs would run out of steam or back down when they face numerous road blocks along the journey, some run out of cash, others were being squeezed out by competitors.
Take a step back when you are considering starting a business, think about whether there is enough fuel (passion) in the tank before embarking on the journey.
Laying the Foundation
Building a strong foundation is the core of creating and sustaining a business. With a strong vision and concept, it gives clarity to the brand, decoration, ambience, menu, food styling etc. A vision is likened to the roots of a tree while the concept represents the trunk which holds the branches, leaves and fruits together.
In this series of blog posts, we will attempt to guide budding entrepreneurs through the process of starting up their business to ensure that their chances of survival and success are higher. One of the most important factors is to create a strong concept. So how do we get started in building a concept and what is the difference between and idea and concept?
Concepts are often birth from ideas. One of the key early steps in building your business is the process of putting in structure and clarity to some of your wildest ideas. Creating a viable concept is almost like preparing a dish, it requires a mixture of fine ingredients that are being prepared with care, cooked at an appropriate timing, tossed with passion and decorated with creativity.
Shaping up your concept
In the process of framing the concept, here is a list of questions which you may find to be useful:
- What is the type of cuisine that will be served?
- What do I have to do in order make this idea possible? (Creating a business plan/model is essential)
- Where am I at now and how am I going to get the resources I need to drive this?
- What is the vision that I have for this restaurant?
- What do I want it to be known for?
Answering some of these questions will give you clarity on the concept you are intending to build, and it helps to also doing a self-check on your level of readiness for the journey ahead.
These are questions which requires some time and reflection to answer effectively. The role for us at CAW, it’s to challenge, facilitate and guide you through this process to bring about greater clarity and conviction before you take the plunge.
Once your concept begins to crystallise, this is where the rest of the planning parameters (such as budget, manpower, location etc.) will make greater sense. With this part of the puzzle set in place, the dream of taking your home kitchen out to the world or brewing that perfect cup of coffee is no longer that far-fetched anymore.
Dream a little dream
With the last lap of the year just over the horizon, do take some time off during this holiday season to dream a little dream. You might just never know where this little dream will lead you onto in this coming year! Chef AtWork would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for supporting us this year.
Have a merry Christmas and a blessed new year ahead! Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones and let it be one that is filled with thanksgiving and joy! Ho ho ho!
