Big Tips for Small Business. How's Unemployment Treating YOU?

Big Tips for Small Business’s …

"So, how is unemployment treating you?

That was the question posed to me the other day. It actually made me stop and take a knee; what was the difference between Unemployed versus Self Employment anyways?

After some thoughtful and quiet deliberation I came to this conclusion... Three words forming quite clearly in my mind...

Passion, Hard work, and Determination.

But to the quick witted friend my only response was, "Ask Paul (my husband), the house has never been cleaner!"

I write these words with only one intent and that is to share my experience, this blog, and social media platform with others who share the same drive to start a small business from dust, also coined as 'from the ground up'.

Before I start there are two things you should know about me that I will not apologize for:

One- I have horrible grammar. There I admit it! To all of those on Facebook who correct me.

Two- This is a journal, a guide, a shared experience that is not meant to be anything but helpful to myself, and if possible, others on the same journey.

The differences between Unemployment and Self Employed can draw a very fine, thin, and fragile line through your savings account, but more importantly your time.

Every action must probe the question, "Does this action result in generating potential income for my business?"

And secondly, "Is this the most efficient use of my time?"

Here is my best assessment of what a balanced, streamlined, and motivated, 'Checklist to Success' for a start-up/ small business should look like.

Top 10 on the 'Check List to Success':

10. Know you product inside and out. Research every aspect of it. Know your competitors and market place. Keep an Idea's book, every new idea is a potential great idea at some point down the track. Ask peers, friends, and family for suggestions to help inspire you. Read up on small business, know the risks and rewards, but mainly know how they relate to you BEFORE you embark as a sole trader.

9. Loose the EGO! Any tid bit of advice is ok in my books. Ask your peers as many questions as possible. It is easy to think we know everything, but the more we embrace what we do not know, the more we learn. (That was very Deepak Chopra, I know)

8. Contacts. Make them. Network like no bodies business. Keep every card you receive. Lord help me I terrible with names, great with faces...but do your best with it! Remember, seven degrees of separation? Well, try 3 or 4. The world is a lot smaller now with internet & social media, so although Bob might not be the guy to help, his friend Joe just so happens to blah, blah, blah. Got it?

7. Time Management. Take time to plan. Have a loose schedule or guideline of how you will approach every day. It's OK to take lunch. It's OK to go for a coffee. It is not OK to go see a movie in the middle of the work day. Divide your time accordingly. Things like marketing are extremely important, but can easily become time consumers when it comes to social media. And most importantly, BE ON TIME. I struggle with this. But it boils down to respect. Respecting others peoples time and your own. Make an appointment and keep it.

6. Results. Measure them. Start an excel sheet to visually see results. Know what products are best sellers and what are not. Monetary units is only one way to measure success, look at reviews, comments, shares, and think about general feedback. Are you improving as a business? Are you making changes to be better? Develop time specific 'smart' goals if you will. Specific, Manageable, Attainable, Realistic, Time.

5. Back of House. Get it in Order. Set Up and be ready to roll- Email/ Domain Name, Website, Accounting Software, Business Bank accounts, Business Visa, Rainy day savings/credit, Marketing & Graphic Designer, Business Coach, consultant, or mentor, and any other form structure your business may need to support its sales and growth. Start or create a system for yourself. Create a filing cabinet to hold receipts, invoices, quotes, etc… Start while your small, even before your business meets any of the criteria required to declare yourself a small business (for tax purposes). Good habits now will make it easier for you in the future.

4. Preparation. Make Checklists. Check em' twice.  Stock and Inventory lists. As a sole trader of a small business there is a good chance you are the only employee, there is no one else to rely on. You won't remember everything, all of the time so keep a running tally to organize yourself. Pretend for a moment you were sick and needed someone to cover your shift, would you be organized enough to have someone come in and work for you? More importantly, as soon as you get off of a phone call related to your work- write down the details discussed, such as times, dates, figures.

3. Determination. Do not be deterred by 'a hard day’s work'. If you did your research in step 10, then we know that when it comes to any scales of economy, one must expect one hell of a roller coaster ride. Do not get discouraged by a bad day or week, they will pass. This is a good time to reevaluate logistics as such, but do not lose the plot. Keep your head down, keep working hard, then hold your head high, and continue looking for new business opportunities. Work lie you have something to prove, because you do…

2. Hard work. As in a 12 hour day. Get used to it. For now, Step 2 is just hard work. The reward for me is not a monetary one (although that doesn't hurt), but rather every time I get to see my product being enjoyed by a friendly face. I don't believe entrepreneurs are motivated by cash, it’s something much deeper. And at the beginning, it almost feels like gambling- hard work for a pay check. Aces Up.

1. Passion. Remember why you do this? Because you love it. Surround yourself with positive people who believe in you. Self-managed means 100% creative control for each and every aspect, detail, and piece of your product. You are the face of your product in most circumstances, and people will relate to your excitement and want to be part of it. Positive energy is a must so stay active if you have a big day at the desk. Keep your mind active by getting the heart rate up. This activity will translate into that zest, spark, and desire you need to stay ‘in the zone’.

“For the Love of Pierogi” Blog Spot
welcomes all your feedback.

Helpful recommendations this week

ANZ business seminar for small business. Awesome networking and learning experience. Free Advice!
https://bizhub.anz.co.nz/workshops/christchurch/2014/07/29/flying-start-business-plan-workshop-0900.aspx

·         Sarah Milne at the ANZ National Bank, Fitzgerald location for Business Banking was so helpful and knowledgeable.

Silverchef is a great company designed purely for the hospitality industry. This company allows you to rent or buy equipment for a designated period of time, and therefore as your needs change, so does your equipment. Why get stuck with outdated equipment?

·         https://www.silverchef.com.au/
Ray-Charles Smading
E: rsmading@silverchef.co.nz (I've listed my contact as he was extremely helpful).

Maxprint-signs & wide format printing
A family owned and operated company. Lovely people and again, extremely helpful with all of my printing needs.

·         www.maxeprint.co.nz

·         E: grame@maxeprint.co.nz

Written by Kate Grater

Owner of The Pierogi Joint
Contact me at:
kate@thepierogijoint.com

The Story of The Pierogi Joint, Home of the European Dumpling, Christchurch, New Zealand

Check us out on facebook and give us a 'like'.

The Story of The Pierogi Joint...

Hello my name is Kate and I love pierogi's. Pronounced 'pier-row-gee'. Growing up in Canada, marrying a New Zealander, and moving to Christchurch has been an eye opening experience...because I could not buy my favorite little dumpling anywhere. Hence, the beginning of The Pierogi Joint, home of the European Dumpling.

So, what is a Pierogi? Where did it come from?

A polish dumpling of unleavened dough – first boiled, then baked or fried usually in butter with onions – traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit. Our twist on the pierogi will introduce more modern flavors with imaginative tasty themes.

Of central and eastern European provenance, they are usually semicircular and each unique as they are handmade.

The word pierogi has many different variations: perogi, pyrogy, perogie, perogy, pirohi, piroghi, pirogi, pirogen, pierogy, pirohy, pyrogie, and pyrohy which demonstrate the range and popularity of the dumpling throughout Europe.

As a child in Canada the pierogi was sold at every grocery store and was a dinner time favorite and staple within the household. I would like to introduce Christchurch and New Zealand to this scrumptious dish by market, catering, and website.

Our Menu consists of both savory and sweet delights.

The starting point of each savory pierogi is the Agria potato mashed into a smooth texture before adding key ingredients that define the various dumplings below.

All dumplings are served to the customers with their choice of sour cream, tomato sauce, or sweet chili.

V= Vegetarian, C= Carnivore, Spicy *****

GF = Gluten Free. Upon request we can make an order GF for the following weeks market.

Vegan can be made upon request for order.

The Savory Pierogi Menu

The Original Babushka- (V)

 Streaky bacon, tasty cheese, sautéed onions.

The Spanako Pierogi- (V)

Feta, fresh spinach, crushed garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, LSA (linseed, almond, sunflower seeds.)

The Jumping Mexican- Spicy ** (V) or add mince (C)

Corn, cheddar, black or kidney bean, crushed tomatoes (salsa), lime/lemon juice, red bell peppers, sauteed onions, cilantro, Spanish olives, Mexican spice and seasoning.

The Cheese Burger- (C)

Mince, sweet tomato relish, sautéed onions, tasty cheese, crushed tomatoes (salsa blend), cayenne pepper.

The 3 Cheese Delight- (V)

3 Cheese Blend mixed with mashed potatoes.

The Sweet Pierogi Menu

The Chocolate Pierogi-  (Available GF)

This dumpling is served in a coconut dough and stuffed with 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, diced peaches, orange & grapefruit marmalade, crushed almonds, rum flavoring, caramel syrup. To finish it is drizzled in caramel syrup and garnished with toasted almond slices.

The Menu is growing and so is our creativity factor! The goal of our weekly market visits is to discover the customers favorites and slowly introduce new items to pair with them; while the pierogi remains a weekly constant.  Sauerkraut, blintzes, and beet borsht would work nicely as a special and work with the European theme. We hope to keep our customers taste buds guessing on what delightful item we might have on offer the following week. Thus far the Original Babushka Pierogi is the favorite, followed by the Spanako pierogi. The Pierogi Joint is all about community, family, and comfort in food.

Price List-  (may change slightly)

At the markets we look at two key factors: Gourmet Items sold at market level pricing.

Our price list has been as follows:

Savory

3 for $5

7 for $10

10 for $10, Take Away Bags to fry, bake or freeze at home.

Sweet

2 for $4

3 for $5

10 for $15

Commercial Kitchen-

We are currently renting out space in a commercial kitchen at 456 Colombo Street, Sydenham, Christchurch,  also known as LMO Foods Ltd./ The Sausage Sisters.

Packaging-

We strongly believe that a business that cares about it's environmental footprint has a better overall result leading to success. When possible we use environmentally friendly packaging. Our biodegradable serving dishes, cutlery, and recycled napkins are ways which we can contribute.