Life as a food entrepreneur can seem glamorous at first glance — tasting amazing new dishes, getting to do what you’re passionate about as a full-time job, having ownership over your life.
Here are some hard truths all about it; nod your head along if you’re already a food entrepreneur, and make some notes if you’re considering the move.
Finding the right team isn’t easy
As any business owner can tell you, hiring the right people is one of the hardest things about having your own company. When you’re trying to hire chefs, it’s harder than ever — you need people who are great at what they do but also respectful and able to take direction.
There’s no easy answer to this, but a great place to find the right people is local culinary schools or a job board like Good Food Jobs.
Also, even with the perfect team, managing chefs is no easy task. Be warned.
Your peers might reject you
Somewhat surprisingly, they may also look down on those who start businesses. In culinary school, starting a company isn’t the “set” route; working in a restaurant is. So, don’t be surprised if you don’t get invited to certain events or featured in certain media.
There’s not much you can do to avoid this — just try to look for more like-minded peers and see yourself as an advocate for entrepreneurship. Maybe doing something that’s uncomfortable for you today could open the door for someone else to do it more comfortably tomorrow.
Prepare for legal emergencies
It’s always a good idea to have a lawyer on speed dial when you’re in business, and it’s more important than ever in the food industry. After all, you’re dealing with something that has the potential to give people allergic reactions and make them ill. Not to scare you or anything.
Then there’s the regular stuff, like copyright, contracts, and employees engaging in illicit activities.
Don’t want until your moment of need to act. Find a lawyer ahead of time so they’re there when that legal emergency (or non-emergency) comes up.
How to make your life easier where possible
As well as emergencies related to the law, finding the right employees, and facing rejection from other chefs, you can expect no end of stress and loneliness as a food entrepreneur.
But don’t let it “eat” you up.
At Gema Consult, we can take some of the burden off your shoulders by helping out with your human resources practices. Why not get in touch?
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Author
Successfully Managing a Fleet of Tourism Locations, A Legacy Forged by Mentoring Hundreds of Clients to Obtain Long-term Success
Widi Papan has recently been appointed to Senior Deputy Director at Gema Consult, a hidden gem among gems. A maverick at establishing modern administration styles in an industry relying on largely outdated practices, Widi brings a unique value to Gema’s approach with clients. With clear direction for short and medium-term projects and expert-level knowledge of accounting standards, he is key to establishing successful operations for our clients.
Widi is the operational foundation responsible for Gema’s overwhelming success. His proficiency in executing technology automation, business set-ups, budgeting, cash flow recovery, debt management, capital increase planning, and business process simplification is on another level. This expertise is applied to every one of Gema Consult’s clients.