Setting up cafe:what work should I do?

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I am considering setting up a cafe in a Dublin suburb. I am currently in marketing; I have some "bar/hotel" experience from my college days ;-) but no management experience, or experience of running my own business.

I am in the process of preparing a Business plan etc and am giving myself 18months- 2 years to start up.

In the meantime, would it be worth my while to quit my current job and work in a coffee shop/restaurant and try to get some management experience or do you think I will learn it along the way in 1) preparing my business plan comprehensively 2) trial and error once I've set up (looks worried).

I know the answer is probably the former but I worry as to how I will survive financially if I do this...

Any suggestions?
 
Glad to see you're even considering getting some relevant experierience: some people just seem to leap into areas they know nothing about and expect it all to go swimingly, especially in this kind of area.

How about getting a part-time job that's relevant? That way you can gain experience and insight without having to take the plunge.

It probably won't teach you much about management and setting up and running the business, but you'll get to know a lot about the nuts and bolts of how a cafe runs; how customers behave; who the suppliers are; how staff are handled etc. etc.

You can prepare a business plan in parallel. The other thing I'd do is talk to owner-managers in the same sort of business (in a location that waon't see you as being competition): how they got started, what the big issues for them are, etc. etc.

The bottom line I'd say is that any experience is better than none, and will only increase the chances of sucess for the new business.
 
The first thing i would do before anything else, is put together the comprehensive business plan you spoke about. Even for people who are not looking for financial backing of any kind, a good business plan is the best place to start because it gives you focus and direction. A good business plan needs a lot of research e.g. who is your competition, is there a market in the area you intend to set up in for your business, what capital you will need to start, what your expenses will be, how many staff you will need, what your projections are etc

but no management experience, or experience of running my own business.
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I would suggest doing a start your own business course. These are invaluable for those who have no experience in business planning, marketing, advertising, filing tax returns etc. Most secondary schools do these start your own business courses in the evenings or your local county enterprise board will have details of courses commencing soon near you. Its a great place to start.
 
Might also be an idea to read around the topic....

Loads of books on this topic on Amazon (e.g. search for 'starting your own restaurant'.... and I also saw one in the Business section in Borders (Blanchardstown) last week.

Best of luck!!
 
I got an excellent book on Amazon, called something like - how to start your own coffee shop, written by a guy in England who had no experience of working in this sector to start with so very good for complete beginners.

Had a section on writing a business plan for the bank as well.

Good luck.
 
Sorry just found it - Starting and running your own sandwich - coffee bar by Stephen Miller on Amazon.co.uk

I was planning on doing this and found the book very informative, and i had years experience in this area.
 
Search out previous posts/threads by a user named who went through the same process a while ago.
 
Thanks for all the replies! I had already ordered a few books from Amazon...its so tempting to just jump right in, but I cant afford (in any sense of the word) to do that...

I took the SYOB course with my local Enterprise Board 2 years ago- was good but as its a catering business we do not qualify for any grants or mentoring, unfortunately.

Will be back for more valuabale advice in due course I am sure.
 
I too would be slow to jump into a new business venture just because I had minimal experience in the sector and had ordered a few books on the matter!
 
Whatever ventures it may be. At the end of the day, you need to submit all these VIP documents like VAT 3 Return, P30, P35, P45, P60 and etc.

GED said:
I would suggest doing a start your own business course. These are invaluable for those who have no experience in business planning, marketing, advertising, filing tax returns etc. Most secondary schools do these start your own business courses in the evenings or your local county enterprise board will have details of courses commencing soon near you. Its a great place to start.
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I would suggest the same as GED and understand it. You will catch along the way when run your own business but prioritise the importance first because the penalty is really heavy.
 
Hi all

Just noticed this thread. We got great help and encouragement from everyone on AAM when we were setting up over a year ago. All busy now!

In any case, regarding the current post, yes i agree liaise closely with the Local Environmental Health Section in your area (www.hse.ie). They usually call pre opening and after and then on a periodic basis. They are particularly helpful as it is in their interest that you have your place perfect.

PM me if you need any help

Regards
 
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