Chasing a dream...
Who knew, twenty odd years ago, when I had my first German class at my elementary school, that I would ever need German to start up my own company!
Even though at that age there were plenty more interesting things to do than learning a foreign language, I’m so happy that I can now use it to realize my dream. Good thing I paid attention at school. Opening a business has been a fantasy of mine for at least a couple of years now. Not because I like to boss people around – believe me, bossing my husband around is more than my nerves can take! – but because I would really aspire to develop a company that carries my values and interests to the next level .
As I have mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I am thinking of opening a restaurant. Well, it’s more than just a thought. Because I have been burying myself in study materials to prepare myself for a test which I have to pass. When I pass the test, I will be able to apply for a licence to open a restaurant. And guess what, it is all in German.
The licence is specific to this canton in Switzerland and warrants health and safety for guests and employees. It is personal and therefore can’t be transferred to someone else. So here I am, studying again..
The people at the cantonal commerce office were so friendly and helpful. They gave me great tips and tricks and also shared some experiences about what has proven to work well for others and what would be recipe for failure.
Bottom line, I should start with as little staff as possible. Not only because headcount puts a significant financial burden on the business, but also because it is wise to begin small and when business is running well, I can always expand.
Another key factor in this is that I have zero experience in the gastronomy business, other than being a guest – and boy, I love that! – or entertaining friends at our place at home with some fine dining à la Martina, but that’s more of a hobby than anything else. So, I’ll probably need some experienced workers to kick off with. Obviously, those will be more expensive.
Over the last two weeks, I have been breaking my head over the right combination of opening hours and number of employees. I’ve also had a brainstorm session with some friends to exchange ideas and to challenge my plan – just to ensure it all remains manageable and that I don’t get too carried away! These friends are Swiss and they’re helping out with some networking as well. They loved the lax canapes which I had prepared as a quick bite. I might post the recipe some other day.
All in all, I feel really good about the time ahead of me. I realize that there are tons of things still to plan, organize, learn and execute. But hey, No Sacrifice, No Victory!
More business update will be coming soon 😊
Thank you for reading!
Cheers,
Martina
ǝɹǝɥ sɐʍ ɹoʇɐɹnƆ pɐW ǝɥ┴
Howdy today Martina! This all sounds so good. I didn't realize you had to brush up on your German language skills! Who would have thought that? You already knew German so that is not hard to become better at it?
Have you spoken to that local restaurant owner about observing his operation?
This is all so exciting and I can't wait to get update posts!
What are lax canapes? I have no idea what kind of food that is.
How many languages do you speak? :D Then we can discuss if it's hard or not :D
No, no, I haven't done anything yet because of the teeth ache. I'm not very sociable right now. I'm rather pissed off and aggressive at the moment :D so not the best time to go and ask about the co-operation :D
It's like smoked salmon, just made from carrots. It is so good! I've tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and now I have to make it at least 3 times a week :D
Thank you for stopping by!
Howdy again Martina! Well you know I don't speak any other languages, that's why I was asking about it, I'm clueless in that area as you know.
I understand about not being very sociable, I would be going to the drug store and asking what they had that could give some temporary relief but that's just me.
Those lax canapes sound very interesting. Why do you have to make them three times a week now?
It's not that easy to start speaking again if you haven't spoken the language in a decade.. BUT I do speak German quite good now.. the problem is that I'm learning about local regulations and the words that they use are not the easiest ones and you don't use them on a daily basis :)
I don't want to take any more pills because my stomach doesn't take them very well. I'm not used to any pills..
Well, because I can't live without them anymore :D
Awesome Martina... This is good to hear! You are certainly someone who doesn't let grass under her feet! :) .... You told me not that long ago you wanted your business, and here you are making it happen... That type of focus is essential to business survival and I have no doubt you will be amazing! Good luck and of course keep us informed :D
If I say something out loud then I mean it :) I am a dreamer but I keep my dreams for myself until they become a reality (or sort of reality :))
Thank you for stopping by and you can come for dinner when you're in Europe next time ;) I'll make sure you'll be leaving with happy tummy :)
I very much look forward to that one day! And I have no doubt seeing the pictures of what you have described you like that my tummy will indeed be full :D Have a wonderful weekend!
Trust your gut feeling Martina if this is what you want, you'll never have all the answers in business but if you have 70% of them go ahead and give it a try, you'll figure the rest as you go. I must say that I don't know how good you cook but I love how you write :) steemit is also a business and you do great here!
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I must say that I am an exceptional cook! :) Well, that's what people say about me but hey, I do enjoy my food too :) Cooking is my passion.. I can cook all day and still enjoy it :)
Happy to hear that you love how I write - not that I didn't know about it before ;)
I'm enjoying the planning stage but some things are so difficult. I've been working on the opening hours and numbers of employees for so long and I'm still not decided what is the best option. When I finish this, then all will be very easy :)
It's going to be a lot of trying but I am convinced that it's gonna work as I believe that if you want something hard enough you'll get it/get there..
But you'll see when you'll come to visit :)
Sounds so exciting Martina! Look forward to your updates of the business. I also thought about opening a cafe/restaurant, but not at this stage yet. I can imagine how much hard work you have to go through. Wish you success! And I also learnt German as my 2nd foreign language, but getting rusty when I haven't used it for years. It's helpful in learning Dutch though!
Now I see why you haven't got time to do the cross-culture post before the deadline, but feel free to write one any time you want in future. I'd like to read your stories then (my significant other is Belgian, and we have also lived in different countries, so might find some common language)! :)
I am so sorry that I didn't manage to write it on time. I was thinking about it all Sunday but I also have horrible teeth ache after the cleaning that my dentist did on Tuesday so I was not really into it. But it is a good idea! I will definitely make a post about it. It doesn't need to be a part of the contest :)
Are you learning Dutch? We speak only Dutch at home and this is also why it is so difficult for me to speak German as I feel that I'm mixing them up from time to time. It requires a lot of focus :)
That would be cool! Where would you like to open it? I would definitely come to visit you! :)
Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment! :)
No worries, just write it when you find time. :) I've no idea yet about the cafe/restaurant business, won't be happening soon... I learnt Dutch years ago when I was doing a Master in KULeuven which is in the Flemish part (and learnt French too since I worked in Brussels, so it's not an easy life ;p), and started to learn Spanish after moving to Chile in 2015, and now I'm not good at any, haha... ;)
Hahaha, I studied at KULeuven too and I learned my Dutch there as well (Instituut voor levende talen) :D what a coincidence!! When where you there? I was there 10 years ago..
I didn't really like Brussels and only visited it a few times. How long did you live in Belgium?
Looks like you started many of them :) Well, that's the thing with languages.. if you don't use them you forget them after a short while..
Wow, what a small world! :D I went to KULeuven 7 years ago and stayed in Belgium till 2015. Leuven is still one of my fav towns after living in so many places. :)
I hope it all works out for you Martina! You have the right mentality to constantly learn and evolve and I'm sure you will be ok with it. Looking forward to catching up with you and seeing how the business develops! If you need dnb for your background music, you know where to come haha :)
Good Luck @delishtreats and go for it! I used to own my own business, well being an artist and renting out places are also businesses, but much different then when I owned a flowershop/gift shop. It is a LOT of work so really love what you do because you will be doing it all the time.
My one advice I always give to new business owners is get GOOD employees. It's much easier to deal with covering hours yourself UNTIL you get the right employees. I did not know, when I did my business, that it was employees that would be the hardest part. And floral designers are artists, like chefs, and they can be divas. So, 'forwarned is forearmed' as they say. Good luck.
Thank you for your support! I know it's going to be tough and I'm going to be present there all the time at the beginning but my plan is to make it run, get more employees and open a new one. Of course it's not going to happen in the first year but if you ask me what is my plan for 5 years, then it would be this :)
I've heard about it as well.. and I agree, people can be difficult. But as you said, if you know this at the beginning then you take it into the consideration when you're hiring these people. For me it's important to focus on business and not on someone trying to play some games or being divas, so thank you for the tip :)
Why did you get out of the business then? To become a full time artist?
How exciting :)
Go for that dream and starting small is a great idea...
F&B is a lot of work and it is good that you are brainstorming with some friends
The Hubs has always had a dream to open a restaurant, and actually did .. but the first fail - location, location, location.... and we didn't have sustaining power
All the best with your new venture <3
I think that many people are having big dreams but they forget to plan and make sure they have enough finances. This can cause you big trouble and you might eventually have to close down. This is why I take so much time now to plan and make sure that I am ready for different scenarios. I'm not saying that I cover them all as it is impossible but at least I think about how to deal with certain issues in advance which might be helpful later on :)
I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out for your husband. It must hurt when you're losing your dreams. But I hope that he found something else what he enjoys doing :)
Thank you so much for stopping by and for your thoughtful comment!
I think he still harbours a dream
But having said that, he is also already doing something that he absolutely loves
He is in production and the company he works for has staged some of the best musicals in the country.
So he is blessed in that way ;)
Very interesting. Here in California you can do most government things in many languages Licenses, training, even vote. Staffing is very tricky. Best thing you can have is flexibility in staff. Like a friend that will help when you get busy. Or someone that will work mornings and stick around until done. Work 2 hours some days 6 hours other days. Those people are hard to find but can really really help manage payroll while things are getting going.
Here it's difficult with languages as Switzerland is quite closed as a country. They value their traditions and culture and it's difficult to get in. You simply have to adjust as they will not do any favors to you. I kind of like it as this is the reason why Switzerland is such a good country to live in. The quality of life is very high here and people are happy.
I need some permanent employees due to the opening hours and complexity of meals. I am not able to do the operational stuff as I will be responsible for all the rest and I don't want to get too stressed out. At the beginning I do plan to prepare breakfast myself but this must be just a temporary solution. I do agree that I will need some people who will be able to jump in when needed. I'm thinking about women after maternity leave as it's difficult for them to get back to professional life.. but I'll see :)
Thank you for stopping by Steve!
Wow, good luck Martina!
Starting a new business is at the same time challenging and refreshing!
But having to pass a test in order to apply for a license sounds to me so strange, it is completely different from the Greek reality :)
Well, Switzerland has strict rules that you have to follow. In order to get a license to open some shop/cafe/restaurant with food and beverages here you have to proof certain experience in gastronomy, or study relevant school, or there are other options. The only suitable option for me was to do the test as I neither have the experience nor the right school.
The problem here is that the license is personal, it is not for the business but for you. I could have hired a professional chef and do the license on his/her name but if this person would leave I would have an issue. Considering that the license is 3000 CHF I would not want to do it every year or so. Plus you run into issues as the person having license is actually leading the business and I would not want to give such rights to someone else.. I know that some people do it but I consider it a risk that I don't want to take..
I totally understand you, I would probably have done the same, if I was in Switzerland. The funny thing is that some friends and I are trying to open a cafe - restaurant here, in Crete and our main problem is that we are facing a chaotic bureaucracy were no one can tell us exactly what we have to do! I am beginning to think that strict rules are not so bad as long as you know them in advance :)
I have never been to Crete but would like to go one day so let me know the name once you open so that I can come and visit you. AND don't forget to put vegan options on the menu!!! :D
It's so strange to hear that it's working like this over there. Here you get the list with all the requirements and they are always there to help you (the list is also available on the official page of the city). I've been there several times already and they answer any question that you have. So supportive!
But on the other hand it must be easy for you. Just open it if no one gives you instructions.. then they can' penalize you for not fulfilling them, right? :D
Ha ha ha!!! That was the best description of the Greek reality I have ever heard!
Don't worry if we ever open it I'll make a proper shooting and a long post about it and vegan options are high in my to do list, too :)
Good! Then I will finally have a reason to visit Greece :)