Features / If I Knew Then
Eight lessons for new small business owners
It’s the last day on Friday, March 20 of Didn’t You Do Well on Park Row, the speciality coffee shop that Will Ireland and Ally Coles have run for the last two years.
Will (above) and Ally were both unemployed before they opened the cafe with help from the Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme. Their decision to close the business was not taken lightly, and they are now looking forward to a holiday before planning their next move.
Here are some of the lessons they have learnt:
1. Have a good support network.
We were lucky enough to have amazing support throughout from out friends and family and others in the industry who helped us through the tough times. (A special mention to our parents and Mat North from Full Court Press has to be made here. Without them this would have never been possible.)
2. Employ people to take care of the areas that aren’t your forte.
We didn’t but wish we had. While it is possible to take care of everything yourself and it can distract you from doing what you do best.
3. Be patient.
It’s like being on the worlds biggest, slowest roller coaster, there will be ups and downs. Make sure you look at the bigger picture.
4. Stay true to your vision.
Nearly everyone you meet will have an idea of how you should run things or things they would like to see. It’s not possible to accommodate all of these ideas. Taking on board feedback is great but when it comes down to it you have to do what is right for you.
5. Appreciate your regulars.
Every business needs them and we were lucky enough to have the best regulars in the world.
6. Community.
Whether this is unique to Bristol or not we don’t know, but the sense of community around our area and beyond was amazing. Everyone is a part of something much bigger and it forms an almost symbiotic relationship within that area.
7. Value what you do.
We always found it hard to put a price on the service we provided and were often afraid that we weren’t good enough to charge more.
8. Passion goes a long way.
We are really passionate about coffee and this is something that we have been told comes across all the way through the lifespan of our shop. If you can’t get excited about your product or service how can you expect your customer to?
