I started this blog and my consultancy business one year ago this week. Unsure where it would lead, I entered into both with an open mind, and a primary ambition to learn new things.
It's been a steep learning curve, both in terms of the technical aspects of blogging, and the nature of working with clients on a consultancy basis. I haven't been as prolific as I had planned on the blog, mainly because of the time constraints due to work commitments. I'm not complaining...the reverse would be a more worrying position to be in!
So what have I learned? Well firstly, I've learned about my own shortcomings. There is an element of selling about the consultancy business, and sales is not my strongest attribute. I discovered early on that it's one thing to have a clear vision of what a client needs to do to improve their business, but it's another to communicate that message to them effectively, and convince them of it's merits.
Some restauranteurs and chefs do not take kindly to any form of criticism, however constructive, or diplomatically communicated it is. Many are set in their ways and reluctant to change. Ideas and attitudes, built up over years in the industry, can harden into tunnel visioned views which are not easily broken down. There is a subtlety required to make them see how small changes could have a positive impact on their business.
I also learned that less is more. After my very first meeting, I did a detailed proposal for the restaurant to improve their business, and achieve the goals which they had set out for me. So detailed in fact that they buggered off and attempted to implement it themselves, without ever contacting me again! Valuable lesson, that one.
It's been interesting to note that in a constantly evolving market, with restaurants of all types and sizes springing up, many of the same issues affect all of them. The most common problems I encounter are incorrect pricing, bad purchasing & stock control, lack of structured training, and most of all, a lack of understanding of the fundamentals. It's impossible to know if you're spending too much on labour, if you don't know what you should be spending in the first place.
Poor information is also common, with many restaurants simply not knowing how they are performing until they meet the accountant every few months. Thankfully, the majority of these issues are easily fixable and once resolved will show positive results quickly. This usually helps get staff on board and establish good habits.
In addition to working with restaurants, I've also worked with some food related businesses outside of the restaurant industry. I've enjoyed seeing how these companies operate and the challenges they face, and have learned a lot from them.
Blogging has had it's issues too, and I've often found myself with ideas for posts but unable to articulate the message. The irregularity of my posts have resulted in peaks and troughs in my audience, so I need to get the finger out and give it more attention! The largest audience by far was for the two restaurant review posts I did. That tells it's own story I suppose, but I've no plans to do any more as I feel that the world doesn't need any more review blogs.
I haven't advertised my services yet and so far all of my work has come through word of mouth. I plan to launch a digital marketing campaign at some point, once I complete the current project workload. In the meantime, I intend to try and keep learning, and hopefully find some time for regular blog posts.
Sincere thanks to everyone who has supported me through the first year. I won't name you all...you know who you are ;)