The most challenging part of starting a small business when you are young is the lack of experience. I still hadn’t had any proper training or education in anything business related. I was in grade 11. What I knew about running a business came from chats with my Grandfather, founder of R.A Warren Equipment a mining equipment company in North Bay, Ontario and the odd piece of advise from my fathers best friend, Brian, who was once Canada’s leading Xerox salesman and Co-founder of CannAmm Drug and Alcohol Testing. However, they were not always available and so we had to rely on gut instincts and common sense to make any decisions.
What got us through the tough times was our deep understanding of our custmers needs. Although we only sold items such as hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes, we still had the benefit of really connecting with our regular customers. Getting to know them on a personal level enabled us to receive constant feedback and advice. Because of this our regulars were great to us. They brought us coffee on busy days, hot chocolates on cold days, left great tips ($), and stayed to chat with us when we weren’t busy. It was a fun and exciting time.
I don’t regret anything about running that snack bar. The only thing I would have changed would have been to hire more fun and outgoing employees. Since the order taker was often the same person who cooked, their personalities and smiles were just as important as serving a great big juicy burger. Construction workers, firefighters, and police officers showed up by the dozens. They wanted a friendly face, a decent price, and good food to help them through the day. We did everything we could to make sure they were well fed and ready to get back to work. A little extra customer service kept them coming back.
As I write this, I look back and think “wow, if only I knew back then what I know now …”, but I didn’t and I still ran a very profitable little snack bar. What I learned most from that entrepreneurial experience was to always smile and be appreciative of my customers. Today, 10 years later, I look back and think how wonderful it was to be my own boss and to make those strategic decisions that helped me make a profit and pay my way through university.
