Extract taken from 'Starting Your Own Sandwich Shop' - Andrew Johnson

The Groundwork Starts Now - Part 1

Carrying out your research

Planning a business without doing the groundwork is just asking for trouble. Its vital that you carry out research before committing to any project. Your investigations will fall into two camps ; assessing your suitability to run the business, and the viability of the project in the first place

Unless the initial idea is sound, you face the very real prospect of wasting both time and money on a pointless venture. But lets start with the fundamental factor that will most affect the future of the potential business, namely, you.

An honest assessment of your suitability – a reality check

The idea of going into business for yourself sounds glamorous, but there are some serious points to consider before deciding whether its right for you. Its easy to gloss over the potential problems, and get caught up in the excitement of the adventure. Let me state right now that running a sandwich shop is hard work, physically, mentally and emotionally .

Physical demands

You had better invest in some good quality footwear, most of your working day will be spent on your feet, not much time for sitting down and taking the load off. This is not to be taken lightly, if you’ve never done it, try it before committing years of your life to it. If you already suffer from sore feet, painful knees or any kind of back pain, then working in a busy shop environment is going to be hard going.

Don’t assume that your staff will be doing all the work, and you will relaxing in the background, catching up on paperwork. The scenario of a typical sandwich shop is one where the boss is kept even busier than his employees, at least in the early days. Basically you have to be physically fit and able to cope with the lifting and carrying of cartons and boxes that make up your stock.

Eventually, the business might be established to the point where employing a manager makes sense, and you can take a breather, which will lesson the physical demands placed on you. The majority of proprietors have to work a number of years before that point is reached though.

Some of the more physical activities will include :

• Opening up in the morning, probably as the first person to arrive
• Packing away the early morning deliveries of milk, bread, fresh fruit and vegetables
• Washing, chopping and generally preparing ingredients
• Getting the first batch of sandwiches ready for the display fridge
• Helping to serve the first customers of the day
• Dealing with deliveries promptly when they arrive, making a mental note to tell the delivery driver not to leave supplies in the middle of the floor
• Dealing with telephone inquiries and taking advance orders
• Clearing the tables once customers have finished
• Getting rid of yet another salesman, as politely as possible.
• Being patient with a slow customer, even though a queue is forming that leads out into the street.

And then you experience the lunch time rush and it really gets hectic. More people to serve, and sandwiches to make, all the while maintaining that winning smile and pleasing personality. Once that’s over, a trip to the cash and carry to replenish stocks, followed by a couple of hours catching up on the paperwork.

Oh and don’t forget to wipe down all the surfaces with anti – bacterial cloths, and sweep the floor. Someone has to put the rubbish out as well. You didn’t get a lunch break ? Well never mind , maybe tomorrow.

To do this on a daily basis takes stamina and high energy levels. The ability to juggle several tasks at once will also come in handy. Your fitness level is one aspect to consider, but other factors are equally important

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