Cultured Views

Buy a franchise and be your own boss

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One of the best things about buying and running our own business here is that we are our own boss. Both of us had worked in various fields before we bought this hotel, but while there is something to be said about not having to be in the position of bearing the brunt of responsibility there is much to compensate when you have to answer to no-one but yourselves. The buck stops ultimately with you.

Now don’t assume though that being at the helm is all smooth sailing because very often it is not, but if you are sure of what you want to do and have the courage of your convictions when the going gets tough, then I can highly recommend handing in your notice and going into business for yourself. But think it through…what area of business would suit you best, and what are your cirumstances financially? because it goes without saying that the biggest drawback to people starting their own business is the sheer cost of the operation.

So, having made your decision why not consider a franchise opportunity?

A franchise carries many advantages:

* you have a ready made business at the off

* you will be selling merchandise and services that already have name-recognition

* you will get training and support from the start from the company

There are also some points to take in :

* what is the demand for the merchandise/service?

* will your franchise have competition or have you found an ‘opening’ in the market?

* are you confident in your investment?

* does the company have a good reputation?

If you select wisely you should be able to tick all the yes boxes for the above. Just like any business investment there will be an element of risk, franchises are no different, but unlike going it alone you will have that all-important support so long as you choose a company with a reliable and solid reputation. There are many around so get good advice and then make your big, bold step into the world of self-employment.

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Never let a man order the meal!

My man and I have a rule set in concrete when we go out to dinner - I do the ordering. He is not a fussy eater as such but when faced with a list of elegantly printed meal descriptions he goes to pieces. This is a guy who has a collection of university degrees and diplomas as long as your arm; he has qualifications in science, mathematics, marketing and finance - plus is fluent in several languages - and yet to him a restaurant menu is one great unfathomable mystery.

So, I make the selections. This way we get a meal that we both know we can eat, but sometimes we girls like to be looked after, so recently when we went out to dinner I made him do the ordering for a change. I sat back and smiled while he stared at the menu as though it was one of my credit card statements.

Now remember, this guy has a degree in French, and here we were in a french restaurant. He knows what I like to eat and how repulsed I am by the french taste for eating internal organs or oversized, diseased goose livers (quaintly known as ‘foie gras’ but actually a feathered form of cirrhosis of the liver).

Even though university degree French does not seem to cover food descriptions he knows that if he orders poulet he will end up with chicken in some form - so that is what he went for. After much excessive perspiring he settled on a selection for me and assured me I would like it as it involved veau - and I do love veal.

What eventually arrived was something out of my worst nightmare.

He got his lovely poulet and was very proud of himself but as he was tucking in I could only sit in frozen horror and stare at my plate - a huge serving of rognons de veau - veal kidneys - and there seemed to be thousands of them! all over the plate!!

Accusations and denials followed.

Needless to say there was no way on this earth I could ever put one in my mouth so I spent the next half hour making discreet trips to the ladies room with a handful of the things wrapped in a napkin. They went straight down the loo - where they would have gone anyway had I swallowed them.  I decided not to punish him further - he had to pay for the meal I did not eat and to compensate myself I ordered the most expensive dessert on the menu. So there’s a lesson girls; should you ever meet a guy who claims to speak French make darn sure he knows what rognons are before you let him loose with a menu!

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Who was your childhood hero?

Look at this wonderful photograph on the left. It was recently discovered in a private collection in the United States.

The little girl is Helen Keller and the lady is her teacher and lifelong companion Annie Sullivan. I think most of us know the story of Helen Keller and how she overcame being blind and deaf to become a college graduate and world famous author and public speaker. Contrary to old beliefs she was not actually incapable of speech; being deaf from the age of two inhibited her speech development but she gradually developed the ability to speak as an adult.

Helen and Annie were heroes of mine when I was a child. I read the book that Helen wrote about her childhood in Alabama; her sickness and the after effects of the scarlet fever which robbed her of her sight and hearing. I so admired Helen for her courage and ability, and I admired Annie - who came from a poverty stricken background - for her detemination to teach this child how to communicate and to live a full and interesting life. Annie too had failing eyesight during her life and was the best thing to ever happen to Helen.

The story of Helen Keller is one which should be included in every child’s education - determination, acceptance and courage. Three things which will equip any child for the challenges in their future lives.

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