Is This Really a Good Time to Start a Business?

The Markets plunged today, worst drop ever. Not this year or this century, EVER. Credit is tight to non existent. Home values are crashing. We should all be afraid, be very afraid. Bullshit. Not that things aren’t tough, but that’s no reason to think this is bad time to open a business. Conventional thinking would have you believe it’s the wrong time. I think it’s the right time.

I had 5 different people today ask me if I was a bit scared to open a business right now, times are tough out there; maybe it’s not such a good time. A salesperson from a food purveyor showed up and said that it’s not so good right now, slowest two weeks she’d ever seen. Slow, not dead. My reply to everyone that asked or questioned my sanity was the same, ‘I think this is the perfect time to open a new business!’ I’m excited about my prospects. Now, I’m not wearing rose colored glasses. I see what’s happening out there. You can’t ignore, but you can understand and embrace it. That’s right, embrace it. First of all, it is what it is. Little ole Todd can’t fix the credit market, can’t fix congress and I only get one vote for President. But it is what it is. So work with what it offers you.

Why does this crazy man think this is a good time to start a business? First, a number of businesses were started and grew during the great depression. So this tells me that it’s not impossible to be successful, it just may take a little more work. Listen, I started throwing newspapers in Mr. Pritchett’s bushes when I was 12 years old and haven’t turned down a challenge yet because it was ‘too hard’ or required a little more work. If there’s a worm around, I’ll find it. Even when I decide to sleep in (another story, but at my age sleeping in just doesn’t happen any more). Ok, point number one, it is absolutely possible to start a successful business when times are bad.

Second, it’s much easier to get people to work with you. When I needed some painting done about 3 years ago, I called a painter and he was booked for 6 months! Imagine, his good fortune was my long impatient wait. 6 months to roll some latex on a board. Today things can get done much more quickly. Professionals aren’t cheaper, after all, their services are still valuable and worth what you pay, the savings is in the expeditiousness of the work getting done timely. Everyone’s available to take your call, “sure I can stop by tomorrow”. Now a few folks are still busy, as they should be. But all in all, it’s much easier to find great people to work with.

Much less competition. When everyone is opening a business there’s simply more competition, not that a great business won’t thrive during any climate, it just that less competition means getting your customers attention the first time is easier. And less expensive.

No matter when you open a business, the fundamentals of success are the same: Have a great product. Have great service. Make it easy, pleasurable and satisfying for your customers to do business with you. That takes care of your sales. Then you make sure your processes are cost effective. Always know where you stand financially. And last, have a plan for all the above. That’s it. Business really is that simple.

Oh wait I did forget one thing. You have to put effort into it. Especially into the sales part of things. You can’t just unlock your doors every morning and expert the throngs to inundate you, you need to go knock on doors. Talk to strangers. Be willing to risk. Get out there and let people know about you and your business. If you do this, you can make it in any environment.

My last thought is this. Starting a business when times are tough actually make you a better company. Why? Because you have to laser focused on what you do and that focus makes you a great business. Then, maintain that focus in good times and you have a world class business.

So, I’m excited about starting a business in this time, in this place with these people supporting me. The Tucson Tamale Company will be successful because we will never forget what it takes to be successful.

Monday Morning

And I'm energized and excited. I love Monday morning, a new week, new people, new issues:) Have a lot going on this week getting everything ready. Have a task list the size of an elephant's truck. There are so many little things that need to get done to focus on the couple of really big things. Some people say the devil is in the details, I prefer to say the perfection is in the details. Do it, do it right, do it proud.
I went to the store last night to get a hunk or raw beef for dinner (yes, I cooked it, I'm a medium well guys these days) and when I was checking out the cashier just looked like things had fallen apart in her world. "How's it going," I asked, "I'm at work, what do think" she replied in a sullen, pissed off kind of way. She sure wasn't excited about what she does. "How are you" she asked, "I'm doing great!", "of course you are you're not working.." "I do great even when I am working, I love what I do" was my reply. You could see the look on her face was one of disbelief and curiosity. Fortunately she went the curious way, "Really, what do you do?" I told her about Tamales and she got excited , wanted to come try some. I told her she would have to wait until the end of the month. I know how lucky I am to love what I do. I also know that I create that luck. She could have been excited about something, seeing new people, who knows, but she chose to be depressed and pissed off about her work. I understand that's easy to do, but if you're going to be there, you have a reason. Even if it's just the paycheck, there are things that paycheck does that make you happy, go to that place. Shit, I just said to go to your happy place. Damn, Dr. Phil would love me. Anyway, you get the point.

"Can I see your license and insurance card please?"

Yes, yes, you guessed it. This morning about 11 am I had to go to the apartments to get some yard tools. On the way back I was heading east on 6th when a U of A police pulled in behind me and flashed the bright reds. I pulled over and he walked up to the truck, "Can I see your license and insurance card please?" I quickly produced them and passed them out the window. "You were going 45 and the speed limit here is 30, in a hurry to get somewhere?" "No, I was just heading back to the Shoppe." "Do you have a good reason you were in such a hurry?" "No", I said, "I just had my head up my ass". He chuckled and walked back to his car. After inputting all my data into the bad guy catching computer, where I obviously don't have any red flags, he came back to the truck and handed me my license back, "Slow down Mr. Martin, OK?" "You know I will" No ticket. That's always a big relief. So the moral of the story is this, 'If you have your head up your ass, admit it, and people are nicer to you'.

Then after I got back to the Shoppe, guess who up? Mr. Pete Purves. We got some sandwiches and had a nice chat. He's doing well.

Yeah!!

I made an offer on Thursday to our first potential employee, she has accepted!!! Yea, she'll be starting on the 15th. Wow, now I have to get the payroll account open... :)

Now taking applications

We are starting the hiring process, so if you know anyone that would be a good fit for the Tucson Tamale Company and would like a unique opportunity, have them ping me. They can send their resume to tucsontamalecompany@gmail.com

The 'First'

BTW, I noticed that a lot of the posts are about the 'First' this or that. It's a new business so of course they will be. I just want to assure you that my passion for this business will get deeper and more familiar in time. Like a great relationship, when you first meet it's all very exciting and it can be clumsy. Then you grow together and things get familiar so it may feel like the excitement wears off. What is really happening is the excitement is so ingrained that isn't as noticeable, but it so much more satisfying. (Sherry, I love you)
PS - If you like this blog, please click on the link to your right to follow this blog. Thanks.

The First Interview

I interviewed our first potential employee today. She came in to the place and I don't know what she was thinking but I could only image her looking around and thinking, 'I hope to heck that this isn't how it's going to look when you open for business, because it's a, well, it needs some work. So compelled as I am, I first walked her through the improvements that would be made and painted that picture of what the space will look like when we open the doors. She got the picture. I realized even before she came in that at this stage of the business I had to be the interviewee as much as I was the interviewer. We talked for almost two hours. I believe getting the right people is the most important thing we can do in our business. I plan to spend a lot of time talking to potential employees and making sure they are the right fit for us and that we are the right fit for them. To often this aspect is overlooked by not just the employer, but by the employee, it has to right for both of us.
Anyway, I was very impressed with her enthusiasm for her work, her passion and connection with food. She displayed so many qualities I'm looking for in our staff. I offered her the job and she is pondering it. I'll let you know when she accepts.
I was talking to Sherry about her tonight and told Sherry that I feel pretty confident she'll accept the position. Sherry wanted to know how we were going to be numbered, who is employee number one, etc. She suggested that I be employee #1, Sherry #2, April #3 and the new hire #4, and then on and on after that. By the way, I haven't mentioned her name because she hasn't accepted, but I'm sure you'll hear it tomorrow.

Anyway, I was very impressed with her enthusiasm for her work, her passion and connection with food. She displayed so many qualities I'm looking for in our staff. I offered her the job and she is pondering it. I'll let you know when she accepts.
I was talking to Sherry about her tonight and told Sherry that I feel pretty confident she'll accept the position. Sherry wanted to know how we were going to be numbered, who is employee number one, etc. She suggested that I be employee #1, Sherry #2, April #3 and the new hire #4, and then on and on after that. By the way, I haven't mentioned her name because she hasn't accepted, but I'm sure you'll hear it tomorrow.

The First Piece of Mail

Here's a pic of the first letter I received at the Shoppe. Of course
its a bill bit still it's exciting. Kirby's on his way down here to
check it out. As you can see on the letter the address is 2545 E.
Broadway. So if you're in the area feel free to stop by. Our target
opening day is October 21st. See you then!!!

The first day

Today was the first full day at our location.  The video gives you a walk through.  The place looks like crap right now.  It will be stellar when we open.  Make sure you check back in 5 weeks for the opening video.  Please send any comments, questions or feedback to me.  Thanks,

It's official

Lease is signed. 2545 e. Broadway. Woo hoo!!

Todd

Employee number one

While April is only doing contract work before she goes back to
Intuit, we are giving her the designation of employee number one.
She's off to Indiana to see her family and when she gets back she'll
do a little more running around for us and then she'll be helping
accountants with their QuickBooks starting on the 13th of October.

Ozone

For the second time in a week the front window has been tagged with the word "ozone". It's easy enough to remove but still a nucance. I think I'll google this ozone character and see what I can find out. I'll let you know what I learn.

Todd R Martin

Our First Inspections

The excitement, the thrill of starting a business.  I’m sitting here in a hot restaurant space waiting for the next two inspectors to show up.  The AC and the swamp still aren’t working correctly but the landlord will be getting those fixed, hopefully today.  The space is a bit ugly and in need of some seriously cleaning.  The sign inspector just came and denied signing off on the Certificate of Occupancy.  She walked out the door and the most incredible feeling ran through me.  It was sort of like the feeling you got the first time you encountered your future spouse.  Now, it wasn’t the inspector that gave me that feeling, it was the reality of my business.  The Tucson Tamale Company is official.  Yes, we incorporated a few months ago, that was a watershed moment, but getting denied for my permit, how blessed is that!  I know this may sound crazy, getting excited over being denied, but it means I’m really doing this.  The vision of what is to be is grabbing me and shaking me with joy.  I guess I should also tell you that the fix is about 30 minutes of painting, so it will not be an issue getting the sign approved.  Still have two more inspections today and then after the lease is signed, just need the health department to sign off.  It truly is a glorious day.  The universe is available for all us to tap into, you just have to peel back the seams in the fabric of the unknown.  Peace out.

Well, the other 2 inspectors have shown up and we got denied on both of those.  But let me tell you, I’m not sure where this ‘aarrgg’ comes when dealing with the city.  I know it can be painful at times to work with bureaucracy, but all the inspectors that have come here have been very good to work with.  The items that need attention are all reasonable and quite frankly necessary to properly run a safe business.  

Still, there’s a lot to get done to open a successful business.  April and I have been doing a lot of ‘little’ things.  They are all IMPORTANT things.  This goes back to our value of the little things.  If you don’t pay attention to them, something will come bite you in the ass or something won’t be right with the business.  I’m glad April has been able to help me this week.  

I turned the ice machine on this morning and it appears to working ok.  It makes a tattle tale beep about every ten minutes so I suspect it’s trying to tell me something.  I’ll have a Refrigerator specialist check it out.  After it made about 50 pounds of ice, I opened the bin and could smell the cool water dripping from the ice hopper.  It took me back to another time when I was running another restaurant in another life.  I stuck my hand in the ice and clawed a few cubes, the chill, the dripping wetness of the cubes was pure joy.  This is the ice that my customers will use.  This is the ice the will keep our cold foods cold.  This is the ice machine that the health inspector will require us to have a scoop nearby.  This handful of ice is my business.  It’s not a moment to forget.  One day when there are 50, 60 Tamale Shoppes and I want to reminisce it will be about that handful of ice, that first ‘thing’ my new venture produced.  By itself, not worth a nickel, but as a part of the business, as MasterCard loves to say, priceless.  

Government Ain't So Bad

You know, we all hear government horror stories about how some agency made it difficult/impossible for some well meaning business person to get started.  And we've all heard the jokes about the 'bureaucracy'.  Well some it may be true at some levels but in my ventures so far I've found the city and county folks that I've dealt with to be friendly, helpful and caring.  Sure, I waited 40 minutes to talk to someone about a set of plans, but he was working the counter by himself and had 3 people in front of me.  Could he have gone faster?  Maybe, but is that what you really want? I mean, he's checking how many beams are going to hold up the ceiling of a building, yeah, I want him to be thorough, thoughtful and by golly, take his time.  BTW, how many of have waited hours for a video game, a ducket for a show or some other indulgent pleasure?  The folks working with us, the public, and trust me we can be ugly, I've seen it, are just like you and me, they want to go home at night and know they have helped.  Did you see that last sentence?  Must have 8 commas in it, any English teachers out there?  Love you, Todd

Monday noon

April was here all morning cleaning organizing and waiting for the
utility folks. She did a great job the place already looks so much
better and there's still much to do. The gas men are firing up all of
the stoves and as has been the case they aren't working so well. A
little soak here a little scrub there. Oops they found another issue,
gotta go

Sunday Morning

I'm here at the restaurant with all the utilities still off. Very
quiet except the traffic on the street. Sunday brunches will be great here.

T - 5 days

It's 5 more days until I sign the lease on the space that will be forever known as the First Tucson Tamale Company location.  I went in there today to remove some food left behind by the previous tenant.  The utilities had all been turned off, the place had a odor of rotting food, it was dark even thought it was 4 in the afternoon.  The ceiling was dirty and an air of passing surrounded me.  I looked at what I walked into and saw despair.  I visioned what we were going to make the Tucson Tamale Company into and I saw celebration.   It's funny how life takes us until we realize it is us taking life.  My vision is going to start here. but it could have started anywhere.