Dreaming
"We're just getting started exploring the idea of a food truck business and Dani graciously took the time to start us on our path. She's a great listener! She has dozens of resources and knows exactly what to recommend for the stage you are at. We'll be back for consulting when we run into new questions and flesh out our ideas!"
Entrepreneurs (especially in food business) have brave hearts, strong stomachs, cool nerves, zingy brains. “If you’re not a little afraid, you’re not going fast enough”. Apparently Mario Andretti said that. That’s how I roll, and that’s the kind of people I like to work with.
Sometimes this spirit gets people into really deep water. I’ve been in that water, know a little about how you get there, and how you might get in over your head. It’s better to plan, to start in shallow water in the first place.
Through presentations, workshops and individual work, I love to challenge, encourage, uplift entrepreneurs. I’m also not afraid to deal out tough reality checks, to push you hard to prove your concept before getting in too deep.
Let’s look at your ideas and dreams and see what might be needed to bring them to life, and realistically assess your resources. Invest the time now to save heartache and money later. We can meet once, or weekly, or as often as you need to get the support, connections and clarity you need.
Business Plan Development
“I know there are three things that would make my business die:
● killing someone ● ABC shutting me down ● running out of money”
If you're planning a new venture, an expansion, or a request for funding, you absolutely need a business plan that tells the story, and tells the truth. You are building scaffolding to help identify, articulate, communicate every piece of what you do (or dream of doing). That process of discernment is invaluable, a navigation tool for your journey forward, and a process that successful entrepreneurs use throughout the life of their business.
A business plan is not one-and-done, a project that goes in a drawer or on a shelf, and there is no “right” template, no EZ fill-in-the-blanks that can provide the value of a rich, powerful document that you build over time. It’s not as hard or scary as you might think! We start with a simple workbook and collaborate: I nudge, you collect and sift your information and start to articulate your dreams in the language that the world around you needs to hear. We work through the pieces together, connect you with resources so that you understand the information you’re gathering. Once you have that repository, it continues to grow, and you own it and we can edit it into a polished product for whatever audience needs to see it.
It’s also crucial that you surround yourself with smart, capable people who know the things you do not. I am a networker, a convener and a coach, and can help you build the team of people you need around you.
Being responsible for large budgets has given me a forest-view of finances, and working in foodservice has taught me the “penny ballgame”. I understand how the pennies feed the dollars from the very beginning, no matter how many commas there are. Just as with good service, doing the small things right consistently over time leads to financial success.
There are also difficult conversations to be had especially about things like partnerships and exit planning. Let’s have them early on, with support, and you will lower your chances for heartache and loss down the line.
I also recommend people explore these free North Carolina resources for entrepreneurs. There are free, high quality workshops and webinars that can be a gateway to lots of additional resources:
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
North Carolina Small Business Center Network (NCSBC).
North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)
All In
“We are so grateful for having been connected with Dani. This business can be exhilarating, rewarding, and incredibly daunting at times. Dani has provided support throughout that roller-coaster ride. Dani's experience provides an incredible perspective, and we have relied on that perspective to provide much needed "reality-checks", as well as for advice on how to address the various challenges running a restaurant can present. In addition, Dani has been a tremendous resource for sound strategic and business advice, and has a way of conveying this advice in a truly thoughtful way that is as encouraging as it is beneficial. Dani has a supporting and caring approach and - for us - she has been much more than a consultant, she is a friend.”
“She was insightful about restaurant operations and brought a clear-eyed perspective to our decision making process. I would definitely work with Dani again.”
Too often we end up working in instead of working on our businesses, and once the ship sails, there is precious little time to change gears. Pause and get help before you get too far off course!
If daily operations or stresses are weighing you down and you’re in danger of losing the big picture, reach out. My strategic planning skills and experience are great resources for you at any stage of growth, and our collaboration will leverage the strengths you already have, to get where you want to be.
We can meet regularly for skills coaching, advising and accountability, or you can outsource projects that are pushing you over the edge. Whatever ‘help’ looks like to you, let’s get it for you!
