Sometimes when I look over my business experience in the past, I kind of wonder how I got here. When I started my first business, I had little exposure to lean on other than working in a daycare and being a waitress.
I’m not the only entrepreneur on the planet that had humble beginnings. Lots of people can wait for tables, but not everyone becomes a business owner. Was it the lessons we learned from our early work experience that contributed to our success as entrepreneurs? Perhaps – so I dug back into my memory in the hopes that I can beat that old cliche into your head again – if I can go from waitress to entrepreneur, you can, too!
People Skills Will Separate You from the Pack
I put this first on purpose. Building rapport is one of the essential skills you will ever use in business. It’s also one of the hardest things to teach. For most positions, I’ll hire someone who can make friends with anyone before I hire someone with a perfect resume. If you know how to work a table, I bet you are already one of the top-earning servers. And you may want to consider a career move.
Initiative Can Make You a Lot of Money
The only way you make money waiting on tables is by getting the best shifts and taking on as many tables as you can handle. It’s the same with business – you may have romantic notions of working in your pajamas and taking naps in the afternoons, but in the end, only hard work brings in the bucks.
Don’t Allow Yourself to Get “Weeded.”
Getting “Weeded” means having too many tables at once. You can’t take six orders or serve six meals at the same time – you’ve got to make sure the host(ess) staggers your seatings.
Many entrepreneurs struggle with time management – working too much, taking on too many projects, or pursuing too many ideas (and not finishing any of them). Learning how to say “No” – to others as well as to yourself sometimes – is key to managing your workflow and productivity effectively.
If You Make a Mistake – Fix it & Get Over it
Nothing angers restaurant customers more than delivering their food order excessively late, or worse, incorrectly. Every entrepreneur makes mistakes – in fact, LOTS of them. The ones that succeed in business do two things. One:: make it right with the customer. Two:: don’t let it mess with your head: learn from it and move on – fast.
Learn the Art of the Upsell
We all know why servers suggest appetizers or another round of drinks – to increase the size of the bill (and their tip).
It’s critical to keep an eye on your expenses and cash flow in a business, and you’ve got to have a profit motive. It may seem simplistic, but this one of the things I hear most from entrepreneurs. Quite often, they have a hard time pricing their products or services to be both competitive and make a profit. Sometimes it’s the upsell that makes the difference between staying in business or going out of business.
You’re in a Service Business, Period.
The only waiters & waitresses that do well know to put their customers first. And it’s the same in every single business on the planet. You don’t go into business to make money and sell things. You go into business to add value and serve your customers. Though it’s a small change in words, the difference between the two is light years apart and will make or break you.