Broken down and brokered

摘要

The foodservice market is currently going through a self-culling period. Tony Eldred examines the options for those whose dreams are fading. The broking section of my business is getting inundated with requests to sell small restaurants and cafes forpeople lately. It's pretty sad, really: most of them don't have much to sell and we can't really help them. Behind a fair percentage of the calls lies a tale of human misery. Over the years that I've been a consultant, I have come to understand that small businesses can easily become prisons for people. If you are not careful a small hospitality business can lock you into long working hours, substantial stress, little recreational time off and the inability to take holidays. You can probably tolerate this while you are young and enthusiastic, and think you're moving towards your dreams, but what happens when you get a bit older and lose your passion to the demands of a relentless routine?