‘CHEEKY’ The Restaurant Owner Had A Winning Formula In His Small Business Model

Small Business Model Owner ‘Cheeky’ In Tenerife

Yes his nickname is ‘Cheeky’ and I don’t quite know his real name, but all I do know is his food is super tasty.  We just got back from a great wedding in Spain and we happened to be passing by this little restaurant.

These days many of us love to eat out at fancy restaurant as a treat to enjoy a great experience and other times we love to have the convenience of some quick junk food which can be delivered in a matter of minutes after along day at work certainly in the UK.

And I love to venture around the world trying a great variety of foods from Small Business owners.

This time we were in Tenerife and I was keen to try some local traditional food.

So we passed by a very busy area which tourists have to walk past as they leave their hotels and explore down the hill venturing towards the lively beach front.

As we walked down the hill we saw this rather lively plump guy, who was running around and was loud and very busy.  He was taking orders and greeting guests to his small area of tables which were all very well laid out.

Now, ‘Cheeky’ claimed to us that he ate a lot of his ‘mama’s food himself, which was a bold claim, so he had to show me ‘why’ it was so good.

Looking at his healthy figure it wasn’t much of a stretch of the imagination to think he enjoyed home cooking, and he was certainly a real character.

Not only was he full of charm, but he could back it up with delivering some very lovely food.

I thought this was a good sign as ‘his confidence’ was matched by ‘his competence’ and this is something I look for.

This was a meal I will remember, and that is the point I think – we want to hold onto great memories of meals and of events we have experienced of course so we can look back and smile at our experiences in life.  Well this was one of those times.

This was great old fashioned hearty local food and drink with no frills.

But, why did he impress me so much?  Simple, I want to have that experience and even be entertained by passion business owners who love what they do and what they offer. The reason is that I help small business owners to grow their brand and revenue all over the world – so I am always looking at what makes something work versus fail.

What made Cheeky’s business work was a few vital ingredients which meant it was quite simple and anyone can learn a great deal from this.

 

HE KNOWS HIS PRODUCT IS PASSIONATE ABOUT IT – AND DELIVERS EXACTLY THAT

HE IS THE VOICE OF HIS BUSINESS AND DOES AN AMAZING JOB COMMUNICATING THIS AND MAKING HIS TEAM FIRED UP

HE RUNS A SMALL AND MANAGABLE OPERATION WHICH HAS A SLICK SYSTEM AND HE HAS NOT EXPANDED UNNECESSARILY

It ain’t that complicated!

But, it is effective.

These few things can be the difference between success and failure in anyone’s Small Business Model.

‘CHEEKY’ The Restaurant Owner Had A Winning Formula In His Small Business Model

No matter what type of business model you operate now or wish to start, you have to be able to stand behind your products and services with a confidence that allows your job to be easy to get across.  What d you do?  What is your role? What do you sell?

You have to be able to deliver with confidence and look after your customers.

I have met many so food and drink Small business owners globally, some who are better than others and some who have great potential and seemingly everything in order but fail to deliver, and others who just have it all right and have a stream of customers dying to buy from them.

What’s the difference?

Sometimes two business can look a great deal alike and offer very similar products YET one surpasses the other.

And sometimes it might be a that a simple tweak or two may be needed to get things moving more.   Often times a business owner and team just miss these obvious parts as they are so busy trying to make it work that they become blinded by the obvious missing components.

Now I mentioned ‘Cheeky’ and his food.  And his food matters a great deal to him.   This is something you can taste as well, and as he delivered his Mama’s flavors with such conviction that he was smiling at the excitement of others trying this food.    I just hoped that his confidence was matched by competence, and it was.

His passion and approach really mattered to him as he wanted to provide great family inspired food which was passed down from generation to generation, and not just any food or produce, so this had to be done in a way which was authentic, fair, and of great quality.

He charged very fair prices and I believe he could have even done with raising them a little, as his name and food was giving him a great name ‘all’ around the North of Tenerife.

What are some main points about this?

This is not a guy who is ‘just trying to make money’ and to offer whatever he can in order to get by.  This was a guy who had massive pride in what he did, but it was backed up by great produce and what he delivered, and he knew what he did, why he did it and how he did it.

So, what can we all learn from ‘Cheeky?’

We have to do the same.  We have to believe in what we offer – and we have to aim to be better than the rest at what we do, always striving to delight customers through continued high standards.  But, we also have to know how to get that to the right people.

Not only did Cheeky have the goods, but he was pretty hot at marketing also, as he had flyers and a great social media presence, plus he used YouTube videos to show case his cooking and his various coffees.  These videos received well over 700, 000 views, that’s right nearly 1 million views, so his videos are working for him whilst he cooks and talks.  This of course brought in the business for him and many foreigners would ask where ‘Cheekys’ place was.

He had many holiday makers tracking him down for his famous meats, breads and coffees. Not to mention his home made desserts made by Mama.

This built ‘for him’ a great reputation, repeat custom in his community,  and drove a great deal of new custom to him every day.

As it happened – he had a great location in a prime spot where lots of tourists would walk by and smell his food.  he also had a great brand which stood out and a good use of colors which made it special.

With a great variety of home traditionally cooked delights and with his exposure and great reputation, he was doing great business.

But this was a very traditional business model, so how might this kind of success work online though?

‘CHEEKY’ The Restaurant Owner Had A Winning Formula In His Small Business Model

I will share what have I done in my small Business Model to increase my growth.  

It began with an idea and in creating a purpose driven life.

Now, this wasn’t to me anything divine at all, it was from the best use of my time crafted from my passions – and from there I expanded.  I ensured that I created the right products and services and I never lowered my standards, no matter what it cost me to maintain.

So, I applied the idea of the purpose/calling wheel. Like in the image.

In the first 2 years ensured that I hired experts and spent well over $50k on getting my education and products right.   

I had some business experience from a cleaning business I ran before this, so I used my experience and education over that period to create my products. I had to sell stuff on eBay and I had to work with gigs on a site called fiverr to fund my consulting and writing business in the early days but I knew what I wanted, so it was no issue for me.

From there I built this blog and a website and I then had to ensure that I offered great value and drove the right types to my content – but I also knew what I would offer once someone rocked up to my virtual door.  I had to get the system and structure right, so no matter what type of enterprise you decide to attempt, I believe that we must understand each and every step of the process. 

What I ensured I did was to position myself by building a solid brand and prime online real estate – as it is the main location where I would gather clients.  I wrote books, created videos, ran a podcast, built courses, offered affiliate products and services, and my primary product was 1 on 1 coaching solutions, so I never ONLY relied on just one source of revenue.  But ‘all’ of it had to come from one place; of high standards!

Just like Cheeky, I had a strong vision and passion from the very beginning, and I would stand behind my products and services through the right communication, solid ethics, great value and amazing customer service, otherwise I would have died out years ago.

So, no matter what we are trying to achieve, or where we are headed – we have to build the kind of presence which is unrivalled and we have to do so as fast as we can.

At the beginning, I showcased my brand and business through my personality and through talking to others, but also of course by connecting online, so I needed to do whatever it took and do as much free stuff as was possible.

Today I still walk around my City, I also  use Zoom, e-mail, messenger, and share my brand and words and content to connect with the right types, so this is how I run my business, and it works for me.  But I have to be on my ‘A’ game to attract the right clients, otherwise I simply wouldn’t be able to charge premium prices.  So, what you have to do is to define YOUR daily actions, and ensure that these are measured and specific.

You have to also decide that YOU can be the best at what you do, and share this with pride and passion.

My advice would be to to look at the those successful small enterprises that stand out to you; online and offline!  And many various types.

Ask yourself:

Why do these businesses stand out to you?

What is it about these businesses that makes you sit up and pay attention?  

What are they doing better than others?

What makes you want to either ‘buy from them’ or know more? 

These are the kind of things that you have to be doing every day to gather as much as you can in order to be the best and to beat competition.

As you study others, you will see patterns between them all – and it is those patterns which make them stand out, and which need to be understood and implemented.  In fact, I cover it all in this post, so if you have read it carefully then you will know what they are.

No matter what you are trying 
to do in your small business model 
you should never forget that this 
is all about delighting and 
creating experiences.

And from here it’s about furthering the relationship and communicating more value through your message.  So, when you start by caring about your products and customers, and you ask for feedback, ‘plus’ you deliver the best to your clients and customers, they will also care about you.

It’s all in the way with which you communicate your message with your Small Business Model.

I was talking to another guy on my vacation, as I love to connect with other Business owners and those who are passionate about their ideas.

His name was Richard and he worked at the hotel where we stayed, just up the road from our friend ‘Cheeky’.

So, Richard had 5 jobs, That’s right 5 jobs and he was a British chap who wanted to think of a way of evolving his passions into an actual business, so he could essentially not have 5 jobs but maybe 2 or 3 and build something he could be proud of.  Once I learned more about his passions and listened to his animated expressions about his drams, I was able to start seeing what he might potentially start a business from.

He was interested in what I did and so we talked about that and how it might help him in creating his own business, but the only thing was that he had various passions, so he really didn’t know where to begin with it all.  He loved talking with others, he loved kickboxing, he loved the idea of operating a small bar.  So there were a few things.  And I usually find with ideas people that they have a few but never evolve any.

Know anyone like this?   I am like this, so I have had to learn to complete what I start.

So, what was Richard going to do?

I suggested he might share a few videos and content for his kickboxing and perhaps he could create a site whereby he charged a variety of fees for a membership where he would offer his services and also give away value and gifts to build rapport.  In simple terms, Richard wanted to create something for his future and he wanted something which he could create and enjoy for himself and his family.

But he had many ideas.  So I simply explored all of them with him over a few days and beers.

I explained the membership and subscription model which he seemed interested in learning more about, and we talked about what kind of work this would take.  But he also loved meeting people and had an idea of a bar.  So, after a few days of meeting, and armed with some new ideas and eventually ‘even’ a basic plan, Richard was able to create a great strategy for getting this underway.

I must admit that after those few days on Holiday we arrived back in Bristol (where I live), and I was right back into being busy once again, so I didn’t really have time to reflect much on our time away at that point.  I had never forgotten ‘Cheeky’ and the chats Richard and I had, as he was a person who stood out to me as very passionate – and often I would think about what he might be doing.

An email I received 8 months later 

It was lovely to hear from Richard and to hear of his gratitude and how appreciative he was of our time together, which I found very moving.

He told me that he was very busy in his 6 jobs and didn’t have much time to start working on any ideas or on a business, and I remember thinking that it was sad for me to hear that nothing had really changed for him, as he was so passionate about doing something.  So I was naturally hoping that he would find his thing and make his dream come true.

But, several months went by and I didn’t hear from him.

However one day about 6 months on from the last email, another email popped up from Richard, and he was at a Bar which he loved going to.

One night he was there with the owner after a few beers and the owner had said to him that he was selling the place.  Richard said he was surprised to hear that and whilst he was sad, he also thought about taking it over.  He got a rush in his tummy – as one of his dreams was to own a great bar.

Was it really right for Richard?

Was Richard just excited in the moment?

Would Richard really do anything about it?

A few months after his original e-mail to me, he had decided to buy it.

I could feel his delight through the words he sent as he was finally doing something he had always wanted to do and it was doing well for him. He has now employed staff and grown it where he now has a manager and oversees the whole operation.  He now has time to look at other investments also and is living a life which he created and designed.  I am very happy for him.

I advised him on what I am suggesting to you here and he put the plan together and took action.

Richard was able to start growing the business way more than the previous owner because he CARED about each and every area of his business.

Do you have an idea for a micro or small business model?

You can begin looking at the area you wish to have a role in whilst building a bridge between ‘what you want to do’ with a great market need. I will share more about this later, but for now it will pay you to think about what kind of business you could see yourself in.

Start your research off by learning more about your market area and study others and look at those already in businesses like the one you may wish to run.

Also, If you want to start moving on your own business fast then by all means grab my free ebook to the right which has already helped 7,967 of my subscribers to get crystal clear and start creating a great business and rapid growth.  Also – if you really feel you may need an expert in the area of your interests, then get the help.  Otherwise, what might take you 12 months with help may take 5-10 years without help.

As a small business owner myself for over 15 years I have ran and helped countless small business owners all over the world to create the kinds of lifestyles and businesses they only dreamed of before.  And I have been helping those from many various backgrounds to design their lives whilst evolving strong brands they could be proud of.  Nothing makes me more happy than seeing someone doing what they love – and I am sure there is a passion in you now or something you would love to express which may be yet to be expressed.

Am I right?

The truth is, you would be surprised by the amount of people who have dreams goals, aspirations and ambitions which they never fulfil because they never start with a plan.  That’s not to say that it isn’t very hard work – it is, but the primary issue is never getting started.  A solid plan helps with that.

Too many people make life overcomplicated when it isn’t.  

The main issue is that, a great deal of people which is around 80% of the world, think too much about what could go wrong so they never start.

They let fear prevent them from building their dreams.   Yes there is alot to think about with new start ups, systems, structures and processes which many find intimidating, but they instead stay stuck where they are in several jobs and not living life to the full.

The key to crafting a life and a great business you can really enjoy is in the correct application of focused daily action and knowing how you will become the best choice for those looking for something in your niche.  Is much easier to demonstrate consistent growth and create a sustainable Small business ‘if’ the right strategic and specific daily components are in place from a core passion of loving what you do and loving what you will offer.

Now here are a few pointers you can apply right away to start creating your Small Business vision from getting some ideas down:

1. START BY GETTING DOWN THOSE IDEAS NOW AND LOOK AT HOW YOU MIGHT APPLY YOUR PASSIONS, SKILLS, TALENTS, EXPERIENCES, INTERESTS AND WHAT OTHERS SAY YOU ARE GREAT AT. ALSO ITS WORTH LOOKING AT COMPLAINERS AND WHAT MAY BE MISSING IN THE MARKET NOW – WHERE YOU CAN BECOME THE SOLUTION.
2. LOOK AT WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS APPEAL TO YOU AND WHY. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THESE THAT ATTRACTS YOU AND WHY DO YOU THINK THIS WOULD SUIT YOU AND YOUR WORKING STYLE THE MOST?  ALSO: LOOK AT HOW YOU WORK BEST AND WHAT ROLE COULD BE THE BEST USE OF YOUR TIME AND ENERGY.
3. SIGN UP TO OTHERS (EXPERTS AND PROFESSIONALS) NEWSLETTERS AND LISTS TO GET A FEEL FOR WHAT THEY OFFER AND GOOGLE KEY WORDS RELATING TO YOUR AREA/MARKET.  LOOK AT POTENTIAL COMPETITION AND SEE HOW YOU CAN DIFFER AND BE BETTER.
4. START LOOKING AT THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES YOU WILL NEED OFFLINE AND ONLINE. SUCH AS WEBSITES, MARKETING, SALES, BLOGS, BRAND CREATION EXPERTS, PREMISES, BUSINESS PLAN TOOLS, STOCK, TRAINING, OUTSOURCING ETC ACCOUNTANTS, INVESTORS, TEAMS, BANKS.  WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED TO HELP YOU NOW – AS GOING IT TOTALLY ALONE MAY NOT BE IDEAL.
5. TAKE A FEW WEEKS TO FORM THESE IDEAS – AND AS YOU MOVE FORWARD KEEP RESEARCHING AND TRYING TO GAIN SOME CLARITY ON A TYPE OF ROLE AND BUSINESS STYLE YOU MAY ENJOY MOST.  STAY OPEN MINDED.
6. REACH OUT TO EXPERTS WHO CAN HELP YOU. YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THE FREE KNOWLEDGE THAT SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNERS WILL SHARE WITH YOU IF YOU JUST ASK.  GET INTO YOUR COMMUNITY IF YOU NEED TO AND BUILD RAPPORT WITH LOCALS WHO RUN BUSINESSES NOW.  TAKE MENTAL NOTES.
7. GIVE YOURSELF A MONTH OR MORE TO GET THIS DONE IF NEEDED, AND GET HELP IF REQUIRED TO REALLY DEFINE THE VISION, PLAN, GOALS AND PROJECTED FIGURES.
8. GET THE VISION CLEAR AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR MINDSET WILL NEED TO BECOME DIFFERENT TO THAT OF AN EMPLOYEE.

There will be always be challenges, but they are far easier to go through with expert help:

Check out my site @ www.GregDeTisi.com – where I help passionate clients to do just this.

CONNECT WITH ME HERE

READ MY BOOKS HERE

TRY MY $10K PER MONTH PASSION TO PROFIT SELF STUDY COURSE HERE

Good luck with your New small Business Model

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GregDeTisi

Author and Small Business Blogger at Greg De Tisi Writing and Small Business Blogging

Author of 26 books, a course creator and business blogger - Greg has been supporting clients from all backgrounds all over the globe for over 15 years in developing ideas and passions into sustainable Small Business Models. Greg now has more of a focus on supporting his local business community in Bristol UK.