Edit, Review, Repeat

A business plan is an exercise that banks require for those seeking funding.  It is a worthwhile and laborious process fueled by a lot of questions about intent, budget, market strategy, philosophy, and much, much more.

Currently we have 23 pages that specifically outline the following:

• ·         Mission, Vision and Purpose Statement
• ·         Executive Summary and Business Description
• ·         Company Ownership
• ·         Start-Up Summary
• ·         Industry Analysis
• ·         Market Location and Customer Demographics
• ·         Competitors
• ·         Operations and Management Plan
• ·         Menu and Beverage Program
• ·         Financial Summary
• ·         Professional History
• ·         Industry Endorsements
• ·         Press Clippings

Each section is scrutinized and analyzed for accuracy, logic and sage business decisions.  The irony is that the data is mostly hypothetical.  Collectively we’ll apply all of the lessons we’ve learned in our previous roles but until this project is live, who knows how much of the plan will be used or whether we came close to the targets. 

We’re in final edits now and the next steps are to shop it around to various banks/lenders for pre-approval discussions.  They will also be testing us on the 4 “C’s”… Capable, Credit, Collateral, and Cash. 

More to report on soon.

Penny Profiler #37

Jerome & Ellie Fisher.  Oh the joys of lifelong family friends.  My dad grew up with Ellie in Ellensburg.  I’m quite positive that she’ll gladly admit she is a few years his junior.  Ellensburg was and still is a small town.  Census reports the population back then to be a little over 8,000 (circa 1950) and today it’s just over 18,000.  As a result of growing up in that small town and keeping some lifelong friends, my folks have come to share in some lasting memories with some great people and the Fishers are among them.  Embarrassing stories aside, I have to say, that while nostalgia is sweet, so is the notion that we’re afforded these sweet connections with these people through my adult perspective.  It will give me great joy to have people who saw me grow up sitting among the patrons at Brimmer & Heeltap.  At least, now I can’t get into trouble for talking to strangers.  

Penny Profiler #36

Stronk Clan. My mother’s sister and family live about 3.5 hours south of here in the beautiful community called West Linn.  Some of my fondest childhood memories involved road trips to spend time at their lovely riverfront home.  The Willamette River taught me at an early age that if something was bothering me, I could only hang on to it for as long as it was in my sight.  Once the river’s current took it downstream and around the bend, it wasn’t mine to hang onto anymore.  While I don’t always practice this, I hope I can recount this valuable lesson when the doors open. 

My aunt and uncle have always been staunch supporters of both my education and career.  Hopefully this new endeavor will make them all proud.

Penny Profiler #35

Joy Bryngleson.  A wedding in Mexico introduced this friendship and her namesake hasn’t disappointed.  As the definition suggests:

joy (joi)

n.

1 (a)  Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness

   (b) The expression or manifestation of such feeling

2       an outward show of pleasure or delight: rejoicing

She’s the first one to dance with strangers, chat up the grocery clerk, travel the globe solo and meet friends as she goes.  I can only hope B&H has a fraction of the joy that Joy emulates!  Her penny delivery was no exception.  They arrived in recycled jars from the kitchen and my favorite was the picante sauce can.  The pennies smelled spicy.  Not a surprise given the deliverer.  I think her new nickname should be Joy+ Spicy = Joycy.  

Penny Profiler #34

Victoria Trimmer.  This was my first (and only, to date) delivery of pennies that arrived via Priority Mail.  You can imagine the smile on my face when I picked up the box to hear its sweet musical jingle.  I immediately knew what kind of present arrived.  The thoughtful note was too good not to share. 

“In for a penny, in for a pound. If you are going to take a risk at all, might as well make it a big risk.” Once involved, one must not stop at half measures!  This term originally meant that if one owes a penny one might as well owe a pound, and came into American use without changing the British monetary unit to dollar.  

I crossed paths with Victoria when I was a mere intern, starting out in the industry more than 15 years ago.  She is a woman I often look up to with a sustained passion in all things family, wine, food, community, fishing, travel, and then some.  

What about the food?

From the inception I knew that I wanted fun, bold flavors, new spins on old classics, new spins on new spins, and overall to offer amazing quality food at reasonable prices.  I had my eyes set on only one chef.  Some of my colleagues cautioned me not to put all my eggs in one basket but I truly felt in my heart and gut that this was the one.  That is, if this person would have me.  Thoughts entered my mind that this person might not get or like what I was trying to create or perhaps they had their sites on something else.  After a lot of back and forth, massaging the terms, expanding the vision, this courtship has been solidified. I am over the moon with excitement, relief, and joy.  I cannot wait to introduce you!   We’re planning the coming out party now, so stay tuned.

Penny Profiler #33

Michi Suzuki & Jeanine Burke.  Movers and Shakers extraordinaire.  I can’t decide whether they have their fingers on the pulse or they are the pulse.  Their impressive credentials include being moms, business owners (see it for yourself at http://www.suzukichoumedia.com and http://www.windermere.com/agents/jeanine-burke-1), civic wonder women, animal lovers, cyclists, spirited friends, excellent cooks, drinkers, and disco dancers (although Jeanine really deserves the title on this one)… and this list just scratches the surface because the list goes on and on!  In the midst of all of that, they made time to deliver pennies for my project.  This blog feels a little like a modern day show & tell, that allows me to introduce you all to my special friends.  I think they’re pretty rad, neato, tubular, or whatever I would have said back in 1980.

Penny Profiler #32

Bo Maisano & Sue McCown. Sue is among my dearest friends and while she is worthy of my constant praise, Bo (her beau) deserves the credit for this penny endowment. 

The picture doesn’t do the 18 lbs of pennies justice.  These coins have been with him, a collection on the floor of his car, since he lived in Louisiana before 2000. Every so often, he would throw them in a bag when he cleaned the car. When he returned to New Orleans post Katrina, a new bag started and as he let me know, there are lots of dirty Katrina pennies in the midst too.  Moving around all of those years, the bag just came along for the trip, getting a little bigger year after year. It only shrank when he would rifle through it looking for quarters for the parking meter.  Then my callout arrived in his inbox for these little one scent wonders and he granted this loving collection a new home. 

When I think about one single penny and its seemingly minuscule worth, I think about the bigger collection.  By themselves they mean very little, but join them with a group and their union makes something very special and unique with beautifully woven stories.  So humbled they will be the ground floor to my first bar.

Subject to Public Opinion

My annual Wine Rocks event drew to a close last week drawing the praise of most who were in attendance, but not all.  An attendee who writes for the Seattle Weekly blog shared her disdain for the night and it was a reminder of an old lesson… “You can please some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time”.  I walked away feeling conflicted.  On one hand grateful that we were noticed, just not in the way I would have hoped.  And, no matter what the circumstances are, you don’t want people to leave with a bad taste in their mouth. 

This made me think of the scrutiny I will open myself and crew up to with a public establishment.  Brimmer & Heeltap will be subjected to even more reviews, especially as those that want to share experiences - good and bad - scratch that social media itch.   I just want all feedback to be overwhelmingly great. But I believe that no matter what we try to create or the level to which we try to control the factors ensuring an enjoyable experience, some people just won’t get it or won’t like us no matter what we do to make it better.  Let the thick skin begin growing extra layers.

Penny Profiler #31

Julia Jongsma. I am convinced that she was born in the wrong era or perhaps mixed in between a few.  A lovely lady that is straddled with women’s lib and free love.  She’s among the first to hug a tree, donate to kickstarter and promote a cause on seeyourimpact.org.   Her adoration of beer, wine, and all things booginish lure the best of us.  One of these years I’ll join her naked splendor and ride along side at the Solstice Parade.  Her laugh (and handkerchief episodes) are never to be forgotten.  While her butt may be in a different state at the moment, someday she’ll be back and be bellied up to the B&H bar and we’ll all be better for it.