Posted by Sandy on December 17, 1998 at 07:49:17:
Years and years of working for others, working one on one and developing the skills and now it's finally come time for independence. The storefront is in a good location in a market area of customers with demanding tastes. The clients are supportive. The retail menu, specialty offerings, and advance orders are well-established and ready for expansion. The reputation of the owner is excellent among peers and the staff is hard-working and very skilled. The problem is this: How important is it to devote time and money and staff to constantly cleaning storefront windows, changing window displays, keeping the front retail area freshly painted and clean? Funds are limited and it seems the customers in a walk-in and take-out place wouldn't expect much in the way of ambiance as long as the products are perfect. It's hard to find anyone on the staff who wants to take time from working on their skills in the back room to mundane things like cleaning the retail area.