The Soap Box
Christi Johnson
Independent Business Study
The name of my business is to be the Soap Box. It will be a
health centered café and artistic hot spot. I will focus on local art, music,
poetry and other artisans such as jewelry makers. Works of art will be
available for sale with the artist getting the majority of the sale price and
myself getting a percentage for commission. I will be the owner and operator. I
will need a kitchen manager, a general manager, and myself to manage the
business. I will need several general level staff members with a decent amount
of experience in the food service industry. I will also need to hire two people
who are responsible for cleaning my establishment after closing.
The Kitchen Manager and General Manager will start out at a
salary of forty thousand per year with Blue Cross Blue Shield Benefits that I
will pay half of. I will endeavor to keep the Managers at fifty or so hours. My
general level staffing will make nine dollars per hour with a benefit package
available to them deducted from their paycheck weekly. My cleaning crew will be
paid minimum wage. All employees will receive a 25% discount on all our
products.
My desired location will be one of two places: downtown
Dunedin or downtown St. Pete. I will advertise in many ways. I will circulate
coupons to incite business in local papers. I will create business cards with
an item of interest free on the back of the card such as a free smoothie or
breakfast sandwich (with the purchase of another) to create incentive to draw
business. I will then hand out said business cards in places where I might find
my demographic. I will use VistaPrint and cheaper methods of printing and
advertising as I am trying to keep my start-up funds low until profit begins to
funnel down. I will use old fashioned networking and word of mouth putting in a
lot of hours on pavement to suffice this need. Two hundred fifty business cards
with VistaPrint can be printed for about twenty dollars. I would probably fulfill
an order of five hundred. There are many local papers that allow for free ads
if under a certain word count. I would use such means as social media (like
Facebook) as well. I would rev up fellow business owners in the area that might
lend support by helping me spread word of my new business. I would host a grand
opening party for the public to come see what I am all about.
I would being by being open from seven to eleven weekdays and
open longer on weekends as business demands until I could see what my prime
flow was and would honor those hours as I found them out.
I found financial backing through several means. I was able
to procure some money through personal backing of investors that believed in my
business model. I was also able to procure a small business loan from a local
community bank. I also added to this fund some money that I have been saving
for this exact moment. Altogether, I was able to procure one hundred thousand
dollars so that I might get through a majority of the year to justify expenses
until the profit margin regulates itself.
General Manager salary, one month: $3,400.00.
Kitchen Manager salary, one month: $3,400.00.
Five general level staff members, thirty hours each @ $9/hr.
$1,350.00
Two cleaning crew members @ 3hrs. per night @ $7.67 * 5
nights per week: $230.00
Benefits would not begin until after thirty days of
employment.
My salary is intentionally not included because I have
created a position to allow for this until profit margins rise (estimated three
to six months).
Rent for my small café: $1300.00.
Electricity: $800.00.
Food and supply expenses: $14,500.00.
Advertising: $300.00.
Total expense estimated for one month: $25,280.00.
Sales estimated for one month: $30,000.00.
Profit estimated for one month: $4,720.00.
Code of Ethics for the Soap Box Café:
·
There
is to be no swearing, arguing, or negative display on the sales floor or within
customer hearing.
·
There
will be no tolerance for racial, sexual, or religious intolerance.
·
There
will be no tolerance for sexual harassment.
·
There
will be no tolerance for taking anything that belongs to the company without
express written or verbal consent by management.
·
There
are to be no sales of a personal nature taking place on company property
without express permission of management.
·
There
will be no tolerance for intoxication or drug use of any sort while on the
company clock.
·
There
shall be no lying to achieve personal gain within the company structure.
·
Insubordination
is strictly discouraged. Open door policy is encouraged.
·
There
will be no tolerance for clocking anyone other than oneself into the company
time clock.
·
There
shall be no slanderous remark made regarding fellow employees. The open door
policy allows room for harmonic conversation with the intention of meeting
resolution or compromise.
·
All
employees are expected to be working in the best interest of the company (not
themselves) the entire time they are on the company clock.
·
Employees
must be mindful of their conduct while in uniform as they are being seen as a
representative of our business.
·
There
is to be no product made or supplied without being rung through the system.
Each code must be enforced individually as some represent
more severity than others. For minor violations, the procedure will be as
follows: first a verbal warning, then written warning, finally suspension or
termination. For severe policy breaches such as sexual harassment or drug use,
immediate termination may be necessary. The code will be in constant progress
but will be attended to directly twice per year in a manager meeting. The code
of ethics will be included in all new hire packets and will be posted in
employee areas of viewing.
Discrimination Policies and Procedures:
No tolerance of sexual orientation, race, gender, or religious
beliefs will be tolerated. Each employee that is hired as a part of our crew
was hired due to a certain set of skills or knowledge that will benefit our
company. Each employee is deigned the right to be who they are as long as they
do not cross the personal boundaries of other staff members. An atmosphere of
hostility or judgment will not be tolerated, and will be severely punished if
an air of malevolence is determined to be present in interpersonal dealings.
All new hire employees must work through an employee handbook
that will include company policies, code of ethics, discrimination policy, and knowledge
of our menu and operation. They will be quizzed and guided through training to ensure
that these mandates are understood from the beginning. There will be staff
orientation meetings where management will conduct question and answer sessions
at the end of training/orientation to ensure full understanding of all that is
required of staff members.
Policies on discrimination will be strictly enforced and
judged on a per case basis. The Owner/Operator shall be the sole deciding
factor in these matters though reporting manager will also be involved and
given sway.
Discrimination of all sorts must be reported immediately to
the manager on duty. The manager on duty must then immediately involve the
Owner/Operator. All acts of Discrimination will be taken to heart with utter seriousness
and will involve outside authorities if it is deemed necessary (especially if
sexual or racial in nature).
Our business will in essence be an anchor in the artistic
segment of our community. It will promise to maintain the utmost commitment to
our customers’ health and physical wellbeing. We shall be dedicated to offering
high levels of nutritional value along with a place where artists, poets,
musicians & creators of other sorts might come and network, express and
enjoy themselves. No judgment or negative speak of any sort shall be offered by
any employee at any time while on or off property regarding our business’
highlighted artists. All employees must show interest in understanding the
nutritional value of our products and be able to accurately explain to a guest
the dietary breakdown of our products (materials will be posted and provided).
All employees must register a mind-set of wellness in their conduct while at
work and hopefully while out of work as well. Our target demographic will be
those who earnestly wish to eat correctly and enjoy their food at the same
time. Foods will be organic and non-processed. Art will be local and in the
interest of helping up and coming artist support themselves and become known.
Our company will maintain the closest resonance to begin a
green company as is possible. All employees will please be mindful of waste,
whether product, electricity or time. Employees will be dedicated to staying
with recipes and standards as the menu was designed to adequately be mindful of
these things. Sensor lights will be placed in rooms that are not populated
often. Green paper products will be purchased and used solely. Styrofoam will
not be present anywhere on the property. Customers will be encouraged to bring
in their own travel mugs for a discount on smoothies, etc. Employees will be
educated and expected to uphold green policies. The Owner/Operator shall be
dedicated to staying on trend with her knowledge base on such matters.
Companies supplying product will be chosen per their green policies as well.
Liability is always a thought that must be had. Owner/Operator,
Management & Staff shall be mindful of OSHA procedures, healthy and safe
kitchen and work environment. Employees must wear non-slip shoes. Customers and
non-employee friend and family members must be aware of not crossing employee
area only lines. Wet floor signs must always be used when cleaning flooring.
Caution and care must be on the forefront of thought when preparing food,
serving food, cleaning, and executing all job functions. Safety, healthy and
OSHA policies will be posted in Employee viewing areas.
All policies will be written for and reviewed with new hire
employees. All policies will be posted in plain view for all employees. Any
changes will be discussed in a company-wide meeting. An open door policy will
be encouraged for all questions and concerns. Regular employee meetings will be
held along with food served to encourage harmony and morale among staff.
All policies will be strictly enforced as per descriptions in
the employee manual. All situations will be judged on a per item basis by
Management and Owner/Operator.
Anyone feeling they have been violated or have witnessed a
violation will be treated with respect and discretion. All such situations
should be reported to the Management on Duty and the Manager then will involve
the Owner/Operator. All such situations will be held in utter respect and
privacy to ensure the comfort of any reporting staff member.
As we are a small company, if possible the Manager on Duty
should always be the first to be told regarding any discrimination or policy
violation. However the Owner/Operator would like to exhibit a family atmosphere
where she may be approached with said concerns. The open door policy would hope
to encourage all problems/concerns an employee may have to be considered as
relevant and the staff should understand their privacy will be respected. The
ultimate goal is to create a harmonic work environment where hard work, honesty
and integrity are respected.
The Owner/Operator will also hold herself to these standards
and create an ideal for the hard work and honesty she expects from the staff
she hires.
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