NEW YORK—Starting a business can be a tough choice of leaving the familiar, and anyone considering it would be wise to learn as much as they can before starting out.
Entrepreneurship requires “passion that makes you jump that divide from doing something safe to doing something that’s really scary and could totally fail,” said David Weber, who founded Rickshaw Dumpling Bar in 2005. “And if it does, it’s completely on you—you can’t pass the buck to anybody else.”
After opening a successful flagship store in the Flatiron District off 23rd Street, success propelled Weber and his business partner into thinking bigger.
“We made one of the most common mistakes that people make in hospitality, which is ‘Wow, we’ve created this thing that’s really great. Let’s make one twice as big and make twice as much money,’” said Weber.
What we got was a bigger store with a much bigger rent, said Weber. The failed expansion got Weber contemplating a new strategy, something that would work better.
Weber spoke at a three-day event about entrepreneurship, America Means Business, started this year by the founder of the Stevie Awards.
We have an ongoing unemployment issue in this country. I thought, “What better than to start a way to help educate people about how to start their own company,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards, on Wednesday at Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St.
From June 13 to 15, a $10 cover charge buys access to unlimited professional business advice and talks from successful entrepreneurs.
A one-to-one counseling lounge with mentors from SCORE, a nonprofit with former business professionals that helps get small businesses off the ground, is available for event attendees.
Soossan Salmassi, founder of Reform Your Closet, speaking with a SCORE mentor said, “I’ve been spending a lot of my time—80 percent of my time—networking, and 20 percent of my time doing my business.”
“You need to reverse that,” the mentor said, and then suggested Salmassi start a blog and create a website.
“Whether someone already has a small business and needs help growing it, or somebody’s just dreaming of having their own business and doesn’t know where to start, this is a great event,” said Gallagher.
Events on Thursday during America Needs Business include Sales Fundamentals for the New Economy, 40 Hot, Inexpensive Businesses to Start, and Financing Options for Small Businesses.
As for Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, it has now expanded into four food trucks in addition to the original restaurant, and Weber has authored a book about his experience managing them.
“The food truck is an amazing way to beta-test a hospitality concept,” said Weber. “You test the brand. You test the operations. You see what people like about it.”
Find more here: http://www.americameansbusiness-nyc.com/
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