Real Talk: The Truth About Running a Business

Let’s get straight to it. When I co-founded our local café, the dream wasn’t just about turning a profit. We set out to give something back making the café a heart-beat for the community, a hub for events, and yes, a sustainable little business.

But business, like life, isn’t static. Fast-forward 18 months and the landscape had flipped on its head:

• A surge of new competitors: From fresh cafés in town to local pubs morphing into daytime coffee spots, and a brand-new cafe-pub just down the road.

• Sales dropped. Footfall fell. The numbers didn’t lie: our original model was no longer fit for purpose.

The Crucial Fork in the Road: Close Shop or Change the Game?

This is where most entrepreneurs trip up. It’s tempting to ‘just try harder’, throw in a few more promotions, or hope customers return. But as the saying goes: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.”

I had a choice:

1. Call it quits.

2. Fight for survival by being ruthlessly adaptable.

How We Pivoted Our Café with Adaptability

Step 1: Assess Everything (No Sacred Cows!) We took a hard look at footfall, overheads, and customer spend. With more rivalry than ever, the traditional model simply couldn’t keep up.

Step 2: Embrace Bold Changes If you want different results, you must be bold. We cut back on staff, reduced opening hours, and crucially reimagined what the business could be.

Step 3: Build on Strengths, Not Weaknesses Both myself and my business partner had other food sector businesses a meal prep company and a coffee roastery so we decided to turn the café into a test station for new menu ideas and coffee blends. Suddenly, our unique blend of offerings couldn’t be copied by anyone else in the area.

Step 4: Target a clear, Overlooked Market Our café sits on an industrial estate with 150+ businesses. We switched focus to offer tailored lunchtime services, including exclusive delivery and pre-orders. Even a 5-10% uptake would keep our doors open and ensure we stayed relevant.

The Big Takeaway for Entrepreneurs

Adapt or die it’s that blunt.
The marketplace evolves faster than ever. Standing still is not an option. Through adaptability, we not only saved our café, but gave it a unique competitive edge and kept serving our community.

In my experience (and I’ve had plenty of business flops), the ventures that survive and thrive aren’t the ones that simply work the hardest they’re the ones willing to change when change is needed. If you’re willing to reimagine your business and pivot quickly, the possibilities are endless.

Join Me on My Mission

Every day I run, I do so for children’s causes. And with every mile, every storey, I hope I’m not just raising money but inspiring you to believe that even when things seem impossible, adaptability gives you the edge to keep going.

If you want more real-world lessons, business insights, or to follow my world-record run vlogging journey that’s saving children’s lives, hit Subscribe, Like, and Share! Together, we can change the world one step, one business, and one adaptable decision at a time.

Stay positive, stay happy and don’t fear change. Embrace it, and let it power your journey.