hegesippe wrote: ↑Mon Dec 28, 2020 10:48 am
It is because I am studying the business and studying marketing that I had a big "Century of the Self, Adam Curtis" vibe from it. Exploiting the psychological for turning people into your product. Sure it work great, but I don't feel so good doing it.
But yeah, suck it up, right? This is how business works.
I am a bit too poetic about this stuff.
Oh, well, business school is full of bullshit. Don't listen to those people ha ha ha.
I did a bit of business school back in the day. I quit after a semester because the only value they held was money. But money is not a value. Society rewards sociopaths, but I don't want to be one.
A lot of what is taught in business schools is for corporate bureucrats. It doesn't apply to artisans or entrepreneurs. And there are many business models but it's up to you to identify yours. Also there are many kinds of business schools and business thinkers and business teachers.
Reason I like Godin is because I think he supports authenticity in marketing as well as good relationships with the customer in a non-cynical sense. He believes that you can provide real value to your customer, rather than just suck them dry. That's good business.
I also recommend reading e-myth but not as a fountain of values--the guy thinks McDonalds is the greatest business in the world. And maybe it is, but it doesn't agree with my values. But read it for the concepts, because it shows you the difference between being an artisan ("technician") and being a business person and it shows you how a business can kill what you love.
And having run a business I can identify with every single problem the writer presents, that being a business owner can be double the work if you don't do it right, and being self-employed and having a business are different things, and that you have to be smart about scripting roles and functions according to your values rather than be at the whim of randomness.
I don't agree with necessarily having a franchise, but that book made me realize was that it was better for me to have a profitable hobby than a "business." I hate business
(But ok, maybe some day again.) But yes, it's a great book, it hits the nail right on the head with the diagnostics. The cure may vary. But it's an important book for small business owners.
I get that you want to be an artisan and keep things "pure" but since you have to operate in the real world you will have to find a way to join or make a place for you to inhabit. Someone has to make the bakery happen for you to function, and being able to earn a living, with all the things that it entails. So it's either you or someone else. You decide. Whatever you choose, you'll have to make some concessions ("cons"
). These concessions don't have to be "bad," they can just de the demarcation of the limit of your capabilities. We all have limits.
And if you start a business, don't be afraid to tinker. This is the success of many startups: they start small, they try something, if it works they expand, if it doesn't they change it, etc.
And it's ok to fail, too, you're young and have nothing to lose. Failure can be experience if you don't let it burn you. Just don't go to jail because of "denunciations," that's a little
too much experience.
But seriously, America is great at startups because people are not as afraid of failure as Europeans. We see no shame in trying.
Anyway, don't be afraid to try and test and try and grow things organically with little expense. Don't use up the whole investment upfront but rather try to create a profit from the start, even if it is small, then as you build on success you can draw on more funding from your investor. Not sure if that makes sense? This way you learn by doing and you minimize your downside.
Of course being in the food business you're going to have health regulations and licenses and other things that are required and it's a good thing to follow to minimize risk for yourself and your customers. E.g. nobody wants rat shit in their bread, or a case of ergotism
Some regulations are important.
Anyway it would be a good exercise also to figure out what your values are so you can operate your business accordingly. Running your bakery by the business standards of a robber baron is not going to be for you, And again it takes time, practice, thinking, experimenting, etc. It's good to start young.
As a customer, I'll pay extra for values I find agreeable, and I think I can spot a phony (eg "greenwashing").
Good bread is essential, especially in your continent, and you've chosen a noble profession which is to feed people with a quality product, I don't see why your community would not welcome you with open arms.
Oh, and you can always be a monk if the business doesn't work. Check out this guy and this movie:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Espe_Brown
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0943512/
Best wishes!