Golf and Ghost Stories

I am avid golfer, playing whenever I get the chance(practically everyday!). I have been playing for the past three years and it is this couple months that we have been talking about ghost stories.

Very prominent is the story of the headless chap(persumbly looking for his head) walking about the course in the evening. It was due to this(apparently) that the club decided not to continue with night golfing.

There was also another great story of (at that same course) two golfers teeing off on a par three. One of the golfers shot a great tee shot on to the green for a birdie putt when both of them heard a clap and someone saying "Good shot!". They both turn around and saw no one around there. I believe these guys almost peed in their pants.

There of course was another story regarding golf balls. It seems there was this hole that when your ball lands on the fairway but disappears. But when you turn around lots of golf balls appear. Shivers!!! Remember do not pick up any of these balls as the spirit of the ball will follow you back home to create havoc on your very life!!

This of course are great stories to tell when you want to ensure that your playing partner get the shivers and starts to loose their focus while you trash them on the course. Believe me it worked. My friend after hearing stories of such tee off two air balls!

Cheers and Good "Putting"

Starting your own restaurant?

I have been a caterer for many years and notice that many people have tried to start their own catering business. Either by opening a restaurant or doing home catering business, most come a way disappointed, disillusioned and a couple (thousands) of dollars poorer.

Why? The reason many get into the business is because it is a so called cash business and they probably know how to cook a couple of things. But they fail to see other aspects of this business. This is invariably a business. Not just the ability to cook but rather the ability to manage a business.

A business needs planning, marketing, financing and a major of other “stuff”. So how do we go about it?

Most businesses fail due to the fact that it does not have sufficient capital. Similarly in the catering business it is the same. Supposing if you have, say, fifty thousand in your bank account. You could purchase a existing restaurant for thirty or so. Now you are the proud owner of a restaurant, but have you considered the fact the you would need sufficient capital to manage the restaurant. Ah, you would probably say, well we will have daily cash sales to sustain the operation. Well true, but how much? It is enough to purchase your daily stocks, would you have enough to have to pay for you employees and finally to pay for your rental and utilities?

Then like most people I have come across, I could borrow from the bank. Well, the bank will firstly need to see how your profit and loss is like, say three years. Do you have? Heavens NO! It is a new operation you say. Then do you have any property that you can pledge to the bank? This is a tricky one. This mean you are personally guaranteeing your entire life to the bank. Should anything happen there you go….down the drain.

So what I have been trying to say is to run a restaurant is not an easy venture. I have personally seen many open ventures only to see it closed the very next. However not all is loss. Out of 10 restaurants that open probably one will survive.

Till the next time Bon Appetitie