Natasha Partridge is ready to move. Her café’s original location, with a furnace installed the same year she was born, is draining her. “Everything I earn goes right back into the cost of this building,” she sighed.
She’s moving to Manistee’s revitalized downtown, changing up the menu and even the name. Look for The Buzz opening summer 2025.
Partridge has been consulting Initiate resources for each step of the move, with help from her Northern Initiatives business coach, Mary Bickel, who shares relevant links and templates, then talks over them with Partridge. This “blended learning” approach is working out great for Partridge, who has tons of restaurant experience, but not a lot of cash-flow experience. “That’s the one that trips me up the most,” she said of cash flow. “It’s mainly a projection.” She’s also working on payroll and marketing expenses, finding clever ways to provide quality jobs while maybe, someday, paying herself too.
A new Good Jobs inventory in Initiate can help. Business owners and managers can check what they’re already offering, which includes:
- Written job descriptions
- Paying a living wage (with living wage calculator)
- Offering transit, housing, or other allowances
- Ensuring that all have equal access to resources, opportunities and services
- Consistent scheduling with a minimum of two weeks notice (with a list of cities/states that require predictive scheduling)
Once the checklist is completed, Initiate offers suggestions and improvements business owners can make. “It’s a great way to learn how to attract and retain a strong workforce,” said Jessa Armstrong, Initiate Product Manager.
Besides the café(s), Partridge also caters – weddings, business meetings, and family reunions are popular. And she has a full-time job at night at a local hotel. And four really fun grandkids who live nearby. (The time management resources in Initiate could be developed by her!)
Looking through the financial picture she drew using Initiate’s resources painted a picture that helped guide her move downtown. Her marketing dollars are now channeled where it’s most effective (radio only in the summer, a billboard, no newspaper advertising) and she’s making more use of social media by joining community groups and placing strategic ads.
She’s also having a blast designing the new downtown café. “I want it to be a place Realtors and lawyers will bring customers,” she smiles, “and younger vibrant millennials will want to hang out but it still appeals to seniors.” Easy-peasy, right? For the record, the color scheme is green, gold, and pink.
