M O N E Y M AT T E R S
SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS: YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY MATTERS
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BY LAURA DORSEY
ost people believe if they start a new business, they must be good capitalists and love money. The reality is many business owners and entrepreneurs do not succeed because they do not have a good relationship with money. To make money, it must become a prominent part of every business day. With the current economic situation, it is natural for small business entrepreneurs to have a growing concern about surviving. One of the critical ways for entrepreneurs to survive is to find innovative sources of income. A transformation in the way businesses function is not certainly a bad thing. It launches new opportunities. “Entreprneur” suggests asking yourself, ‘How can I operate a business and offer customers our services in this new business lifestyle?’ Adapting to the changes in the economy is how businesses make it through difficult times. According to “Entrepreneur,” this time is a new opportunity for businesses to evolve in a new, unfamiliar market. Research provides a few suggestions for a changed mindset of entrepreneurs to increase that relationship with their money.
FOOD TRUCKS Food trucks are mavericks, bringing restaurant cuisine to where no chef has cooked before. “Forbes” estimates that this $985-million industry 26 ONYX MAGAZINE
is noticeably missing from relief aid. Food trucks were created out of a need for change: food trucks could reach a wider range of customers less expensively. Trucks are having to think outside the box yet again. Their usual customers—pedestrians strolling the streets and office workers checking out for lunch—are confined to their homes. Pivoting is part of the food truck life if you ask any food truck owner. The fundamental idea with food trucking is to go where people are. Some food trucks are striking deals with businesses or property owners to let them park in their lots. Diners can find some of the tastiest BBQ in Central Florida in neighborhood food trucks.
CREATIVITY Creativity is at the foundation of every business. It may appear sufficient just to keep the doors open, shelves stocked and business staffed in challenging times. However, it is the scalability and fluidity unique to small businesses that allow owners to react quickly and flex their creative muscles. The pandemic has, without question, put creativity to the test. One of the Orlando area’s major entrepreneurs who flexed their creative ideas was CB Bistro, owned by Monica May and George Ashford. Caterings Best Events was a high-end event planning entity catering to large parties in multiple venues Caroline and Justini Carter staffed by skilled professionals. Creativity changed the venue to CB Bistro.
