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FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD TO THE CAFÉ, JUST IN TIME FOR COVID

Born and raised in India, Kushboo Badiyani moved to New Zealand to study business and information management, a month into her studies, she met her husband.

Most of her career was spent in the corporate field as an internal auditor until she took the plunge into hospitality just before the first COVID lockdown in 2020.

“In 2010 my husband wanted to start his own business, so I supported him by continuing to work my corporate role until we were in a financial position for me to quit my job and start my own business in hospitality,” said Badiyani.

After working in a corporate environment for so long, Badiyani was looking for a big change and flexible lifestyle.

“Being a real foodie and coffee fan, I had my sights set on opening my own café.”

The opportunity arose in 2019 when Emirates Leisure Retail offered a partnership to buy the Master Franchise rights for Hudsons in New Zealand. There are three Hudsons stores in New Zealand. The first at Auckland Airport, and the other two in Wellington, which Badiyari owns.

Badiyari took on this opportunity just six weeks before the first lockdown in New Zealand.

“I gave up a successful, decadelong career to set up a business in hospitality, to then grapple with a lack of cash flow, supply chain issues, and plans to open a second site put on hold. We also had shopfitter bills and stock payments to be made.”

Despite a turbulent first year, Badiyari has no regrets. She has come out of the ordeal stronger and having learnt some good lessons.

“Lockdown gave us an opportunity to take time off to review our menu options, pricing, and internal procedures.”

Now, Badiyari enjoys making someone else’s day.

“People are the heart of this job – customers, the team, suppliers, contractors, anyone! I get the most satisfaction knowing people are enjoying Hudsons coffee, food, service, and ambience.”

Badiyari’s Hudsons franchises are owned by Emirates Leisure Retail Australia (ELRA) – part of the high-profile Emirates Group.

“They truly understand coffee and the customer experience, so as the Master Franchise operator in New Zealand, I knew I was in safe hands,” Badiyari said.

With support from ELRA, Badiyari overcame the challenges of opening a new business during Covid by monitoring internal and external factors affecting the business and receiving valuable advice from local experts such as

the Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ).

Like every other business, there is always financial risk involved, whether it is franchised or independent, says Badiyari. These risks include funding, sales, profit, and cashflow management.

“I found my internal audit experience from the corporate world allows me to better understand and manage these risks,” she explained.

“I have a good understanding of what ‘good’ looks like, for different business processes.”

For Badiyari, hospitality is about having a passion for customer service and doing the right thing by the customer, and she feels that Covid has widened the industry horizons, and newbies are being welcomed and supported more than ever. She recently opened a Hudsons in Kapiti in June and were the winners of the 2021 Sweet As Hutt Hot Chocolate Challenge for their ‘Three’s a Charm’ drink.

For those beginning their hospitality journey or plunging into ownership, Badiyari offers some advice, before making the big leap.

“Find the right location, with reasonable rent. Ensure you have effective supply chain arrangements, a marketing strategy, good recruitment and training programmes, and most importantly, funding.

“Choose your franchise partner well. When you buy a franchise, you buy the rights to use the brand name. For mutual respect and benefit, it’s important you connect well with the brand you choose, at a personal level. Get to know the brand. Their history. Their values.

“Lastly, seek financial and legal advice, understand how much the royalty is and what it covers, and know your budget.” all need to find ways around it to manage our businesses.”

The hospitality industry isn’t going anywhere, says Badiyari. It has slowed down a bit, but it will gain traction again. People enjoy eating, drinking and socialising, and the businesses that are adapting are seeing positive and faster recovery.

Badiyari also offers advice for experienced owners struggling with the effects of Covid.

“Talk to the franchisor, engage with local industry experts, pin down the areas that are not working well in your business, and finally, take some action. If you can make improvements, great! If not, work on an exit strategy to minimise losses.

“Covid is here to stay, so we