Oh what an exciting year.
Bad people got their just desserts and bad business people learnt that from now on Governments won’t allow them to play their dirty games any longer.
From my perspective 2011 was on full of good news.
On the personal side my wife went into full remission from her No Hodgins Lymphona, but later in the year diagnosed with Cardiomyopaphy. Four months later it was found to have reversed itself and she is now heading to a full and healthy life.
My son in Melbourne (Australia) opened a small bar (60 sq mts - licenced for 45 people) in an old shop that had become a deserted junkies shooting gallery. They struck a good deal with the owner, stripped it out did a great budget fitout thanks to help from friends who are plumbers, electricians and carpenters. They opened in a part of the city that is now just getting to be the “in place to be” targetting a specific young, hip and fashion market. They started off like a house on fire getting mass reviews and write ups in the Qantas and Virgin Domestic airline in flight magazines. They have just been recognised by the major newspapers in the top 10 “Happy hour” bars in Melbourne.
Business wise for us has been fantasic.
The first quarter was slightly down on the previous year with the end of the second quarter seeing us line ball with 2010. Quarter 3 saw us up 18% vs the same period last year, then all hEll broke out. We finshed Q4 up 49% or +30% adjusted to 2 weeks we were closed in October 2010 for a re-fit, to finish 2011 up 14.3%. It was great to pay the bills and still have money in the bank at the end of the month.
Technology wise we stepped up to the plate and out of the stone age by installing POS and 4 weeks later On-line ordering.
Twice during the year we were voted by the public amongst the best pizzas in the state and was finalist in the last one, run by the leading morning radio program.
Not so good was major increases to wages thanks to our Socialistic government who believes everyone deserves top pay for no qualifications and that this be paid by small business who are still struggling from the world wide monetary problems.
One major bad was hearing that our good friend and fellow TT’er Nick ceased trading among the fallout of the GFC. It is great that Nick still has his 2 cents worth here and that he is not forgotten.
We now look forward to 2012 with great enthusiasm as the shopping centre we are in undertakes major expansion and makeover. Already the delivery courtyard next to our shop has been redeveloped to 2 more food outlets and by the end of 2012 the real estate agent, local politicians office and a dentist will be moved to a new business precinct in the centre with their shops all becoming food outlets. This will mean all the exterior shops along one side will become eating premisies with upgrades to the building including alfresco dining areas outside our shop. The cinema at the centre along our front will double in size which means more people will be drawn to the centre.
Our online ordeing should take off as we step up advertising which hopefully will draw in new customers (already 60% of online customers have been new ones). Hopefully wages will reduce as the number of orders increase reducing the number of hours needed for order staff.
We will also be undertaking a major overhaul of our brand with new modern graphics, new signage and an overall overhaul of our operation to make us even better than we have been.
In closing I would like to thank everyone for their input to my posts and for the overall open discussion we have, be it if we agree or have different points of view.
May you all have a great send off to 2011 and that 2012 is as good to you as 2011 was to us.
Happy New Year to all.
Dave
Happy New Year to you, the family, and all the other TT’ers! :!:
Good on you, Dave. May 2012 be even better (and may your wife continue on the road to a full recovery!). Happy New Year!