Andrew, a qualified CA is the financial expert while Chris provides the food and beverage knowledge, having trained at the London School of Coffee.
The brothers think that South African legislation could increase its support of new businesses. Andrew believes that lighter labour regulations are needed, as well as easier access to capital. There are also many tax issues to be aware of.
"I believe there is over-regulation of smaller businesses. It's difficult to start a business and comply with all the laws when you should be concentrating on sales. The most difficult element about starting a new business is the first contract. Getting someone to believe in you is critical - reputations can be at risk with offering someone a new business contract. Fortunately, in a situation in which our initial capital was my house bond, my financial background meant that I was aware of all the requirements from a legislative and compliance perspective. It took us three years to break even before we made a profit, as we were constantly reinvesting back into the business."
They also advise that it is important to look around you for experts and mentors. In this vein, they make use of a business coach, both for themselves as well as for members of staff who receive promotions.
"We strive to operate at a higher level than other players in the same space. All new staff members have a proper induction and learn about the 16 non-negotiable aspects of our business that are included in our standard code of conduct. We make sure that we operate an ongoing in-house training programme to keep up those essential levels of quality," Chris concludes.
