Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Patrick McMurray, owner of ShuckerPaddy Oyster Co., located in Toronto, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is Everything Oyster - from Teaching & training, building menus, Oyster Bars, Consulting, and lectures on Ocean Sustainability.
Tell us about yourself
World champion and Guinness Book of world records oyster shucker, I have built two restaurants from scratch and consulted on many more. I am passionate about education and teaching people about restaurants and how the oyster can play a role in just about any menu.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is that I’ve built almost everything from one singular ingredient, the oyster. The two restaurants and traveling the world talking about oysters and helping people understand them is my greatest accomplishment to date.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing that comes of being a business owner is that you have to know everything. Business is 24/7 regardless of when you open and close for retail hours. I learned that on the fly but like to advise people as they’re getting into business - yes, you are “free to do anything you want” as a business owner, but you will be working all the time. You have to love it to own it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Top three tips for starting and growing a business today. Flexibility, foresight, and people relations.
Flexibility means that although you want to do one thing in business, you’d best be flexible and diversify your portfolio. A Restauranteur as a business needs to flex out in dining with take-away, with Events, with catering, with grocery store, with beverage program, retail and wholesale.
A restaurant could be at least seven different individual businesses, and in the post-pandemic business sense is wise to diversify and be able to work all aspects of F&B.
Foresight means restaurants should be looking at least six months out at all times. If you were planning your December festivities on November 30, there’s not enough time to plan and promote. 3 to 6 months out is your best timeframe, and set your calendar on a yearly basis and think forward. Watch trends and listen to your customers to see what’s coming up next.
People relations, meaning both customer and staff should always be in a positive light. The customer comes third in my mind. Ingredients first, staff who serve that ingredient second, when those two are happy (great ingredients & great staff), then the customer will be happy. Having the relationships between customers and staff as equal will create a happier environment to work in for all.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://shuckerpaddy.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shuckerpaddy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShuckerPaddy
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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