Small Business Man (6) - Hidden Operational Details

I went out with a few friends to a Sens game a couple of weeks ago. In between puck drops, they asked me how things were going at YourSuit; one of them in particular wanted to know about business matters that I hadn't anticipated. He's been thinking about starting a small business as well so we talked a bit about "stuff you don't realize you need to do when you run a business", a.k.a. hidden operational details. Our talk reminded me of the early stages of Breaking Bad, minus the violence and illegal activity (haha).

Sometimes it can feel this way.

It was a pretty interesting chat, so I thought I'd share. Here were some of the hidden operational details we talked about:

Don't make promises you can't keep. 

This goes without saying, but in application it can be very difficult. I can't tell you how many times I've had an inquiry from a potential client who needed a suit within a very short time frame. Sometimes it's tight, but with some careful planning it can be accomplished, such as the suit that was constructed for Jacques Martin this January.

Jacques Martin (from ESAFE) in a checked suit for his son's wedding.

Another shot of Jacques suit (100% wool) and shirt (100% cotton).

There have been cases where I thought the turnaround time, though tight, was doable, but I ended up declining. It sucks, because as a small business owner I'm always looking to increase business, but I have to be logical; there is no use taking on something if you can't deliver. A missed opportunity is always better than a failed opportunity. So, if you're not 100% sure you can do it, don't.

Be neat and tidy.

In their politest tone, my friends would describe me as a clean freak, but neat and tidiness has almost reached another level since I began operations. This is definitely something I hadn't thought about at first. Most client consultations (suit measurement, fabric selection, etc.) happen in my own home, so I always do a quick sweep of my space before clients arrive; sometimes it feels like I'm having an open house every day. What I cook also becomes a factor if I have a one-on-one with a client that day; ideally, I'd want the house to smell like nothing, so I try my best to stay away from cooking aroma-rich foods. (If you cook at home regularly, you'll understand how challenging this can be.)

It's not always easy being clean, but it's worth it.

Since it's winter, there's also the added effort of making sure the driveway is cleared and the steps are salted. There have been times where I've completely forgotten about the snow until the last second, so minutes before clients arrive I'm shoveling and salting like a mad man, all the while trying to make sure I don't break a sweat so I look fresh when clients arrive.

Treat start-up costs as start-up experiences.

Not all start-up costs are necessary, but that doesn't mean you should skimp on all start-up costs. Small things, like business cards, registering a domain name, etc. are necessary for businesses, so these are easy to justify. However, there will be bigger investments, and I've found that you really do need to treat them as investments (as opposed to 'costs'). My brain seems to always look at these as cash outflows, which they are, but they're also investments in the business and, if executed properly, should yield returns in the future. I often need to remind myself that these start-up costs are more like seeds; you lose them as they're buried into the ground, but in time they'll provide you valuable shade.

TRY to DIY before you outsource.

Businesses outsource all the time, mainly because they (1) Don't want to do it, (2) Don't have time to do it, or (3) Don't know how to do it. Outsourcing makes logical (and economical) sense in many cases because businesses can delegate things they're not good at and just focus on their specialties. However, if you don't have the funds to outsource, you'll have to rely on other means. In my experience, I'd highly recommend small business owners (or anyone, for that matter) use a DIY approach; it's amazing what you can learn from trying.

A true champion.

When YourSuit started, I shopped around for a graphic designer. But after seeing some of their prices and works, I opted to watch YouTube videos and learn some basic Inkscape tools instead. I spent way too much time clicking and drawing, making thousands of mistakes, but I ended up creating a logo that I was happy with, and it was a good learning experience (not to mention, free!). I can say the same thing with regards to discovering some basic web design tools, creating office templates, etc. If you try to DIY, you may realize that you have skills you never thought you had, which can save you money in different ways; you won't have to pay someone else, you'll gain valuable skills/experience and you'll have a better idea of what kind of work really goes into the specific types of services you require (which will make evaluating vendors and suppliers a lot more straight forward in future).

Get used to thinking about your business. All the time.

Remember this line from the Hangover?

I laughed so hard the first time I watched it. This is the attitude from a lot of employees out there; work responsibilities don't exist after 5PM. For business owners, there is no such luxury. Having your own thing and working for yourself is exhilarating, but it can takes its toll. I was humbled to hear my buds say that they admired what I've been doing with YourSuit, but I did tell them that it's not always fun and games. When you put your name on something, you really do take it to heart, and no matter how hard you try to relax, some part of your mind will always be on your business, especially if something's gone wrong.

Just like the name suggests, hidden operational details are, for the most part, hidden. They're usually small things that add up to something significant. Other items were discussed, but these were the ones I remembered most. I hope this was somewhat helpful/insightful. If any of you have any hidden operational details, please feel free to share.

Happy February, everyone.

Happy New Year

And just like that, 2015 became history. Time sure flies as you get older, especially come holiday season.

Over the break, I was able to squeeze in a few clients before the ball dropped. I got to meet up with Marc Mathieu, a payment guru at TD, for some new threads to go with his 2016 wardrobe. Marc had seen a navy suit made for Justin Briginshaw and wanted something similar; it'll be ready in the New Year.

Some options for Marc.

I also met up with Beamish from MPC Physio (located in Kingston); he's an old friend of my sister's and was looking for a fresh suit and some shirts. Being the fit guy that he is, he finds shopping for clothes a bit harder; he's a rainbow-size kind of gentleman, in that he needs a combination of S, M and L for most of his clothes. Hopefully going custom will fulfill his needs.

My sister's baby, Jocelynn, catches Beamish and I in the act.

Finally, a few familiar faces stopped by to test out their finished products. In preparation for the slew of presentations he'll be doing while enrolled with Sprott School of Business, Jake Wilson got suited up in a grey pinstripe.

Jake, from the back... or is it EK65?

Mr. Gray also swung by to pick up his black suit and teal shirt. He's actually going to be off to the Dominican in about a week for a wedding; given that the temperatures have dropped significantly, the timing could not have been better for him to escape this frigid weather.

Mr. Andrew Gray.

And that's how we finished off 2015. I'd like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year. Cheers, friends.

Small Business Man (5) - Knowledge Transfer

The subject of knowledge transfer came up when I was chatting with a good friend of mine, Umair (or Mr. Sandhu, as I like to call him). We used to work together as COOP students back in the day, and we've remained good friends since. I had the pleasure of making him a suit earlier in the summer.

About a month ago, he and his wife invited my wife and I over for some fine home-cooked Pakistani cuisine. Halfway through dinner, his father stopped by to say hello. Umair's father is a local Ottawa businessman and happens to own Salang Kabob House, a restaurant on Carling. They serve Afghani style food, and to this day it's one of my go-to places when I want a good meal. (If you happen to go, make sure you order naan - it's my favourite.)

Anyway, Umair's father has owned various small businesses in Ottawa, but Salang Kabob House is a relatively new venture in his portfolio. I found out that while his father enjoys running his small businesses, the restaurant is his favourite, and consequentially his passion.

"Kind of like you and YourSuit," Umair said to me.

Having worked in the finance and assurance field, I learned that a key formula for building and growing a restaurant business heavily relies on spreading out salary expenses over multiple locations, though I'm sure this can also be applied to various other industries. Opening a restaurant requires a lot of investment, but one of the biggest components is staff; specifically, a manager. Or, should I say, Mr. Manager.

Arrested Development, for the win.

If you have one restaurant, you need staff. If you have two (or more) restaurants, you'll need more staff. But, you may be able to employ one manager to oversee multiple locations. One manager salary, but multiple revenue generating locations, equating to reduced cost and (hypothetically) increased profits. Sounds pretty straight forward.

But in comes the challenge of knowledge transfer. It doesn't matter if it's something administrative like supply chain management, or operational like following recipes. Knowledge transfer is not easy, because knowledge is not always written down in a manual. Knowledge is often related to experience; a lot of what you experience is on the fly, based on your gut instinct and not taught from a book. Therefore, it's not what's inside a manual that's important, but what ISN'T in the manual. From what Umair's told me, his father's long-term goal is to grow the restaurant and potentially open a new location. But a new location requires training, and as much as we'd like to think new hires can follow instructions, it's often not the case. The challenge is even bigger when dealing with a unique product.

"It's like when you try and follow one of your mother's recipes," said Umair. "You can follow it all you want, but it won't taste as good. Not for a while, at least."

Replicating is no easy task.

This statement is very true. Rarely does something work on the first try, or even after several tries. By the time you get it right, customers may have already gone elsewhere. I've ran into a couple business owners who have encountered this problem. Either that, or they are having trouble scaling their operation.

Umair and I talked about Salang a bit more before he asked me about YourSuit; specifically, how I envision expanding it. I've been very fortunate so far and haven't allowed myself to think too far ahead. It's hard to think how I'd scale this operation, especially since I touch (literally) every single sale.

"It's like being the cook," said Umair. "How are you going to write down your recipe so you don't have to cook all the time?"

This is why he's a good guy to be around; he always makes me think. I'll get back to you on that, Umair.

Our wedding day, with the Sandhu's by our side.

the Diplomat

I had been meaning to post earlier as I figured November may be a quiet month, but to my surprise, things actually picked up a bit.

Eric Tamayo, a diplomat stationed here in Ottawa, reached out to YourSuit during November, inquiring about a tuxedo. He said he needed it for the first week of December; I thought he may have been a groom who forgot to make wedding suit arrnagements (a common occurrence, unfortunately). But, I later discovered that he'd been asked to attend a diplomatic Black and White Ball and was only informed of it hours before he emailed me, hence the rush.

Normally, I don't take on such rush orders because the margin for error becomes supremely thin, and the major issue is not in the suit itself, but in the logistics (which is left up to the gods of parcel service). I'm always up for landing a client, but not at the expense of failing to deliver on a promise, and rush orders run that risk. I looked over the timeline and decided that we could do it.

Eric's a busy man, so the only time we were able to meet was one early morning in mid-November.

A busy diplomat in the morning - note the two cellphones!

What caught me by surprise was Eric's attention to detail. For a man who was in a rush to get a tuxedo, he was very calm and had thought a lot about what he wanted prior to our consultation. I rarely get clients who want classic tuxedos, but Eric had planned on going full out, complete with tuxedo studs and satin pant stripes. He also asked that the front dress shirt placket be hidden, a request that I rarely, rarely get.

The classic satin stripe, a.k.a. the military pant line.

We conversed for a while about suits, work and life; being a diplomat, he's well-traveled and was even stationed in Tokyo, Japan for a time. I wanted to ask him so many questions about Tokyo (I've always wanted to visit), but our time was limited. After about an hour, we finished up and shook hands. He left to catch a flight and would return to Ottawa a few days later.

I met up with him this past weekend for his fitting. His wife came along with him to give the final verdict. Fortunately, for both Eric and myself, the wife approved.

The Black and White Ball was held last night in Ottawa. I was not in attendance (obviously!) but I was able to snap this picture of Eric during the weekend fitting. It's not everyday I get to see a client fully dressed in a tux, complete with tuxedo studs and all, so it was very refreshing to see such class on a man.

Locked and loaded for the Black and White Ball.

Cheers, Eric. May we meet again soon.

Small Business Man (4) - Remain Calm

One thing I've really had to work on in the last little while is to remain calm. Or, as Michael Scott puts it, "chillax".

It would be great if businesses ran smoothly without error. It'd be like the application matching the theory, to a tee. But when was the last time you had something go as smoothly as planned? Most of us aren't that fortunate.

For YourSuit, running smoothly would mean that the made to measure suit fits the client on the first try. It's precisely why I don't rush measuring, and also why I ask clients to bring along a suit they already own as reference. Together, we do our best to construct the ideal fit in the client's mind, but you'll never truly know how everything works until the final product is ready.

Despite my efforts to 'chillax', I still get nervous every time a client comes to try out their new custom suit. I'm anxious the moment I hand it to them. There's a rush the moment the items are transferred; clients get all excited about seeing the fully constructed suit, running their hands over the material and feeling the inside lining. We chat about the colour, the lining and share a few laughs. Sometimes, the client's better half has accompanied them to the fitting and gives his/her two cents. "See! I told you pink lining would be cool!" they often say. But throughout this entire time, all I'm thinking is God I hope you like the fit. Please, please tell me you haven't gained or lost any weight.

The client steps into the change room and starts suiting up. I'm left alone, waiting outside, listening intently to their every move; the click of the the door closing, the swift brush of fabric as it's hung on a hook, a belt unbuckling, the light tapping of the client's feet against the floor. (Am I creepy or what?)

On the outside, I'm all smiles. But on
the  inside, I probably look like this.

All I can think about is what's happening on the other side of that door. I know I'll see the client again in a few seconds, but from the moment they disappear from my sight to the moment I see them again feels uncomfortably long. To help my anxiety, I've started playing 90's Hits (via Songza) in the background during client fittings to break this intense silence. It helps, a little.

Nothing like a little Ace of Base to chill you out...

Finally, after a verse and chorus, the client steps out. I shake off my anxiety and together we have a look at the finished product. I've never asked, but a part of me believes that the client is probably just as nervous as I am. The client steps in front of a mirror, admires the appeal of a fresh suit and might even twirl a few times to see how they look from all angles. I pull up a chair so they can feel how the suit fits when seated. After this test drive, they deliver the final verdict.

If the fit is perfect, then it's Christmas. I've witnessed many clients slip on that perfectly fitted suit; their eyes open up and a grin warms up their face, even if they try to hold it in. They check themselves out a few more times, might snap a few photos, and then change out. This is precisely what happened at EncoreFX a few weeks back:

If an alteration is needed, then we make it happen. I used to feel extremely disappointed when an alteration was required; it was as if I let the client down. I'd look over all the measurements again, trying to pinpoint why something didn't quite work the way it was supposed to. On top of that, I'd start thinking about other suits I currently have on the go; do the same problems exist? My mind would start snowballing, creating stress.

Though I hate admitting it, my wife is consistently the voice of reason. It's easy to feel down and out if you're expecting perfection every single time. She reminds me that going custom is a very specific and detailed process; alterations should be expected, and getting things right on the first try should be the anomaly. Getting the suit tweaked is not a failure; it's more that the suit was 99% there and just needs a little help for the last 1%. And stressing out over that last 1% is not worth it.

I'm still working on this mentality. It's tough to get anything 100% right on the first try, so it's important to remain calm and 'chillax' when things don't go quite your way. You are your own worst enemy sometimes, and I can definitely attest to that. In the end, things will get done and problems will be resolved.

The (Ace of Base) beat will go on.

Affordable Ways to Care for Your Suit

Most people don't like doing laundry, and the option of using a dry cleaner puts a dent in your bank account. When it comes to caring for suits and shirts, it can be even more annoying. But, there are some relatively easy - and affordable - solutions out there for the budget conscious individual.

1. USE SUIT HANGERS

Suit hangers (a.k.a. U-shaped/curved hangers) are really good for hanging suits, jackets and blazers and they do not cost a fortune. Thicker, and with rounded sides, they help retain the shoulder shape of the jacket. Because they are curved, they also take up more space; while this may be a nuisance for those who have a cluttered closet, the extra space is meant to give the suit more air to breathe and fall back into its original shape. 

2. AVOID DRY CLEANING IF YOU CAN

This isn't just to protect your wallet. Dry cleaning can be a very tough, rigorous process and it uses lots of chemicals which damage your cloth fibres over time. It weakens the fabric and breaks it down. The tumbling that is done at most dry cleaners is so aggressive that machines actually have a button catcher to collect all the buttons that may fall off during the process. The buttons caught are collected and then resewn onto a customer's garment, leaving customer clueless of what happened. Reducing or avoiding the dry cleaners saves you on dry cleaning bills and increases the longevity of your suit.

Avoid if possible.

3. DON'T STUFF YOUR POCKETS

Lots of suits come with the pockets sewn shut, mostly because the pockets are there for aesthetics. I've always disliked this because pockets are really useful, so what's the point in having one if it's sewn shut? It's completely fine to use suit pockets as long as they aren't stuffed or outstretched; doing so can affect the way the suit looks and over time it can cause permanent creases or splits. Clean out your wallet so that it doesn't get too bulky; you could even try a slimmer wallet to restrict the clutter.

Does your wallet look like this?

 

4. DON'T SIT FOR LONG PERIODS WHILE WEARING YOUR JACKET

Sitting in a suit jacket doesn't cause any damage, but if you sit for long periods of time it can cause creases that are harder to get out, which could lead to higher dry cleaning bills. A mild crease from wearing a suit jacket will usually resolve itself if hung up; gravity pulls the fabric downwards and the creases diminish. But, if you sit in an office chair with your jacket on for the entire day, the creases will be a lot harder to get out, especially in the back. So, if you can, take your jacket off while you're sitting; try hanging it up in a closet or on the back of a chair.

5. GET A FABRIC STEAMER

By far the most significant cost saver. A household fabric steamer can save you a lot of money, and the upfront cost could be as low as $50-$60, depending on what you buy. A decent steamer doesn't take up much space in a home and will be able to get out wrinkles within a few minutes. I purchased an upright steamer from a retailer for about $60 including tax and it does the trick for most jackets and pants. Considering that a trip to the dry cleaners could cost me the same amount, a household fabric steamer really saves money in the long run.

One thing I will note about my $60 fabric steamer: it doesn't do a good job on shirts. Perhaps if I splurged on a better steamer (FYI I've heard that the J-2000 is amazing, costing about $300 CDN) I wouldn't have this problem. But even at $300, you'd probably make back the savings within a year or two (depending on how often you use the dry cleaners).

Cheers!

Small Business Man (3) - A Marco Memoir

One of my favourite by-products about working independently is the opportunity to meet and connect with individuals that I would not have otherwise met. This past September I attended Lucas Haneman's wedding; he's an old high-school friend of mine and he commissioned YourSuit to make suits for his groomsmen. Included in his party was Marc-Olivier Vezina-Bedard, or Marco, for short. Here's a picture of the group at the wedding:

L to R: Mubarak, Nevill, Marco, Tyler and Lucas.

Like Lucas, Marco is a fellow musician, though he resides in Montreal as opposed to Ottawa. He travels occasionally to Ottawa for gigs, many of which are performed with Lucas. At the wedding ceremony, Marco played some tasteful interlude music while papers were being signed. I took a small clip of it here:

Afterward, Marco and I chatted; musicians tend to have the craziest stories so I always look forward to hearing about their background. Making a living off of music is no easy task, but both Lucas and Marco are doing it, which I find incredibly impressive and admirable. I asked Marco about how he supports himself through gigs and what types of styles he's able to play. Not surprisingly, his musicianship spans across all sorts of genres, and because of this he currently has a library of over 2,000 songs - memorized in his head - which he can recall and play at a moment's notice.

I asked Marco if he uses a Fake Book. For those who don't know what a Fake Book is, it's essentially a large book that provides a musician the arrangement and chords for songs; if a hired musician shows up at a gig and doesn't know a particular tune, he can open up a Fake Book and find the song and sight-read the chord progressions as the band is playing it. The book looks like a giant dictionary, though nowadays many just use a tablet.

Marco took a drag from his cigarette and shook his head.

"I don't," he said, exhaling. "I don't like it."

"Why not?" I asked him.

"If I play out of a Fake Book, I'm not really playing," he replied. "I'm reading. I'm being cautious. Any time a musician plays, he's taking a risk. He's keeping time or flirting with time. He's supporting or being supported. If he screws up, it could either be the best thing or worst thing that happened to him."

I nodded. He went on.

"If I play out of a Fake Book, I might as well just press play on a record player. There is no risk in that. No creativity either," he said. "I play because I want to play. I want the risk because it could turn into something beautiful."

We talked a little while longer before heading to the reception. I've been thinking about what he said about the Fake Book ever since. About risk, reward and the opportunity to create something beautiful. Not relying on a Fake Book is a lot like being a small business owner; you choose not to go with the conventional and risk being a screw up. You are not guided and you flirt with your own rules. But, you may just create something beautiful.

Cheers to those who live and play outside the Fake Book. May your risks be rewarded and your creations be beautiful.