Horizon | Alternative Small Business Financing Solutions

Loaning a look at the business of BBQ

By horizon | Published May 23, 2013

For some people warm weather means one thing: barbecue. The Wall Street Journal weighed in on the culinary favorite last weekend calling for a shake-up. In “The New Barbecue” Josh Ozersky wrote,

“Don’t get me wrong—barbecue is our great American food, a high art attained through years of patient training by men as single-minded as samurai. But it has also become stagnant and so dogmatic that many pit masters haven’t changed their recipes or routines in decades. “

Debate surround BBQ is not new. The National Barbecue News calls itself the “world’s number one publication dedicated to the sport of barbecue.” In 2004 discussion forum on starting your own BBQ business a professional notes the difficulties,

“What is the first things to do? Who do you go to for help on the legal aspects? Are there any restrictions to what you can cook, or license needed? There are more questions about getting started than there are types of foods you can cook. IMHO, if you are thinking of starting your own business, start by asking yourself how bad do you really want to do this. Do you have the patience dealing with the general public it takes? You got up at 4am, to get started, scramble to get the cooker started, double check your inventory for the day, make plans for someone to go to the store for what you forgot. You have the meat cooking, is it going to be done in time for lunch or do you slow it down for dinner time. You have stood out there all day working your tail off, when someone comes back during your busiest time of day, complaining loudly that the chicken is not done. You try to explain to them that the red around the bone is normal for indirect heat & smoke, and that the meat would not fall off the bone if it were not done, while the rest of your customers leave not wanting raw food, (this does happen sometimes). Then there is the cost of getting started, for equipment, insurance, inventory, storage containers, etc, etc, etc. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very rewarding business-but there is more to it than just having a good rub or recipe that your friends all love. I have done it for years (so long that when I die my skin will be cured form the smoke I won’t need to be enbalmed) and would not give it up for anything. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and persue your dream-just don’t let it turn into a nightmere….”

While some of the respondents were up for the challenge. Others seemed content to BBQ at home.

A more recent look at “The Business of BBQ” comes from a college student exploring a local barbecue business on camera:

Posted in restaurant financing, Restaurant Loans, Uncategorized

‘Rustic’ vacation spots loan chance to clear head

By Small Business Financing | Published May 20, 2013

www.guestcaboose.com

“Swinging in the treetop,” writes New York Times writer Neil Genzlinger in a recent article, ”I realized that the real reason to take a rustic vacation isn’t to escape crowds or the niceties of civilization; it’s to escape your own hang-ups.” The article is called “Going Backcountry, Three Ways” and in in Genzlinger explores rustic travel options. While they all have an outdoor element but these adventures are far from your typical camping trip.

He explains,

“The wilderness resorts of old, which tried to reproduce the lifestyle of the landed gentry, have been supplanted by a raft of quirky rentals.

They hold out the promise of something different, something that connects the jaded traveler to either a personal or a collective American past — the past of the frontier, of “On the Road,” of backyard tree forts. But beyond that, they vary widely. The yurt had no electricity or plumbing. The treehouse had room service and a flat-screen TV. There is rustic rustic, and there is not-at-all-rustic rustic.”

Through Genzlinger’s look at three unique travel experiences. One was a round hut inspired by nomads that had few luxuries. Another was an old railroad car. And the last a resort he describes as “back to nature with benefits.”

Throughout he sprinkles witticisms like, ”How did our dishwasherless forebears ever have time for Words With Friends?” And, “Anyone who has ever stayed in bare-bones accommodations knows that the development of the modern bathroom is the single most important achievement of our species besides the invention of language.”

For Genzlinger’s full review click here.

Posted in Green Business

Bad credit loans frustration for job seekers

By Bad Credit Financing | Published May 19, 2013

In a recent New York Times article called “The Long Shadow of Bad Credit in a Job Search” business writer Gary Rivlin follows a shoe salesman who believes his job search was hampered by a low credit score. Woven with his tale of job loss, injury without insurance and a growing pile of rejection letters are facts about pulling credit for employment decisions. Is it legal? Should it be? And what does a credit check actually tell a potential employer?

Rivlin writes,

“Nearly half — 47 percent — of employers use credit checks when making a hiring decision, according to a 2012 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. Most businesses use credit checks only to screen for certain positions, but one in eight, the survey found, does a credit check before every hire.”

However, the article notes, multiple studies have shown zero correlation between credit and job performance, or even things like theft on the job. Advocates argue that credit reports don’t account for the complexity of a situation. Perhaps someone’s credit was hurt by an attempt to help a friend, an unexpected injury or bad advice. Additionally, one in four credit reports contains an error by some accounts. Those who believe they have lost out on opportunities due to bad credit feel the same way.

Some studies see a small change in fortunes as employers are educated about the situation. And lawmakers are starting to jump in. Rivlin explains,

“Lawmakers in some jurisdictions have proved sympathetic to those arguments. Nine stateshave adopted legislation that curbs the use of credit reports to judge prospective hires — seven of them since the start of 2010. Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat from Tennessee, has sponsored federal legislation that would restrict their use. The New York Legislature and the New York City Council are considering strict new laws that would greatly limit an employer’s ability to do credit screening.”

Click here for the shoe salesman’s full story and to learn more about the debate surrounding credit checks.

Posted in Bad Credit Business Financing

Loaning a look at the business of BBQ

‘Rustic’ vacation spots loan chance to clear head

Bad credit loans frustration for job seekers

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