Business 101
It appears that the Cafe side of the CE business in Graz has been closed down. In the recent months we have had a lot of setbacks in almost every area. The main problem being our full premises licence was not yet given to us. Because CE was never a cafe or bar location before, the assessment time and checklist is pretty exhausting and it takes a lot of time. We received a simple permission verbally from the officials at the baumant in order to start business... and we started on April 11th. 5 months since that day and we still have not received the documentation we needed to really assert ourselves a local business and be fully legally open. We didn't exactly tip-toe in our opening months and that is part of the problem, several loud shows and parties caused a storm of complaints from our ever vigilant neighbours, thus causing authorities to take action and indefinitely close the Cafe. This leaves the bike shop and the VELOBLITZ bike messengers (also co-renters of Grazbachgasse 47) as legal tenants... therefore our door is still open. We can conduct business on a very limited basis and the impact of this is working on the moral of all of us. We also got two large fines for the use of the outside area during the opening party and for the noise complaints from the neighbours. Its been a tough long road and i guess there are so many turns and twists that its hard to see straight ahead. Every one of us is trying to keep our chin up and see the positive in the whole situation. We have one Cafe under reconstruction to open and the second one under a temporary closure. We work around the clock and try to figure the solutions to each problem. But can we do all of this before we run out of money?
The weight of the whole situation sits on each one of us, we all understand opening a business is hard. We are also thankful for the help and support of friends who have tried to help us see our way through the dark maze of paperwork that we struggle through. The next step is that we have a meeting on the 17th of September with the people in charge of the business premises licence and in that case will hear what will be next for CE in Graz.
We have been told to make the cafe look as closed as possible in case of an inspection, so we put a sheet up to cover the main bar area and have to have the counters cleared, lights down. The space is still open because of the bike shop and the cyclists who can legally use the property. Its been a very interesting few months... and I feel this is the most positive way of saying it.
CE in Novi Sad is under reconstruction. Danny and Lani are there, also moving their family yet again half way across the world, working night and day on the physical labour of the interior and also on their visa paperwork to avoid deportation this time. We had to push back the opening till sometime around the 20th, it seemed that there was not enough days to do the work that we had to do. Progress is being made and although it is slow, its happening. We aim to bring CE back to NS in the next few weeks which means I will be travelling there tomorrow (attempting to hitchhike from Graz), I will stay there for 10 days and then return for the meeting on the 17th, head back to Novi Sad again for the opening and then back to Graz to finally find a real house and settle a bit. Are you confused? I am. For the last 6 months I have moved around constantly, between the two countries, in a positive light.. it has been adventurous and unpredictable. When I think of the displacement and lack of centre I feel, I think about the Syrian refugees and how they must feel... at least I have friends in both cities to stay with. We should always be thankful, if not for what we have... sometimes for what we don't have. I am travelling not from war, but for a purpose that I believe in and in that case... lucky me.
I have also been invited to give a TED talk in Osijek about CE (TED slogan, 'Ideas worth spreading'... haha.... hmmm). I was thinking to begin with... 'If you think opening your own business is a good idea, you are very wrong'. Just kidding, I will somehow muster up the strength to talk about the beautiful moments that we have all experienced in the last few years as part of the never ending struggle. The TED talk is on 10th of October... something to look forward to... stay posted
It appears that the Cafe side of the CE business in Graz has been closed down. In the recent months we have had a lot of setbacks in almost every area. The main problem being our full premises licence was not yet given to us. Because CE was never a cafe or bar location before, the assessment time and checklist is pretty exhausting and it takes a lot of time. We received a simple permission verbally from the officials at the baumant in order to start business... and we started on April 11th. 5 months since that day and we still have not received the documentation we needed to really assert ourselves a local business and be fully legally open. We didn't exactly tip-toe in our opening months and that is part of the problem, several loud shows and parties caused a storm of complaints from our ever vigilant neighbours, thus causing authorities to take action and indefinitely close the Cafe. This leaves the bike shop and the VELOBLITZ bike messengers (also co-renters of Grazbachgasse 47) as legal tenants... therefore our door is still open. We can conduct business on a very limited basis and the impact of this is working on the moral of all of us. We also got two large fines for the use of the outside area during the opening party and for the noise complaints from the neighbours. Its been a tough long road and i guess there are so many turns and twists that its hard to see straight ahead. Every one of us is trying to keep our chin up and see the positive in the whole situation. We have one Cafe under reconstruction to open and the second one under a temporary closure. We work around the clock and try to figure the solutions to each problem. But can we do all of this before we run out of money?
The weight of the whole situation sits on each one of us, we all understand opening a business is hard. We are also thankful for the help and support of friends who have tried to help us see our way through the dark maze of paperwork that we struggle through. The next step is that we have a meeting on the 17th of September with the people in charge of the business premises licence and in that case will hear what will be next for CE in Graz.We have been told to make the cafe look as closed as possible in case of an inspection, so we put a sheet up to cover the main bar area and have to have the counters cleared, lights down. The space is still open because of the bike shop and the cyclists who can legally use the property. Its been a very interesting few months... and I feel this is the most positive way of saying it.
CE in Novi Sad is under reconstruction. Danny and Lani are there, also moving their family yet again half way across the world, working night and day on the physical labour of the interior and also on their visa paperwork to avoid deportation this time. We had to push back the opening till sometime around the 20th, it seemed that there was not enough days to do the work that we had to do. Progress is being made and although it is slow, its happening. We aim to bring CE back to NS in the next few weeks which means I will be travelling there tomorrow (attempting to hitchhike from Graz), I will stay there for 10 days and then return for the meeting on the 17th, head back to Novi Sad again for the opening and then back to Graz to finally find a real house and settle a bit. Are you confused? I am. For the last 6 months I have moved around constantly, between the two countries, in a positive light.. it has been adventurous and unpredictable. When I think of the displacement and lack of centre I feel, I think about the Syrian refugees and how they must feel... at least I have friends in both cities to stay with. We should always be thankful, if not for what we have... sometimes for what we don't have. I am travelling not from war, but for a purpose that I believe in and in that case... lucky me.
I have also been invited to give a TED talk in Osijek about CE (TED slogan, 'Ideas worth spreading'... haha.... hmmm). I was thinking to begin with... 'If you think opening your own business is a good idea, you are very wrong'. Just kidding, I will somehow muster up the strength to talk about the beautiful moments that we have all experienced in the last few years as part of the never ending struggle. The TED talk is on 10th of October... something to look forward to... stay posted
Don't give up. Your time with TFI will have shown you that things can work out, despite the odds being stacked against you.
ReplyDelete