Being That 'Good Safe Pair Of Hands'

I had a lunch meeting cancelled yesterday at the last minute so with just me and my to-do list as company, I went over to Cafe Mode on Endell Street in WC2 for lunch. It’s not a swanky Covent Garden eaterie; it’s a modest neighbourhood kind of place. A ciabatta, pizza or salad, a glass of house red. An owner who will recognise you. Good value. A ‘does what it says on the tin’ type place. I always have a chat with the owner Mohammad, about how business is going. He does well because Café Mode is the restaurant equivalent of ‘being a safe pair of hands’ in business: it is a known quantity, you know what you’re getting and it’s reliable.

And it reminded me that success in business is not always about being the biggest or the market leader. It’s about occupying a niche, suceeding at what you do and being authentic. Don’t be something you are not.

And take a lesson from Mohammad: throw in the business equivalent of a complimentary espresso or glass of wine now and then.

Cheers....