In my Facebook feed, I follow several restaurants and businesses. Almost always, when one posts something, comments follow saying, “You should open a Sticky Fingers in my city!” “You need another Wingers on the North / East / South / West side of such-a-town” “I really miss Target since I moved and wish there was one close to me.”
I also follow my city’s Facebook page. Frequently, when they announce new developments, they get comments like “Cheesecake Factory should open in the city!” “Put a Starbucks location on the North / East / South / West side of town – with a drive through, because the morning traffic goes right by there and it would be an awesome location!”
This just irks me every time.
I get the thought they are trying to convey. But these posters are missing a fundamental point.
What I hear them saying is, “Someone should do this for my convenience.”
Why don’t you do it?!
Yeah, I’m talking to you, poster of the comment!
If this is such a great idea – a foolproof moneymaking operation – why don’t you get the capital together and make it happen?!
These businesses and restaurants don’t just magically happen. It takes money. It takes management. It takes employees. It takes incentive. It takes guts. It takes risk. Someone stands behind it, and rises or falls with it.
The city council doesn’t vote to open a new Taco Bell or Trader Joe’s or In-N-Out Burger and then – poof – construction machines show up and start moving earth.
Real people decide that the venture is worth it, and they make it happen.
Real people like you!
If you don’t have the money to do it, pool together with your family or friends and invest in it. Or get a business loan. Find someone who has the money and pitch the idea; go in on it as a 5% or 10% investor.
But don’t just complain on Facebook that someone else should make this thing happen for you. You do no market research. You assume no risk. You just want it to be there to suit you.
That is downright cowardly to make such suggestions and not be willing to back them up.
Yes, Facebook commenter, I just called you a coward.
Understand that I know where I’m coming from. From 1998 to 2001 I owned and operated my own small business.
In a small city, with my own money to invest, I signed a lease on some business space and I opened a computer store.
I can say for certain that I didn’t make millions of dollars. I wasn’t exactly a failure either. I learned a lot of lessons, and I did well enough to get by during those years. It was very much a challenge. I wouldn’t trade what I learned from that experience for anything else.
Especially what I learned about respect for a business owner. I take my hat off to anyone who makes that decision to invest themselves and their resources into making an honest enterprise happen.