Stress
"Long hours, thieving employees, interest rates, broken ovens, cheese inflation—all I ever wanted to do was eat pepperoni all day and listen to that one song on repeat." This sentiment is probably not too far off from the minds of many self-employed food service managers. While everybody always says that they want to be their own boss, few are actually prepared for all it entails.
When your personal finances become tied to your business finances, every tiny failure wallops you right in the bank account. Want a day off? Want to try something experimental? Okaaaaay, the little guilt-mongering voice inside of your head will say, if you're really sure...
If things go south—and no, we're not talking about switching the menu to Neapolitan cuisine—you may find yourself needing to pump money into the business to keep it (and the employees who work there) afloat. And if that cash runs out, you're looking at heading back to the bank for a bailout.
There's a whole load of stressors buzzing around this job like flies, ready to bite the unsuspecting manager right where it hurts, but that doesn't mean it's all doom and gloom. Be sure you have reasonable expectations, a healthy bank presence, and a rock-solid business plan before even thinking about jumping into the fray.